Handbook on Manufacture of Indian Kitchen Spices (Masala Powder) with Formulations, Processes and Machinery Details
(Chaat Masala, Sambar Masala, Pav Bhaji Masala, Garam Masala, Goda Masala, Pani Puri Masala, Kitchen King Masala, Thandai Masala Powder, Meat Masala, Rasam Powder, Kesari Milk Masala, Punjabi Chole Masala, Shahi Biryani Masala, Tea Masala Powder, Jaljeera Masala, Tandoori Masala, Fish Curry Masala, Chicken Masala, Pickle Masala, Curry Powder)
Spices or Masala as it is called in Hindi, may be called the “heartbeat” of an Indian kitchen. The secret ingredient that makes Indian food truly Indian is the generous use of signature spices. From ancient times of the maharaja’s, spices have added unforgettable flavours and life to Indian cuisine. Indian spices offer significant health benefits and contribute towards an individual's healthy life. They add flavor and nutrients to dishes without fat or calories! A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried. Generally, spices are dried.
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, berry, bud or other vegetable substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Many spices have antimicrobial properties. Spices produce a vast and diverse assortment of organic compounds, the great majority of which do not appear to participate directly in growth and development.
There are a large number of various spices, used along with food such as Chilli (Mirchi), Turmeric (Haldi), Coriander (Dhania), Cumin (Jeera), Mustard (Rai), Fenugreek (Methi), Sesame (Til), Cardamon, Peppercorns (Kali Mirchi), Clove, Fennel (Saunf), Nutmeg and Mace etc. These spices give taste to the prepared food and at the same time give attractive colours and smell to the food.
Today, Indian spices are the most sought-after globally, given their exquisite aroma, texture, taste and medicinal value. India has the largest domestic market for spices in the world. Traditionally, spices in India have been grown in small land holdings, with organic farming gaining prominence in recent times. India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices. Demand for Indian spices is high because they are clean and hygienic as compared to that of other countries.
In modern times, international trade in spices and condiments have increased dramatically which could be attributed to several factors including rapid advances in transportation, permitting easy accessibility to world markets, growing demand from industrial food manufacturers of wide ranging convenience foods which are either ready to eat or requiring minimal preparation time in the household, migration of large number of people of different ethnicity with their traditional food habits, to meet the changing requirements of industry and commerce and exposure to culinary delicacies of other regions of the world by increasing business and tourism travel. As the demand for Indian spices is increasing day by day, Indian manufacturers are producing spices of high quality.
The book presents the fundamental concepts of Spices (Masala Powder) Indian Kitchen Spices product mix in a manner that new entrepreneurs can understand easily. It covers Formulation for spices i.e., Chaat Masala, Chana Masala, Sambar Masala, Pav Bhaji Masala, Garam Masala, Goda Masala, Pani Puri Masala, Kitchen King Masala, Thandai Masala Powder, Meat Masala, Rasam Powder, Kesari Milk Masala, Punjabi Chole Masala, Shahi Biryani Masala, Tea Masala Powder, Jaljeera Masala, Tandoori Masala, Fish Curry Masala, Chicken Masala, Pickle Masala, Curry Masala.
This book contains manufacturing process, Packaging and Labelling of Spices. The highlighting segments of this book are Spices Nutritional value, Special Qualities and Specifications, Cryogenic Grinding Technology, Food Safety & Quality, BIS Specifications, Quality Control, Market, Sample Production Plant Layout and Photograph of Machinery with Supplier’s Contact Details. It also covers Good manufacturing practices in Food Industry, Case Study for Everest and MDH Masala and Top Spice Brands of India.
This book is aimed for those who are interested in Spices business, can find the complete information about Manufacture of Indian Kitchen Spices (Masala Powder). It will be very informative and useful to consultants, new entrepreneurs, startups, technocrats, research scholars, libraries and existing units.
