Quality and Processing of Spices (Black pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Turmeric, Vanilla, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Allspice and Seed Spices)

1. QUALITY AND PROCESSING OF SPICES
Master’s Seminar (PSM-591)
Speaker : SHIVANAND D AINAPUR
H-2019-89-M
MSc. IInd year
Spices, Plantation, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Department of Vegetable Science

2. • Spices: ‘Any dried plant product used primarily for seasoning purposes’
• India, ‘The Land of Spices’ is one of the largest producer and exporter of
spices in the world
• India- prominent domestic market for spices in the world
• Indian spices are popular for their flavour and aroma in domestic as well as in
the international markets
• 109 spices belongs 31 families- notified by the International Standards
Organisation (ISO) and 52 spices are brought under the purview of Spice
Board (around 63 of spices are produced in India)
INTRODUCTION
(ASTA, 2008 and Nybe et al., 2007 )

3. Area, production and export scenario of spices
(www.Statista.com & Spice Board, 2020)
Chilli
28%
Mint Products
19%
Cumin
15%
Spice oil and
Olepresin
11%
Turmeric
7%
Curry powder
and paste
4%
Pepper
3%
Crdamom
2% Coriander
2%
Ginger
1%
Other spices…
EXPORT DURING2018-19
Export of spice commodities
 About 9.1 M T of spice is produced in an area of 3.97 M ha
(2018-19)
 Leading products in export are Chilli, Mint products, Cumin
Spice oil & Oleoresins, turmeric etc. (2018-19)

4. Basic functions of spices
Basic function Spices as major function Spices as sub function
Flavouring Vanilla, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Allspice, Mint,
Dill, Cumin, Star anise, Basil, Anise, Mace,
Nutmeg, Fennel, Fenugreek,
Garlic, Onion, Clove, Thyme,
Rosemary, etc.
Deodorizing /
masking
Garlic, Onion, Rosemary, Clove, Thyme,
Caraway, coriander
Pungency Pepper, Red pepper, Garlic, Onion, clove ,
Thyme, Rosemary, Caraway, Coriander,
Mustard, Ginger
Allspice, Mint, Cumin, Mace,
Fennel, Cardamom, Nutmeg,
etc.
Colouring Paprika, Turmeric, Saffron
(Ravindaran et al., 2001)

5. Quality Control and Standards
• Stringent quality control measures and quality
certification from internationally recognized
agencies
• Pre-shipment inspection and validation of quality
checks
• Spice Board awards- Indian Spices Logo as mark of
genuine, superior quality Indian spices & Spice House
Certificate
• Sample testing with the various international
agencies such as American Spice trade organization,
International Pepper Community and Erofins
Laboratory (Germany)
(https://www.business-standard.com/spices-board-introduces-quality-certification & Spice Board )

6. • Quality Evaluation Laboratory (1989)- monitors quality of spices produced and
processed in the country
• Helps to identify pesticides, illegal dilution and life-threatening fungi seen in spices, using
advanced equipment
• Quality standards applicable are BIS, FSSAI, AGMARK, ASTA and ESA.
• BIS recently standardized for 35 spice commodities
The regional quality laboratories:
1) Mumbai (Maharashtra, 2008)
2) Guntur (Andhra Pradesh, 2010)
3) Gummidipoondi (TN, Chennai, 2011)
4) Narela (New Delhi, 2012)
5) Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu, 2013)
6) Kandla (Gujarat, 2016)
(https://www.indianspices.com/quality-evaluation-laboratory)

7. Spoilage factors
• Formation of dew over the product- excess
heat and improper ventilation
• Microbial contamination- increased humidity
• Loss of aroma- oxidation reaction of aromatic
compounds
• Discolouration of natural pigments- sunlight
• Ingress of moisture- spices lose their free
flowing property
• Insect infection
(Rangaprasad, 2019 & Costa et al., 2019)

8. Processing and Value Addition
• Processing is “a variety of operations from harvesting on the farm to
different forms of culinary preparation in the home”
• Value addition: For the same volume of primary product, high price is
realized by means of processing, packaging or up-grading the quality by
some other ways
(www.eufic.org 2010 & Ravindran, 2001)

9. spices
Spice oils &
oleoresin
Paste
Ground
Whole
Concentrates
Mixes
(Singh & Singh 2015)
Product
Diversification

10. Black pepper - King of Spices
• Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) has supreme position
among spices
• Pepper of commerce- dried mature fruit
(drupe)
• Fruits are used as food and medicine
• India’s share in world– 40% by area and 23% by
production
• Predominantly cultivated in Kerala, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu & introduced in Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh, Assam and Tripura
• Pungency of pepper due to piperine (5% crude
piperine)
(Purseglove et al., 1981 & Chadha, 2019)

11. Harvesting
• Pungency decreases with maturation
• Harvest at right stage of maturity to
get a dried product of good quality
• When 1 or 2 berries turn yellow
(Ravindran, 2001 & Chadha, 2019)
Product Stages of maturity
Canned pepper 4-5 months after flowering
Dehydrated green
pepper
10-15 days before full maturity
Oil & Oleoresin 15-20 days before full maturity
Black pepper Fully mature (1-2 berries changing to yellow colour)
Pepper powder Fully mature with maximum starch
White pepper Fully ripe

12. Harvesting
De-spiking/Threshing
Blanching
Drying/Curing
Cleaning
Grading
Packaging &
Storage
PROCESSING

13. Despiking & Blanching
Despiking: Kept in a bag for 12-24 hours- easy separation of berries from spike
• Trampling with legs- berries separation
• Mechanical threshers are used of varying capacities (50-2500 kg/h)
Blanching: Dip in boiling water for a minute before drying
• Activates the phenolase enzyme responsible for black colour development
• Reduces the drying time by 2 days
• Reduces microbial load
(Chadha, 2019 & https://www.indianspices.com/guidelines-quality-improvement.html)
Trampling with legs Power operated thresher (2 hp) Blanching by immersing in hot water

