The intensive labor and small quantity of product resulting from that drudgery make the saffron industry susceptible to fraud. Saffron scams in the past led to the formation of the Safranschou Code which punished the double-dealers with penalties, incarceration, and execution. But through the years, the trade became lenient, and scams persisted. Coupé saffron stigmas may be mixed with low-quality threads, or with filaments from other plants. Saffron powder may be mixed with turmeric and other similar-looking spices. These are illegal activities that compromise the consumers and the saffron industry in general. However, Modern-day security measures come in the form of the ISO, or the International Standards Organization, which laid down a uniform grading system for both the saffron filaments and saffron powder. The ISO/TS 3632, created especially for the saffron industry, was released in 1980, and adjusted on a regular basis, with the latest version released in 2011. This standard inspects the authenticity and quality of the saffron products based on categories and checks their labelling and packaging as well. The market price of saffron products is dependent on the results of such inspection.

Saffron sample grading depends on laboratory standards set for color, flavor, and aroma, which means testing the major components crocin, picrocrocin and safranal through photo spectroscopy. They must surpass a given ceiling in order to be considered even at the lowest or poorest category. Crocin, in particular, is the primary consideration because all other components are affected by its presence. Authentic saffron threads and powders are graded from I to IV, with I as the finest and IV the poorest. The following is the grading scale for crocin absorbance: Grade I: >190, Grade II: >150, Grade III: >110, and Grade IV: < 110.