HOW
TO START SPICE BUSINESS
Introduction
India is
known as land of spices in the world. As the spice
is a mass
consumption item mostly used in culinary
preparation
or seasoning of food products, its internal
demand is
increasing quite steadily. With changing of
lifestyle
and especially with changes in food habits and the
increase of
income level, the use of powdered spices has
increased.
Of late, the market for ready-to-mix of spices has
grown
significantly. Spices are fast moving consumable
items and
have large potential. There has to be a widespread
network of
dealers or retailers backed up by
advertisements
in local media. The export market for Indian
spices is
also growing. There is plenty of opportunity in the
spice
industry and spice board of India has various schemes
to promote
Indian spices.
Spices come
in three forms:
• Whole
• Ground
(powdered or fragmented form of the whole spice)
•
Derivative, including essential oils, oleoresins, isolates,
and
nutraceuticals.
Things
which are important to start spice business are
listed
below:-
Licenses
and Marketing Strategies
• First and
foremost step is to check with the applicant’s
local,
state, county and zoning laws about the appropriate
licenses
necessary when starting a spice business.
• Applicant
need to have a specific place where they will
assemble
and stock the spices they will sell for sanitary
inspection
and health clearances.
Wholesale
Resources and Pricing
The next
step is to find wholesale spices market where
applicant
can find cheaper spices and as well as the package
materials
also be needed. They can look in the local telephone
directory
or look online for the companies offering wholesale
of spices.
As for the packaging materials, these things should
be of
food-grade quality and must be designated carefully
when they
purchase them. The prices of their packages must
be
competitive with the gourmet products.
Places
to Sell and Business Account
The grocery
stores are usually not an option for this
business
because most of them will require terms that many
small
businesses can’t afford to accommodate. The boutique
gourmet
stores can be a possible place for selling spices. We
can also
choose to sell on food shows, crafty shows, and
farmers’
market
or just sell exclusively online. As for the
business
account, this is where applicant will deposit their
business
sales money so it is important to track and also keep
any
receipts so that it will be easy for them to complete tax
forms.
Basic
Business Requirements
The
documents required for obtaining the Certificate of
Registration
as Exporter of Spices.
•
Application in the prescribed Form [Form-1].
• Self
attested copy of IE code certificate.
•
Registration fee of Rs. 5000/- (Rupees five thousand only)
in the form
of crossed Demand Draft favouring “Spices
Board”.
•
Confidential Bank certificate in prescribed format in
sealed
cover from your banker in support of your
account/financial
status.
• Self
certified/attested copy of partnership Deed/
Memorandum
& Articles of Association as the case may
be [not
applicable to Proprietorship firm].
• Self
certified/attested copies of Sales Tax Registration
(CST/VST/VAT)
certificate.
• Self
attested copy of SSI certificate or the certificate issued
by the
Directorate of Industries in case of Manufacturerexporter
of spices.
• Self
certificate copy of PAN card.
• Passport
size photo preferably with white background of
the CEO or
the designated officer of your firm duly
mentioning
the name of the person and the company
represented
for issue of ID card.
How
to Increase Revenue as a Spice Entrepreneur
Higher
revenues won’t necessarily solve all of spice
entrepreneur
business’s problems. But it never hurts to find
cost-effective
ways to bring more cash into the company. Here
are a few
tips to help maximize revenue in a fledgling spice
operation.
(i)
Expand Product Line
The easiest
way to expand a spice business is to expand
their
product line. A lot of spice businesses carrybasics like
peppers,
cloves, cumin, etc. But by increasing their line to
include
hard-to-find spices like ground galangal, nigella
seeds,
green cardamom and other items, you can attract a
different
layer of customers to thier business and generate
additional
revenue from thier existing customer base.
(ii)
Internet Marketing
Since
spices are easy to ship to remote locations, they
can
potentially increase revenues with an aggressive online
marketing
campaign. If they lack direct experience in Internet
marketing,
consider hiring a professional marketing firm with
a track
record of successful online marketing projects in their
portfolio.