14. Curing/drying
• Freshly harvested berries contain 65-70%
moisture
• Moisture content reduced to 10%, to
avoid microbial spoilage
• Shining black colour is achieved by activity
of enzyme phenolase on chlorophyll
• Sun-drying for 4-6 days
Periodical turning for uniform drying
• Artificial drying:
Homogenous drying of product
Uniform colour
(Krishnamurthy et al., 1993 , Blumenburg et al., 1997 and Chadha, 2019)
Solar cabinet dryer
Wood fired dryer
Sun-drying
Electrical dryer

15. Case study - 1
Pepper
type
Pre-treatement Drying
period
(days)
Sun-drying Oven-drying
Moisture
content (%)
Microbial load Moisture
content (%)
Microbial load
Surface Homogenate Surface Homogenate
Black Untreated 7 14.60 5.99 5.67 11.20 4.08 3.32
14 10.50 5.11 3.54 ND ND ND
Steeped only 7 15.20 2.41 2.08 10.40 <1.48 <1.48
14 10.38 <1.48 <1.48 ND ND ND
Steeped & surface disinfected 7 16.02 <1.48 <1.48 11.00 <1.00 <1.48
14 10.50 <1.48 0.00 ND ND ND
White Steeped only 7(4) 11.30 2.36 2.15 10.50 <1.00 <1.00
Steeped & surface disinfected 7(4) 12.00 <1.00 0.00 11.30 <1.00 <1.00
• Drying in the oven generally achieved the required moisture content earlier and more uniformly than sun-drying
• Pre-treatments such as steeping in boiling water alone or steeping and surface disinfection of fresh pepper
fruits before drying drastically reduced the microbial load

16. Cleaning and Grading
• Removal of extraneous matter-
spent spikes, pinheads, stones,
soil particles etc.
• In small scale- done by
winnowing and handpicking
• In large scale- done by multiple
sieve - cum air classifier type of
machine
• Average dry recovery: 33-37%
• Grading done by sieves
(Singh & Singh, 2015 and Chadha, 2019)

17. Major Pepper grades and AGMARK specification
Grade Trade Name Size (mm) Moisture (%)
TGSEB Tellicherry Garbeled Special Extra Bold 4.8 11
TGEB Tellicherry Garbeled Extra Bold 4.2 11
TG Tellicherry Garbeled 4.0 11
Tellicherry Black Pepper
Malabar Black Pepper
Grade Trade Name Bulk Density (g/L) Moisture (%)
MG-1 Malabar Garbeled 1 550 11
MG-2 Malabar Garbeled 2 550 11
MUG-1 Malabar Ungarbeled 1 550 12
MUG-2 Malabar Ungarbeled 2 550 12
MUG-3L Malabar Ungarbeled 3L 550 12
MUG-4L Malabar Ungarbeled 4L 550 12
(Chadha, 2019)

18. Packaging & Storage
(Nybe et al., 2007 & Singh & Singh, 2015)
• Tendency to absorb moisture resulting in
mould attack and insect infestation
• Two types of packaging
1. Bulky packaging
2. Retail packaging
• Moisture level in pepper is to be in the
range of 10-11 % before it is stored
• Controlled ventilation and devices for
control of humidity & temperature and
fumigated (Methyl bromide and
Aluminum phosphide) before storage

19. Value added Products of Pepper
White pepper
Green pepper in Brine
Pepper E. oil
Pepper oleoresin
Pepper powder
Dry green pepper Dehydrated green pepper
Canned pepper

20. Cardamom - Queen of Spices
• World’s 3rd most expensive crop after
Saffron and Vanilla
• Cardamom of commerce is dried fruit
(Capsule)
• Guatemala is the largest producer and
exporter of cardamom in world
• In India- Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
• Used for flavouring various preparations of
food, confectionary, beverages and liquors
• Flavour of cardamom is due to 1,8- cineole,
terpinyl acetate, linalyl acetate and linalool
(Purseglove et al., 1981 & Chadha 2019)

21. Harvesting
Cleaning
Pre-treatment
Drying/Curing
Grading
Packaging
Storage
PROCESSING

22. (Parthsarathy et al., 2008)
Harvesting & Cleaning
• Harvested at its physiological maturity-
when pericarp attains dark green and
seeds are black coloured
• Avoid harvesting of fully ripened &
immature capsules
• Remove dust and dirt using winnowing
basket for quicker and efficient work
• Further washed in clean water & the
stalks are removed
• For larger quantities a 1 m3 sink/basin to
be constructed

23. Pre-treatment
• For green cardamom- soaking in 2% sodium
bicarbonate for 10 min to extent the
colour retention
• For bleached cardamom- soaking in 20 %
Potassium Meta-bisulphite solution
containing 1% Hydrogen Peroxide for an
hour
• Soaking in KMS leads to degradation of
Chlorophyll and further drying leads to
golden colour
• Bleached cardamom are creamy white or
Golden yellow in colour
(Singh & Singh, 2015)

24. Drying/curing
• Determines its colour, flavour and shelf life
• Inactivates the enzyme responsible for degradation
of chlorophyll
• Temperature of 45-500 C should be maintained
during drying
• Gradual increase of temperature to 50-600 C in the
last 2 hours of drying
• Higher temperature loss of oil from seeds and also
leads to brownish streaks due to heat injury
• Fresh capsules with 80% moisture are dried to 10-
12% moisture Traditional Bhatti method

