PROCESSING OF SPICES AND PLANTATION CROPS

History

Excavations in the Indus valley revealed that spices and herbs have been used even before 1000 BC
- India is considered as kingdom of spices
- There are 107 spices with 20 countries being involved in the production and Export ( India 50 spices)
- Total annual average production of spices in India is estimated as 2.49 million tones (30% world production)
- Of the total production 90% domestic, 10% export
- Indian export accounts for 30-40% world trade & nearly 20-37% of foreign exchange is from pepper alone. (black gold)
- India is the major producer of pepper, ginger, turmeric and seed spices
- India enjoys monopoly in the export of spice oils and oleoresins

Value addition
Definition: The maximum realization of the price of the product through processing, packaging and marketing.
Aromatic substances which enhance flavor are called as spices and condiments.
Spices: Dried roots/ barks / seeds whole, crushed or powdered
Herbs: Fresh leaves, stems or flowers of hebaceae plants.

Seasonings – Bulbous group, almost invariably used on fresh form Ex: Onion, Garlic
- Spices and condiments in general applies to natural plants, produce in whole/ground form used to export flavor, aroma and pungency to the food usually spices dominate the other two in flavor.

Benefits of value added products over raw spices
1) Easy to carry
2) Long lasting flavors
3) More volume can be handled / per unit area
4) Easy to store , free from bacterial contamination.
5) Increases foreign exchange as they are used in food industry, preservatives and pharmaceutical industry.

Regulatory Agencies on quality of spices:
―ASTA‘ – American spice trade association
―ESA‖ - European spice Association
―BIS‖ - Bureau of Indian Standards

Oleoresins:- Products obtained by solvent extraction containing flavor ingredients (soluble in the solvent)

Volatile - Aroma
―Oleoresin‖
Non volatile - Pungency / Taste flavor
Value added products from different spices
1) Black pepper – Oleoresin, Green pepper in Brine, dehydrated green peppers, canned green pepper, white pepper powder etc.

Seasonings – Bulbous group, almost invariably used on fresh form Ex: Onion, Garlic
- Spices and condineuts in general applies to natural plants, produce in whole/ground form used to export flavor, aroma and pungency to the food usually spices dominate the other two in flavor.

Volatile - Aroma
―Oleoresin‖
Non volatile - Pungency / Taste flavour
Value added products from different spices
1) Black pepper – Oleoresin, Green pepper in Brine, dehydrated green peppers, canned green pepper, white pepper powder etc.
2) Paprika – colour, paprika flavour
3) Ginger – powder, wines, dry ginger starch from spent ginger preserves, gingiberin oil oleoresin
4) Turmeric – Natural pigments, curcuminoids, oleoresins
5) Coriander – Powder, oleoresins
6) Cumin – powder, oleoresin

7) Fennel – sugar coated fennel, oleoresin, whole etc
8) Fenugreek – powder, dried fenugreek leaves etc
9) Tree spices – obesity regulators, stimulators, neutraceuticals
(cinnamom, cassia nutmug, cloves)
10) Chillies – powder, pickles, paste, oleoresin, oil, brined chilli, sauces.

Ground spices – cracked
- coarse ground
- fine ground
- Include spices milled to the degree of fineness
- Heat evolved during processing results in loss of flavour + Deterioration of Quality
- Solution to overcome this problem – cryogenic process of milling/ powdering has been developed
- This is done by feeding spices –liquid nitrogen simultaneously into the milling zone
- Cryomilled spices showed better retention of Aroma, colour – less loss of moisture.
- Quality factors like cleanliness, low pesticide residue levels, low microbial counts are essential.
Spice extracts : an alternative to whole / grounds
- Modified to suit the production needs like solubility, dispensability, aroma, flavour and colour
- Spice extractives – essential oil
- Oleoresin
- Micro encapsulated oil and oleoresin
- Essential oils: These are aromatic volatile components present in most spices recovered form plant / spice material by steam distillation.
- Essential oils are derived from
- Leaves – rosemary, peppermint
- Barks – cinnamom and cassion
- Rhizome – ginger
- And wood, flowers etc of the plant
- Essential oils are used in flavours and cosmetics development
- Essential oils are complex mixture of odourous and volatile compounds which are deposited in
 Subcuticulae space of Glanduear hair.

 Cell organelles
 Excretory cavities
 Canals
 Wood (exceptionally)

- Essential oils are composed of terpenes, Alcohols, Aldehydes, ketones, Esters, ethers, phenols, acids and nitrogenous and sulphur compounds
- Essential oils are highly volatile, hence water distillation, steam distillation / combination of both methods are generally adopted for manufacture of essential oils.

- Essential oils: - syrups
- Confectionery
- Tooth pastes
- Mouth washes
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Dentistry
- These oils are highly concentrated compound to fresh spices.
- Used at a low level of 0.01 – 0.05% in a finished product.
- They are highly irritant to slain – toxic to CNS it taken internally.

Oleoresins: Obtained by extraction of ground spices with an organic solvent as methylene bromide, Ethylene dichloride Acetone, Hexane or Alcohol.

more as we take the next subject on plantain method of preparation.
Sanwo Olatunde