(iii)
PR & Thought Leadership
Public
relations can be a low-cost way to stir up new
business
for a spice company. In case they haven’t noticed,
everyone
seems to be a foodie these days. Take advantage of
the food
trend by using PR strategies to position themself as
the
authority on spices in the
regional market place.
SPICE QUALITIES
AND
SPECIFICATIONS
Spices are
used for flavour, colour, aroma and preservation
of food or
beverages. Spices may be derived from many
parts of
the plant: bark, buds, flowers, fruits, leaves,
rhizomes,
roots, seeds, stigmas and styles or the entire plant
tops.
Spices are often dried and used in a processed but
complete
state. Another option is to prepare extracts such
as
essential oils by distilling the raw spice material (wet or
dry), or to
use solvents to extract oleoresins and other
standardized
products.
A spice can
be defined as the dried aromatic parts of
natural
plants, whose characteristics such as color and
constitution
may vary depending on year of harvest and place
of harvest,
among other factors. The quality of processed
spices can
also vary due to differences in separation and
milling
processes used. For these reasons it has been deemed
necessary
to establish quality standards or specifications for
spices.
Although there are no unified standards or
specifications
worldwide, nations that export spices often
have their
own quality standards to maintain their own
reputations,
while nations importing and consuming spices
establish
specifications for the
purpose of consumer safety.
Specification
of Spice-Exporting Nations
Most
spice-exporting nations such as India have their own
exporting
specifications, which also regulate the related
testing
methods.
(i)
The Indian Standards Institution
The Indian
Standards Institution states quality standards
for 36
kinds of both unprocessed and processed spices,
ranging
from major exported items such as celery, coriander,
cumin,
fennel, fenugreek and turmeric to particularly Indian
such as
Ajowan seed and Kokun. These specifications mainly
regulate
the maximum moisture content. They include
sampling
methods and testing methods.
(ii)
Directorate of Marketing and Inspection,
Administering
Quality Control and Preshipment
Inspection
The
Government of India has prescribed standards for
almost all
exported spice items and graded each item using
“Agmark”
grades. The kinds of spices include unprocessed
spices such
as cardamom, celery, coriander, cumin, fennel,
fenugreek,
ginger, black pepper, and turmeric as well as
ground
spices such as coriander, cumin, curry powder,
fennel,
fenugreek, ginger, black pepper, and turmeric. Grade
specifications
are established for age-old, familiar trade
names. For
example, Alleppey Finger turmeric, Cochin ginger,
Malabar
pepper and Sannam chilies have individual
specifications
differentiating them from other turmeric,
ginger,
pepper and chilies respectively. Each specification
states
limits for moisture, volatile oil, total ash, acid-insoluble
ash and
starch in addition to the standards for extraneous
matter
necessitating inspection of spices for each chemical/
physical
quality before export. For example, black pepper, one
of the most
important import items, is classified into more
than 10
grades, depending upon the proportion of light
berries,
harvest place (Malabar or others), moisture content,
and so on.
Tellicherry black pepper in particular is classified
by size.
Curry powder, a mixture of spices, is graded according
to the
amount of spice or salt contained. Curry powder
containing
85% or more and less than 5% salt is graded as
“standard,”
and one with 70% or more and 10% or less salt
is graded as
“general.”
(iii)
Grade Specifications for Sarawak Pepper in Malaysia
These
specifications, introduced by the Pepper Marketing
Board, is
designated for Sarawak pepper, which accounts for
more than
90% of the total pepper production of Malaysia.
The grade
of black pepper is determined according to the
amount of
light berries present, extraneous matter, moisture
and other
characteristics. Standard Malaysian Black Pepper
No. 1
(brown label) has the highest grade, followed by Sarawak
Special
Black (yellow label), Sarawak FAQ Black (black label),
Sarawak
Field Black (purple label), and Sarawak Coarse Field
(gray
label) with the lowest grade. There are also standards
for white
pepper, in which the amount of light berries,
moisture,
extraneous matter and black pepper present are
limited.