25. Electrical dryer
• Best quality product is obtained
• The dryer consist of 24 number of
aluminum trays
• They are piled one over the other with
a gap of 2 cm between trays
• The green capsules are uniformly
spread in trays and arranged in the
dryer
• Uniform distribution is ensured by
means of fans
• 50 kg of capsules can be dried in 10-12
hours
(http://sikkimnow.blogspot.com/2013/spices-board-holds-demo-for-electric. and Nybe et al., 2007)

26. Kiln dryer
• Most commonly used dryers
• The heated air currents generated in the furnace passes through the pipe
and increases the temperature of the room
• Wooden/aluminium trays are to be piled one over the other with spacing of
20-22.5 cm in curing room
• Maintain the temperature around 45-550C
Curing time – 24 to36 hours
Fuel requirement- 1000 kg/100 kg fresh cardamom
Dimensions of furnace- 2.5 x 0.6 m
Dimensions of drying chamber- length of 4.5 m
Pipe of diameter 30 cm made of MS sheets
(Nybe et al., 2007)

27. Case study -
2
Pre treatments Curing methods Mean
Conventional curing Modern curing
Sodium carbonate (1%) 6.1 5.07 5.58
Potassium carbonate (1%) 4.87 3.83 4.35
Magnesium sulphate (1%) 5.83 5 5.42
Sodium hydroxide(1%) 6.3 5.37 5.83
Sodium bicarbonate (1%) 4.2 3.87 4.03
Ascorbic acid (0.1%) 4.2 4.07 4.08
Citric acid (0.1%) 4.97 3.87 4.42
Polyethylene glycol (0.1%) 3.8 4.97 4.38
Naphthalene acetic acid (500 ppm) 4.63 4.7 4.67
Control (no treatment) 4.4 4.6 4.5
Effects of pretreatments and curing methods on flavour profile of essential
oil of processed small cardamom (Eletteria cardamomun (L.) Maton)
Effect of pre treatments and curing methods on the essential oil content (%) of small cardamom
The cardamom capsules treated with 1% sodium hydroxide, 1% sodium carbonate and 1% magnesium sulphate
had shown higher essential oil content (5.83%, 5.58% and 5.42% respectively).
(Sonia and Sreekala, 2015)

28. Grading
Based on AGMARK grading system there are 5 grades
Alleppey
Green
Cardamom
Coorg
Green
Cardamom
Bleached or Half-
Bleached
Cardamom
Bleached
White
Cardamom
Mixed
Cardamom
(Chadha, 2019)

29. Grades with Specifications
Grade Trade name Size (mm) Weight (g/l) Colour General
characteristics
AGB Alleppey Green Bold 7 435 Green
Kiln dried, 3 cornered
and ribbed appearance
AGS Alleppey Green Superior 5 385
AGS-1 Alleppey Green Shipment 4 320-350 Light green
AGL Alleppey Green Light 3.5 260
CGEB Coorg Green Extra Bold 8 450 Golden to light
green
Round ribbed and or
smooth skin
CGB Coorg Green Bold 7.5 435
CG-1 Coorg Green Superior 6.5 415 Light green
CG-2 Coorg Green Mota, Green 6 385 Green
CG-3 Coorg Green Shipment 5.5 350 Cream
CG-4 Coorg Green Light 3.5 280 Brown
BL-1 Bleached 1 8.5 340 Pale
Fully developed round, 3
cornered ribbed or
smooth skin
BL-2 Bleached 2 7 340 Creamy
BL-3 Bleached 3 5 300 Dull white
(Indian Institute of Spices Research)

30. Packaging & Storage
• Packed in polyethene packets and polyethene
lined jute bags
• Stored at moisture content of less than 10% to
retain the original parrot green colour and to
prevent mould growth
• Use of 300 gauge black polyethene lined gunny
bags improves efficiency of storage
• Optimum equilibrium RH is 40%, mould growth
appears at 70% RH
• Optimal conditions for storage are low
temperature, low humidity and free from pests
(Nybe et al., 2007 & Nair, 2020)

31. Value added products of Cardamom
Cardamom powder
Cardamom flavours Cardamom beverage
Cardamom oleoresin Cardamom E. oil 1,8-Cineole
Cardamom garland
Lip balm
Silver coated seeds

32. Ginger - Zingiber officinale
• Ginger is a herbaceous perennial grown as annual
• Ginger of commerce- underground branched
rhizome
• India is largest producer of dry ginger,
contributes 33% to world’s production
• Indian ginger has high esteem in world due its
characteristic lemon like flavour
• Majorly grown in Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya,
Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal etc.
• Pungency is due to 6-gingerol while aroma is due
to volatile oils lisabolane, zingiberene and
zingiberol
(Purseglove et al., 1981 & http://mkranade.50webs.com/productiongin.htm)

33. Harvesting
 The time of harvest depends on the end-use
 Washing of the produce after harvesting
 Killed by immersion in boiling water for 10 min, which inactivates enzymatic
activity and then sun dried
Product Stage of harvest (MAP)
Fresh
consumption
5
Preserved ginger 5-7
Dried ginger 8-9
Essential oil 8-9

34. Cleaning- to remove debris, shoots and roots
-Cleaning with 150 ppm hypochlorous acid- tends to reduce microbial load
Sorting- grouping according to size, shape, weight and color
-Clean, brown-yellow and bright colored ginger should prefer
Peeling- crapping of outer tissues
-Reduction in drying time and good appearance
Slicing or chopping of ginger reduces the drying time, may also leads to
loss of essential oil
Drying- removing of moisture to 8-10%
Cleaning Sorting Peeling Drying
Grading &
Packaging
Basic Steps of Ginger Processing

