**4. Conclusions**

This study aims at monitoring the levels of both microbial contamination and trace elements in some spices and aromatic herbs commonly used in the Mediterranean diet. The data indicate that black cumin and Iranian chia seeds presented contamination (total coliform bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae). The concentration of trace elements was variable and related to each spice. Concerning the contents of potentially toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, and Hg), they were within the above-mentioned limits, although Pb presented a higher value in two cases.

It should be considered as a final remark that all spices and herbs are susceptible to environmental (e.g., microbial and heavy metal) contamination. Microbial contamination could be prevented by adopting good standards of practice during growing, harvesting, and processing. Environmental contamination with heavy metals should be avoided and monitored to minimize contamination levels. For this reason, spices and aromatic herbs must be strictly monitored for the aspects concerning their safety in order to prevent foodborne illness due to contamination.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, N.C., A.S., and T.G.; methodology, N.C., T.G., R.V., and A.S.; investigation, A.M., V.N., F.G., and R.T.; writing-original draft preparation, T.G., A.D., N.C., and A.S.; writing-review and editing, T.G., N.C., and A.S.; visualization, R.V., A.D., and M.L.; project administration, N.C. and A.S.; funding acquisition, N.C. and A.S.; supervision, N.C., A.S., and T.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Data Availability Statement:** Data is contained within the article.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