White pepper is graded as follows: Standard
Malaysian
White Pepper No. 1 is highest (cream label),
followed by
Sarawak Special White (green label), Sarawak
White (blue
label), Sarawak Field White (orange label), and
Sarawak
Coarse White (gray label). In general, higher grade
black/white
pepper contains less moisture and fewer light
berries as
well as less extraneous
matter.
(iv)
Grading of Nutmeg in Grenada and Indonesia
These
specifications set limits not for export purposes but
for grading
nutmeg of two major origins: Indonesia and
Grenada.
Nutmeg can be classified largely into “sound
Nutmeg,”
which has sustained no injuries, and “substandard
Nutmeg.”
Sound Nutmeg is also graded as “80s” and “110s”
according
to the number of nutmeg per pound, for example,
“80s” means
there are 80 pieces contained in one pound.
Substandard
Nutmeg, which is exported from Indonesia, can
be
shriveled and “BWP” (broken, wormy, punky).
(v)
Specification of Paprika in Hungary and Spain
Spain and
Hungary are among the major nations
exporting
paprika since the early
20th century. Specifications
for paprika
in Spain define paprika as the product obtained
by
dehydrating and then grinding clean, fully ripe berries of
Capsicum
annum and Capsicum longum and prohibit both
the sale
and the use of biologically altered paprika. In Spain,
paprika is
classified into three grades according to moisture
content,
total ash, ether-soluble extract, acid-insoluble ash,
and total
fiber. Extra grade paprika is produced only from
the peel
(all seeds and placenta removed), Select grade allows
10% seed
content, and Ordinary grade allows a 30% seed
content. In
Hungary, grade and quality standards are
specified
by The Hungarian Office of Standard. Paprika is
classified
according to three qualities and eight grades
according
to appearance, pungency and other characteristics
such as
total ash and amount of ether extract. First-quality
grades are
Special Paprika, Table Quality Mild Paprika
(nonpungent),
Table Quality (mildly pungent) and “Hot” Table
Paprika.
Second quality grades include Semi-sweet Paprika
and third
quality grades include Pink (rose) Paprika and
Pungent
Paprika.
Spice
Quality
A.
Insect Infestation
(i)
Harmful Insects
Insects
harmful to farm products, including spices are
usually
controlled by agricultural chemicals during
cultivation.
But spices can also be damaged by insects,
including
mites during storage. Such pests are called “stored
grain
insects.”
Of the many
harmful insects, moths and beetles are most
damaging to
spices. How fast the insects develop and breed
depends on
the atmospheric temperature, the kind of spice
as well as
the kind of insect. Red pepper and basil are among
the spices
that often suffer from harmful insects during
storage;
parsley, garlic and oregano do not. The cigarette
beetle and
Indian meal moth are typical problem insects
found on
spices. The cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne
Fabricius)
is found in many areas from tropical to temperate
zones.
Besides these insects, the coffee bean weevil is known
to breed on
nutmeg.
(ii)
Fumigation for Insects
Insects
found on spices breed and multiply very quickly,
resulting
in big problems unless appropriate measures are
taken in
the early stages. The most common means used to
control
insects in the warehouse is fumigation. The advantage
of using
fumigation is that it can reach every part of the
storage
warehouse and act uniformly. The chemicals most
widely used
on spices for insect disinfection purposes are
methyl
bromide and phosphine.
Methyl
Bromide: The boiling
point of methyl bromide
is
3.6°C; it
can be used even in winter as a fumigant. The
efficacy of
this fumigant can be generally described by the
equation:
K=C×T
where
K is the
fumigation efficacy
C the gas
concentration, and
T the
fumigation time.