35. Drying
• Sun-drying peeled ginger takes 7
to 9 days to reach a moisture
content of 7.8% to 8.8%
• Mechanical drying ensures the
homogenous and cleaner product
• Critical temperature of 600C
during mechanical drying
• Different types of dryers are
1.Direct type solar dryer
2.In-direct type solar dryer
3.Hybrid solar dryer
4.Improved electric dryer
Direct type solar dryer In-direct type solar dryer
Hybrid type solar dryer Improved electric dryer
(Visvanathan and Zachariah, 2012)

36. Case study -
3
 Whole ginger rhizomes dried under sun drying or in a solar tunnel drier retained the maximum essential oil
(13.9 mg/g) and oleoresin content (45.2 mg/g) of dry ginger.
 Slicing of ginger rhizomes significantly reduced the drying time of ginger in all the drying methods
Slice
length
(mm)
Drying methods
Sun drying Solar tunnel
dryer
Tray dryer
500C 550C 600C 650C
E. Oil Oleoresin E. Oil Oleoresin E. Oil Oleoresin E. Oil Oleoresin E. Oil Oleoresin E. Oil Oleoresin
5 10.4 31.8 7.0 32.2 9.6 30.9 8.7 33.8 10.4 28.7 8.7 30.3
10 10.4 31.9 7.0 32.4 10.4 31.2 8.7 34.9 10.4 32.9 8.7 31.5
15 10.4 32.2 8.7 33.6 10.4 31.7 8.7 37.8 10.4 32.9 10.4 33.5
20 12.2 32.8 10.4 33.9 10.4 32.8 8.7 38.1 10.4 33.9 10.4 35.2
30 12.2 38.8 10.4 36.9 10.4 33.2 8.7 39.2 10.4 34.8 10.4 38.2
40 12.2 42.6 10.4 38.9 10.4 33.4 10.4 39.4 10.4 38.5 10.4 38.6
50 12.2 44.5 13.9 43.5 10.4 34.8 10.4 39.8 10.4 41.6 12.2 39.1
Whole 13.9 45.2 13.9 43.8 12.2 36.2 12.2 40.2 12.4 42.8 12.2 41.2
Variation in essential oil (mg/g) and oleoresin content (mg/g) of dry ginger for various slice lengths and drying methods

37. Processing for Dry ginger
Indian Spice Board recommends the following sequence for preparing dry ginger:
(Platto, 2002 & Chadha,2019)
Soaking the rhizome with water and leaving it
overnight
Peeling/scraping with pointed-end bamboo
splinters
One week sun drying
Again soaking for 6 hours in water with 2% lime
Final drying up to 8-10% moisture (Should not be
>12%).

38. Grading & Packaging
Grading in Dried ginger
• Packaging is done according homogeneity in Size and
Quality
• Well ventilated and strong containers
• Wooden crates are preferred to domestic market
• Fibreboard carton for the export market (>75 lb per
square inch bursting strength)
(https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Culture-epices/ginger & Platto, 2011)
Type Description
Peeled, scraped, uncoated Whole rhizome with the corky skin removed
Rough scraped Whole rhizome with the skin partially removed
Unpeeled, coated Whole rhizome with the skin intact
Black ginger Whole rhizome scalded before being scraped and dried
Bleached Whole rhizome treated with lime of diluted sulphuric acid
Splits and slices Unpeeled rhizomes, split or sliced
Ratoons Second growth rhizomes, small, dark and very fibrous

39. Ginger juice
Value Added Products of Ginger
Ginger beer Ginger soft-drink Ginger pickle Ginger preserve Ginger oil
Bleached ginger Ginger paste Ginger powder Dehydrated ginger
Ginger candy Ginger syrup Salted ginger Ginger chocolates Ginger oleoresin

40. Turmeric - Golden spice
 “Indian Saffron”, “Spice of life”
 Turmeric of commerce is rhizome of Curcuma
longa
 80% of the global production and 60% of
Export
 Exports US$ 236 million in 2018
 North America is the largest market
 Majorly grown in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and in other places
 Curcumin (C22H20O6) - the yellow colouring
pigment
India
82%
china
8%
Mayanmar
4%
Nigeria
3%
Bangladesh
3%
Major Producing countries
India china Mayanmar Nigeria Bangladesh
(APEDA, Shanmugasundaram et al., 2018, Rajendra et al., 2017, & Jacob, 1995)

41. Harvesting
Washing
Boiling
Drying
Polishing
Colouring
Packaging
PROCESSING

42. Harvesting and Washing
• Ready for harvesting after 7-9 MAP,
based on variety
• Dried leaves and Pseudo-stem are cut
close to ground
• Land is ploughed and rhizomes are
gathered by hand-picking
• Globular mother rhizome and the
longitudinal fingers are separated
• Soaked in water throughout the night
& Later on, rhizomes are taken out and
water is sprayed
(Nybe et al., 2007 & https://agris.fao.org)

43. Curing/Boiling
• Helps to maintain uniform colour
• End point- soft and yellowness of inner of the
rhizome instead of red
• Duration- 45 min to 1 hour
• Influences the rate of drying, moisture, volatile oil
and curcumin
• Types
1. Traditional method
2. Modern method– by using perforated trough
3. Steam based cooking
• Steamed cooking reduced cooking time from 30 to 17
min & quality is maintained (curcumin loss is <2.5%)
(Nybe et al., 2007, Patil, 2013 and KAU-Infotech portal)

44. Drying
• Dried in sun by spreading 5-7 cm thick layer on cemented floor
• It may take 10-15 days for rhizomes to complete dry
• Mechanical dryers– drums, trays, cabinet and continuous parallel or cross-
flow hot air tunnels, drying temperature 600 C
• Artificial drying gives a brighter product than sun drying
• End point- dried fingers brakes cleanly with a metallic sound
(Manuraj et al., 2020)
Chilli Turmeric mechanical dryer Bapatla

