North Americans are becoming increasingly aware of health, resulting in a shift in their attitude toward natural products, due to a powerful ‘green wave’ – a strong driving force for the herbs market, like basil, oregano, and parsley. California and Florida, with their favourable weather conditions, remain leading regions for domestically-produced fresh herbs. Hawaii and New Jersey are important second-tier sources of domestically-produced herbs, although buyers’ demand for reliable year-round supplies limits the ability of Northern regions to compete in the market. In North America, fresh herbs are primarily marketed through wholesale channels, whereas  smaller volumes are sold directly to consumers through farmer’s markets.

Dry rubs and wet rubs are the spice blends commonly known. They are spice blends mixed with water or oil and are a great way to improve flavor and preservation properties of meat. These blends are added to meat, fish, and poultry as a marinade. Black pepper is common in rubs, so are ground hot peppers such as cayenne or chipotle. Ginger, horseradish, and mustard powder are also included in this category. Spices and seasonings are also used in the preparation of sausages. Pepper, red pepper, paprika, garlic, rosemary, thyme, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg are the most commonly used spices in sausages. Specialist spice-mixing companies increasingly assist the meat trade, by producing ready-to-use spice mixtures for meat, as well as for sausage factories.