The one-paragraph version
This is a publication about food, not a source of medical or safety advice. We work hard to get the facts right and we correct them in public when we are wrong, but we cannot promise perfection and you use what you read here at your own discretion. Product links earn us a commission at no cost to you. That is the whole deal.
Accepting these terms
By browsing this site, watching the videos embedded on it, downloading the guide or submitting a form, you agree to these terms. If you do not, please stop using the site.
These terms sit alongside the privacy and disclosure page, which covers what we collect and why.
What this site is
The Pantry Files is an independent publication about spices, herbs and other ordinary food — their history, the science, and the safety checks worth knowing. It publishes short videos, written guides and a page of product verdicts.
It is general information for adults doing their own grocery shopping. It is not personalized to you and cannot be.
Not medical or professional advice
Nothing here is medical, dietary, nutritional, legal or safety advice, and none of it substitutes for a professional who knows your situation. Do not use this site to diagnose, treat or manage a health condition, and do not change medication because of something you read or watched here.
Spices are not inert. Fenugreek lowers blood sugar and can interact with glucose-lowering medication. Clove oil is a different thing from the whole bud and is not something to dose yourself with. Most supermarket cinnamon is cassia, which carries coumarin, for which EFSA sets a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg per kg of bodyweight. If you are pregnant, taking medication, managing a condition, or buying for a child, talk to a doctor or pharmacist first.
If you think you are having a medical emergency, call your local emergency number.
Accuracy, sources and corrections
Figures, studies, dates and regulatory limits on this site are traced to primary sources — the published paper or the regulator, not a press release or a summary of one. Where a claim could not be traced, we say so rather than rounding it into something that sounds better.
We still get things wrong. When we do, the page is corrected and the correction is visible rather than quietly swapped in. If you spot an error, tell us — that is the most useful message you can send.
Research moves, recalls age, and formulations change. A claim that was accurate when published may not be accurate when you read it. Dates matter: a recall we report from a given year is a report about that year, not a statement about a product today.
Affiliate links
The Pantry Files participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, The Pantry Files earns from qualifying purchases. Product links carry a tracking tag so Amazon knows the visit came from here. The price you pay is identical either way.
Products are chosen to match what the videos and guides actually say — if a video argues for whole root over powder, the link is the whole root. A commission never changes a recommendation, and placement is not for sale. Where we have no product we are willing to stand behind, the page says "no approved pick yet" instead of naming the nearest thing.
We are not the seller. Price, availability, description, delivery, returns and the product itself are entirely the retailer's responsibility, and their terms govern any purchase you make.
Links and embedded content
This site links to and embeds material from other services, including YouTube, Amazon, Instagram and Pinterest. We do not control those services and are not responsible for their content, their products or their handling of your data. Once you click through, their terms and privacy policies apply instead of ours.
What you send us
If you submit a suggestion through the "open a file" form, you are giving us permission to use it to decide what to research and to reference the subject in future videos or guides. Do not send confidential information, and do not send anything you do not have the right to share.
Email addresses submitted for the guide are covered by the privacy page.
Our content
The writing, videos, images, brand name and design on this site belong to The Pantry Files. Quote us, cite us and link to us freely — that is welcome. Do not republish whole articles or re-upload the videos as your own.
Third-party product names and trademarks mentioned belong to their owners and are used to identify the products, not to imply any endorsement of us by them.
No warranty, and limits on liability
This site is provided as is. We make no warranty that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that the information is complete or current.
To the fullest extent the law allows, The Pantry Files is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of this site, from anything you bought through a link on it, or from any decision you made based on it. Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.
Children
This site is intended for adults. It is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect anything from them.
Changes, and getting in touch
These terms may change. The current version is always the one on this page, and the date below tells you when it last moved. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the revised terms.
Questions about anything here: contact us.
Last updated: 6 September 2026.