45. Variety Type of boiling Curcumin content (%) Essential oil content (%) Oleoresin content (%)
Sun-drying Solar-drying Sun-drying Solar-drying Sun-drying Solar-drying
PTS 10 Water boiling 3.59 3.94 3.46 3.83 6.75 7.14
Cow dung slurry boiling 3.55 4.84 5.03 5.26 7.21 8.34
steaming 3.76 4.61 5.46 5.56 9.33 10.20
Pressure boiling 4.25 5.21 5.73 5.80 11.45 14.00
CO 2 Water boiling 1.12 1.66 2.23 2.43 7.70 7.99
Cow dung slurry boiling 1.95 1.99 2.40 2.96 8.26 7.31
steaming 1.53 1.78 2.93 3.00 7.55 8.76
Pressure boiling 1.77 2.23 3.30 3.70 10.32 13.65
Case study - 4
 Pressure boiling and solar drying resulted in maximum curcumin (5.21%), essential oils (5.80%) and
oleoresin (14%) contents at a moisture content below 10% along with reducing the drying time
 Polythene lined jute bags retained maximum bioactive constituents after up to 4 months

46. Polishing & Colouring
•Polishing: to remove the surface roots and thin
layer of skin of turmeric.
Polishing done manually or mechanical rubbing
•Colouring: coated with turmeric powder
Two types are:
Dry colouring: turmeric powder is added to the
polishing drum in the last 10 minutes, 200 g for 100
kg of half polished turmeric
Wet colouring: 2 kg turmeric powder, 40 g alum,
140 g castor seed oil, 30 g sodium bisulphate, 30 ml
HCl mixed inside by sprinkling inside the polishing
basket
(Rajendra, 2017 and Singh & Singh, 2015)

47. Grading
• Separating the fingers, bulbs and splits are done by farmers
• Bulbs are mother rhizomes which are ovate in shape and shorter in length
and but a greater diameter than fingers
• Fingers are secondary rhizomes which are 2.5- 7.5 cm in length and may be
1 cm in diameter
• Fingers fetches higher price
(Rajendra et al., 2017)

48. Grading and AGMARK specification for turmeric
Grade Flexibility Broken pieces,
fingers <15 mm (% by Wt)
Foreign matter
(% by Wt)
Defectives (% by
Wt)
Max bulbs % by
Wt
Alleppey turmeric fingers
Good Hard to touch 5 1 3 4
Fair Hard 7 1.5 5 5
Fingers (other than Alleppey)
Special Hard to touch, metallic twang
on break
2 1 0.5 2
Good 3 1.5 1 3
Fair Hard 5 2 1.5 5
“Rajapore” fingers
Special Hard to touch, metallic twang
on break
3 1 3 2
Good 5 1.5 5 3
Fair Hard 7 2 7 5
N-S Non-specified - 4 - -
Bulbs (Round, Gattas or Golas)
Special Non-specified - 1 1 -
Good Non-specified - 1.5 3 -
Fair Non-specified - 2 5 -
(http://mkranade.50webs.com/agmark.htm)

49. Turmeric Powder
 Ground to required particle size
 Turmeric powder- used for manufacturing of curry
powder, spice mixture, pickle, soup etc.
 It is packed in bulk, fiberboard drums, multiwalled
bags and tin containers
 Adulteration: with foreign starch (Tapioca,
arrowroot, cereal flour), husks, lead, chromate
etc.
Grade Moisture
(%)
Total ash
(%)
Acid insoluble ash, (%
by wt max)
Lead
(ppm max)
Starch
(%)
Chromate
test
Standard
Fine (300 µm) 10 7 1.5 2.5 60 Negative
Coarser(500 µm) 10 9 1.5 2.5 60 Negative
(Singh & Singh, 2015 and http://mkranade.50webs.com/agmark.htm)

50. Packaging & Storage
 Dried rhizomes and rhizome pieces are
packed in jute sacks, wooden boxes or
lined corrugated boxes for shipping
 Ground turmeric should be packed in
moisture proof, air-tight polyethene
packages
 Packages should be sealed and labelled
with attractive labels. The label needs
to contain all relevant product and legal
information
 The bulk rhizomes are stored in a cool
and dry environment, away from direct
sunlight
(Azam Ali, 2008 and Ravindran et al., 2007)

51. CURCUMIN
 Turmeric colour is attributed primary to a group of related compounds
designated as curcuminoids with curcumin (diferuloyl methane)- 77%
 Its other two derivatives are-
 Demethoxycurcumin
 Bis-demethoxycurcumin
 Properties of curcumin: Anti-inflammatory,
antioxidant, radical scavenger, dye, anti-
neoplastic, hepatoprotective, nutraceutical,
ligand, iron chelator, contraceptive drug,
immunomodulator, and neuroprotective
(National library of medicine, Singh and Singh, 2015)

52. Extraction technique
Conventional
Soxhlet extraction
Maceration
Hydro-distillation
Non-conventional
Supercritical fluid
extraction
Pressurized liquid
extraction
Microwave assisted
extraction
Ultra-sound assisted
extraction

53. Multifaceted use of turmeric
Nutraceutical
Pharmaceutical
Food
Cosmetic
Rituals/ceremonies
Textile
(Jagetia and Aggarwal, 2007)

54. Clove – A spicy flower bud
 Clove of commerce is dried, unopened flower
buds
 Used as condiment, flavoring agent and local
anesthetic for dental problems
 Major clove producing countries are
Indonesia, Zanzibar and Madagascar
 In India it is grown in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and
Karnataka
 Importing countries are India, USA,
Germany, France and Singapore
 Major constituent is eugenol-89% of clove oil

55. Harvesting & Post-harvest handling
Harvesting Curing Grading Packing Storage
 Harvesting : Ready for harvest within 4-6 months
- Harvested when unopened buds they begin to turn
pink
 Curing/Drying: takes 4-5 days for drying
- Fully dried buds develop characteristic tan colour on
their stem
- Well dried cloves are only 1/3rd to its original weight
 Sorting/Grading: good quality cloves should be
brownish black with full and plump crown, rough to
touch without wrinkles with moisture content < 12%
 Packaging & storage: cloves are packed in polyethene
bags and stored in cool, clean & dry rooms

56. Processing for clove oil
 Obtained by hydro or steam
distillation of whole or broken
buds
 Hydro-steam distillation yields
better recovery of oil than
steam alone
 Main constituents of oil are
eugenol, eugenol acetate and
caryophyllene
 Eugenol used commercially to
produce vanillin
 Clove bud yields 16% oil where
as mother cloves, stem, leaf and
roots yield 6.5, 5, 1-2 and 6% oil

57. Nutmeg - Myristica fragrance
 Nutmeg tree yields two spices; Mace and Nutmeg
(1:8)
 Nutmeg- ovoid kernel, which is hard and brown
enclosed within a thin shell
 Mace- aril which surrounding the shell of nutmeg
 Nutmeg is a stimulant, carminative, astringent,
aphrodisiac and hallucinogen
 Mace is used as culinary spice largely as flavouring
agent
 Grown in Indonesia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, India,
etc.
 In India; Kerala, TN, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra,
N-E India and Andaman
(http://www.fao.org, Nybe et al.,2007 and Singh & Singh, 2015)

58. Harvest & Post-harvest handling
Harvesting Separation Drying Grading
Packaging &
Storage
 Harvesting
-Fruits ripen after 6-9 months after flowering
-Harvesting criteria is when the pericarp of the nut splits
 Separation
-Rind is removed and mace which envelops shell is peeled
off
-“Blades of mace” are flattened and spread out in sun
 Drying
-Mace dried for 10-15 days till it becomes yellowish
brown and brittle
-Seeds are dried for 1-2 months until the kernel rattles
inside the shell
-The ration of dried nutmeg to dried mace is 20:3
( Nazeem, 1979 and Pruthy & Krishnamurty, 1984)

59. Continued..,
Grading: Nutmeg and Mace are graded according
to their size
-Bigger the mace the better the premium
-Whole nutmegs are grouped into 3 quality
classes
Packaging and storage: Nutmeg and Mace are
classified, bagged, labelled and can be fumigated
-Powders should be stored in sealed containers
-Final moisture content before storage should be
<10%
Value addition: Nutmeg powder, oil, oleoresin,
butter and mace oil & oleoresin
Grade Purpose
Sound Nutmeg Grinding and
oleoresin
extraction
Sub Standard
Nutmeg
Grinding,
oleoresin
extraction and
essential oil
distillation
Poor quality
Nutmeg
Essential oil
distillation
(http://www.fao.org, Nybe et al.,2007 and Singh & Singh, 2015)

60. Cinnamon - Cinnamomum verum
 Cinnamon of commerce is its bark
 Utilized as flavouring agent, medicine and
perfume
 Leaves of cinnamon are also used as spice;
flavouring agent
 Bark of C. verum true cinnamon
 False cinnamon or cassia is obtained from C.
cassia (Chinise cinnamon), C. tamala (Tejpat), C.
burmanii and C. laureirii
 Cultivated in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
(Krishnamoorthy et al., 1996, Nybe et al., 2007)

61. Harvesting
 Stems are cut during rains to facilitate easy
peeling
 Shoots having finger size thickness (1.5-3 cm)
and uniform brown colour
 Coppicing is done to a height of 12 cm from
ground level
 Best quality is obtained from the thin bark of
shoots from middle portion of stems
 Yields 220-300 kg quills/ha annually
 After harvesting the peeler stems are bundled
are carried to peeling shed
(Radhakrishnan 1992, Indu et al., 2020)

62. Post-harvest handling
Peeling: Peeling of the bark is carefully done by
piercing a sharp round edge knife
Rolling: Peeled barks are packed together and
placed one above the other and pressed
-Rolled slips are bundled and kept on a horizontal
stick supported on a stand
Piping: Rolled to form pipes by fitting them over
the outer cover of pipes, these piped slips are
called as ‘Quills’
-Smaller quills are inserted into larger ones to form
compound quill
(Nair 1970, Singh & Singh 2015, Indu et al., 2020)
Peeling Rolling Piping Drying Grading Packing & storage

63. Continued..,
 Drying: placing of compound quills on coir
rope racks and dried in the shade to avoid
wrapping
-After drying for 4-5 days and then placed in
subdued sunlight for further drying (dried to
10% moisture)
Grades Description Measurements
Quills
‘00000’ finest quality
&
‘0’ as carsest quality
Alba < 6 mm diameter
Continental < 16 mm diameter
Mexican < 19 mm diameter
Hamburg < 32 mm diameter
Quillings Pieces of bark less than 106 mm long -
Feathering Inner bark of twigs and twisted shoots -
Chips Trimmings of quills, outer and inner bark that can be
separated
-
 Processed products: Bark powder, bark oil, leaf oil and oleoresin
(Indu et al., 2020)

64. All Spice - Jamaican pepper (Pimento)
 Pimento of commerce is dried unripe fruits of
Pimenta dioica
 Pimento is aromatic & pungent and possesses the
flavor and aroma of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon &
black pepper, hence the name ‘Allspice’
 Pimento is flavourant and oil is carminative and
stimulant
 Berry oil used widely in food industry, perfumery
and pharmacy
 Major spice of Jamaica contributing 70% of world’s
production
 In India- Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/allspice and Singh & Singh, 2015)

65. Harvesting
 Berries mature in 3-4 months from
flowering
 Fully developed greenish berries are
harvested
 Fully ripen berries loose their flavour
quickly
 Harvesting is done with chopping the
branches and picking the berries of ground
 Harvested berries are collected and taken
to drying shed and heaped foe 5 days
(Shanmugavelu and Rao, 1977 and Singh & Singh, 2015)

66. Post-harvest handling
Drying Cleaning Grading
Packing &
Storage
 Drying: under sun for 5-10 days to a moisture content of
12-14% with recovery of 55-65%
-Berries become wrinkled like black pepper and turn to
reddish brown colour
-Aroma of berries at this stage is pronounced
 Packaging: cleaned berries are packed in jute bags and
marketed
 Value addition: Allspice ground, oil &liquid extract
 Ground allspice required 12% moisture, 4-5% total ash
and 0.4% acid insoluble ash, in addition to these
parameters whole allspice should contain 3.5% of volatile
oil
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/allspice and Singh & Singh, 2015)

67. Vanilla -The Mistress of Spices
 Vanilla (Vanillla planifolia)- climbing orchid
 Major natural flavour used in food, beverages
and soda industries
 Vanilla pods or “Sticks” of commerce are the
cured fruits or beans
 Vanilla growing countries are Madagascar,
Indonesia, India, Mexico, Comoros and
Reunion
 Bourbon vanilla fetches highest value in the
global market, grown in Madagascar
 Vanillin- responsible for characteristic flavour

68. Harvesting & Curing
 Ready for harvest after 6-9 months
after pollination
 Maturity index- Pale yellow colour at
distal end
 A good vanillery yield 500-800 kg of
cured beans
 Processing and curing should commence
within a week
 Alternatively sweating and drying of
beans until moisture loss by 80%
 Undergo enzymatic reaction for
production of vanillin
Peruvian method
Guiana method
Mexican method
Bourbon method
Different processing techniques followed
in world:

69. Curing process - consists of 4 basic steps
Killing or wilting of
beans
Sweating
Slow drying
Conditioning

70. Killing or Wilting of beans
 Immersion in hot water (680C)
stops further vegetative
development of beans
 Initiates enzymatic reactions
responsible for production of
aroma
 After immersion of beans, hot
beans are rolled in woolen
blanket and kept in wooden
chests for 24 hours
 Beans develop brown colour after
24 hours of killing

71. Sweating
 Rapid dehydration & slow fermentation to develop
key flavour components
 Beans are spread out under sun on dark woolen
cloth to attain the temperature around 550C
 Beans are rolled in same blanket when they are
still hot and stored in wooden chest
 Repeated for 8-10 days
 Beans acquire a deep chocolate brown colour and
gives out pleasant aroma
 Beans are massaged to activate β-glycosidase,
which is responsible for conversion of glucovanillin
to vanillin

72. Slow drying
 Moisture of beans reduced to 25-30%
 Done under shade in well ventilated room on wooden trays mounted on
stands
 Maintain humidity >70%
 Dried for 15-20 days
 Periodically turned over for uniform drying

73. Conditioning
 An aging process necessary for flavour development
 Beans are bundled (50-100 in each) according to
their size
 Wrapped in butter paper/ cellophane paper kept for
conditioning for 2-3 months
 Done at normally 35-450C
 Various reactions takes place: Esterification,
etherification, oxidative degradation, etc.
 Vanillin and more than 170 related aromatic
compounds develops in bean
 Beans with 32% moisture content, dark brown
coloured develop suave aroma and high degree of
flexibility

74. Packaging & Value addition in vanilla
Vanilla extract
Bean paste
Vanilla pastry
Vanilla oleoresin
Bean powder
Vanilla essence
 Even after curing, vanilla beans continue to develop a
desirable aroma and flavour
 Each bundle will have 70-100 beans weighing 150-
500 g
 Wrapped in butter paper and stored in air tight tin
boxes
 Value addition in vanilla for the ready to serve
products
Beans wrapped in butter paper

75. Seed Spices
(NRC on seed spices 2018-19)
• Seed spices are a group, which denotes all those annuals whose dried
fruit or seeds are used as spice
• About 20 seed spices are grown in India
• Most of seed spices are winter season crops needs cool weather
condition for their growth
• Cash crops of arid and semi-arid regions of India particularly
Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh
• Used in pulverized state, primary for seasoning or garnishing of
foods and beverages
• Seed spices posses industrial importance in cosmetic perfumery and
pharmaceutical preparations

76. Area & Production of Seed Spices
 Seed spices account about 51.79% and 19.06% total area and production of
spices in the country
 Rajasthan and Gujrat accounts 70% area and 80% production of seed
spices in the country
(NRC on seed spices, Annual report 2018-19)
Spices 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Area
(000 Ha)
Production
(000MT)
Area (000
Ha)
Production
(000MT)
Area
(000 Ha)
Production
(000MT)
Area (000
Ha)
Production
(000MT)
Cumin 890 486 808 503 781 500 780.95 500.38
Coriander 553 462 582 585 672 863 665.19 866.80
Fenugreek 123 131 219 247 220 310 219.72 311.26
Fennel 39 60 76 129 89 148 89.58 148.64
Ajwain 24 16 24 16 34 27 34.50 27.94
Seed spices 1629 1155 1709 1480 1798 1850 1793.95 1860.55
Total spices 3317 6108 3474 6988 4031 8610 3969.39 8413.98

77. Major & Minor Seed Spices
Ajowain
Anise
Caraway
Celery
Dill
Nigella
Coriander Cumin
Fenugreek Fennel

78. Potential health benefits of seed spices
Seed
Spices
Major
phytochemicals
Medicinal uses
Cumin cuminaldehyde , β-
pinene, γ-terpinene
Gastrointestinal, reproductive, Antimicrobial,
antioxidant and chemoprotective activity.
Coriander Linalool, carvone,
geraniol, limonene,
borneol, camphor,
elemol
Digestive, carminative, diuretic, stimulant, stomachic,
refrigerant, aphrodisiac, analgesic, anti-inflammatory
and antioxidant
Fennel Anethole , fenchone,
phenols
Aromatherapy, antioxidant, hepatoprotective,
anticancer, Stimulant, carminative, stomachic,
emmenagogue, cardiac stimulant, antiemetic, aphrodisiac
and anthelmintic
Fenugreek steroidal saponins
(diosgenin),
trigonellin
Carminative, aphrodisiac, emollient, antibacterial,
complementary medicines for cancer therapy and
diabetes and oral contraceptive
(Rathore et al., 2013)

79. Harvesting
 Harvesting at right maturity is important
 Harvested for vegetable during early stages
 Multiple harvest is practiced in Fennel
 Harvested by using sickle
Crop Time (Months
after planting)
Maturity Index Effects of Delaying
Harvest
Coriander 3-5 60% of seeds in main umbels turn
to yellowish brown
Shattering and
splitting of fruits
during harvest
Cumin 3-5 Leaves turns to yellow colour Shedding loss
Fennel 5-6 (multiple
harvest)
Fully developed seeds but still
green in colour
Produces poor quality
seeds
Fenugreek 4-5 Shedding of lower leaves and pods
turn to yellowish colour
Shattering of seeds
(Singh & Singh, 2015)

80. Case study -
5
The highest volatile oil contents (1.48%)
and maximum economic return (RS 3.18
lakh/ha) found in fennel harvested at
premature stage and dried in shade drying
method
Treatment Open-sun drying Low-cost poly-solar drying Shade drying Mean
Pre-mature 1.397 1.430 1.480 1.436
Mature 1.327 1.343 1.377 1.349
Post-mature 1.289 1.203 1.233 1.193
Effects of drying and stages of harvesting on yield of volatile oil (%)

81. Post-harvest handling
Drying & Grain
Separation
Cleaning Grading
Packing &
Storage
 Harvested plants tied in small bundles and stacked for drying in shade
 After drying grains are separated by beating gently or rubbing
 Moisture content brought to 10%
 After separating grains, they are screened, cleaned by winnowing, removal of
choppy seeds and inert material
 On larger scale vacuum gravity separation or destoner spiral gravity separator is
used

82. Grading of seed spices based on AGMARK specification
Coriander Grading
Grade Extraneous
matter (%)
Split fruits
(%)
Discoloured &
damaged (%)
Shriveled &
immature (%)
Other variety
seeds (%)
Special-1 2 4 1 1 2
Good 4 10 2 2 4
Fair 10 20 2 2 4
Cumin Grading
Grade Extraneous
matter (%)
Other
seeds (%)
Jeeralu
(%)
Damaged, discoloured
& weevilled (%)
Shriveled &
immature (%)
Special 1.5 0.5 1 1.5 3
Good 2.5 1 3 2.5 6
Fair 3.5 1.5 3.5 3.5 8
Average 5 - 5 5 10
(Singh & Singh, 2015)

83. Continued..,
Fennel Grading
Grade Extraneous
matter inorganic
(%)
Extraneous
matter organic
(%)
Damaged, blackened,
insect bored (%)
Shriveled &
immature (%)
Special 0.25 1.5 1.5 2
Good 0.5 2.5 4 4
Fair 1.5 3.5 6 6
Fenugreek Grading
Grade Extraneous matter (%) Damaged, blackened, insect
bored (%)
Shriveled &
immature (%)
Special 1 0.5 1.5
Good 2 1 3
Fair 4 2.5 5
(Singh & Singh, 2015)

84. Value addition
Ground
spice
Curry
powder
Essential oil
Oleoresin
Incorporated in dishes
uniformly than whole spice
(Singh & Singh, 2015)
Mixture of spice powders
to prepare instant masalas,
most consumer preferable
Contain aromatic, volatile
compounds of spice
Gives complete flavour
and non-volatile resinous
fraction of spice

85. Grinding of seed spices through cryogenic grinding
•Cleaning
•Grinding
•Sifting
•Blending
•Packing
Seed Spices grinding plant which includes individual processes like
1.Cleaning
2.Grinding
3.Sifting
4.Blending
5.Packing
Features of Grinding System:
 Low Temperature Grinding Technology: with the help of Heat exchanger
cold air is taken inside the grinding chamber to avoid temperature rise and
minimize moisture & Volatile oil losses
 Cryogenic Grinding Technology: seeds spices are blanketed in liquid
Nitrogen and then grounded to the required fineness. This helps to keep
intact Volatile Oil, Aroma & inherent moisture
(https://rieco.com/seeds-spices-processing-plant)

86. Conclusion
• India being largest producer and exporter of spices in the world should perform quality
consciousness
• The quality of spices is closely related to the processing techniques.
• As there is a sharp rise in demand for processed spices for home consumption and export;
hence ground and processed spices products industry had got a good scope.
• Therefore, to obtain spices with high-quality, processing techniques should be thoroughly
selected.
• The recent progresses in key processing techniques for spices including, new drying methods
viz., solar tunnel drying, micro-wave drying, infra-red drying, pressured cooking, steamed
drying, low temperature, cryogenic grinding, novel fermentation and sterilization techniques.

87. Thank you