The
efficacy of the fumigant is enhanced by a longer
fumigation
time or higher gas concentration. As for
fumigation
temperature, efficacy tends to increase as the
temperature
increases. The disadvantage of this fumigant is
that
it is not always as effective as phosphine, especially for
pupae
and eggs of some insects, in spite of its strong efficacy
against
adult insects. However, it has been used in warehouse
for
spices and other agricultural products for almost 50 years,
so
that relatively predictable fumigation effects can be
expected.
There are also some advantages to using methyl
bromide:
its fumigation time is relatively short (several hours
to
a couple of days) and it is relatively harmless to humans.
For
these reasons it is used as fumigant for many farm
products,
including spices.
FOOD SAFETY
&
QUALITY
Food safety
is everybody’s concern and it is difficult to find
anyone who
has not encountered an unpleasant moment
of
foodborne illness at least once in the past year. Foodborne
illnesses
may result from the consumption of food
contaminated
by microbial pathogens, toxic chemicals or
radioactive
materials. Employers have a responsibility to
provide a
well-designed, informational training program for
employees
to follow while on the job. It is important that this
training be
communicated in language that all employees
understand.
Practices and procedures must be translated for
all
employees, no matter what language they speak. Proper
hygiene
practices should be communicated prior to
employment
and reaffirmed with periodic training programs.
Food safety
is a scientific discipline describing handling,
preparation
and storage of food in ways that prevent
foodborne
illness. This includes a number of routines that
should be
followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards.
In this way
food safety often overlaps with food defense to
prevent
harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of
thought are
safety between industry and the market and then
between the
market and the consumer.
ISO 22000
is a standard developed by the International
Organization
for Standardization dealing with food safety.
This is a
general derivative of ISO 9000. ISO 22000 standard:
The ISO
22000 international standard specifies the
requirements
for a food safety management system that
involves
interactive communication, system management,
prerequisite
programs, HACCP
principles.
General
Principles of Food Safety
(i)
General Principles to be Followed in Administration of
Act
The Central
Government, the State Governments, the
Food
Authority and other agencies, as the case may be while
implementing
the provisions of this Act shall be guided by
the
following principles namely:-
(1) (a)
endeavour to achieve an appropriate level of protection
of human
life and health and the protection of
consumer’s
interests including fair practices in all
kinds of
food trade with reference to food safety
standards
and practices.
(b) carry
out risk management which shall include taking
into
account the results of risk assessment and other
factors
which in the opinion of the Food Authority are
relevant to
the matter under consideration and where
the
conditions are relevant in order to achieve the
general
objectives of regulations.
(c) where
in any specific circumstances, on the basis of
assessment
of available information the possibility of
harmful
effects on health is identified but scientific
uncertainty
persists, provisional risk management
measures
necessary to ensure appropriate level of
health
protection may be adopted, pending further
scientific
information for a more comprehensive risk
assessment.
(d) the
measures adopted on the basis of clause.
(e) shall
be proportionate and no more restrictive of trade
than is
required to achieve appropriate level of health
protection,
regard being had to technical and economic
feasibility
and other factors regarded as reasonable
and proper
in the matter under
consideration;
(f) The
measures adopted shall be reviewed within a
reasonable
period of time, depending on the nature of
the risk to
life or health being identified and the type
of
scientific information needed to clarify the scientific
uncertainty
and to conduct a more comprehensive risk
assessment.
(g) in
cases where there are reasonable grounds to
suspect
that a food may present a risk for human
health,
then depending on the nature, seriousness and
extent of
that risk, the Food Authority and the
Commissioner
of Food Safety shall take appropriate
steps to
inform the general public of the nature of the
risk to
health, identifying to the fullest extent possible
the food or
type of food, the risk that it may present,
and the
measures which are taken or about to be taken
to prevent,
reduce or eliminate that risk.
(h) where
any food which fails to comply with food safety
requirements
is part of a batch, lot or consignment of
food of the
same class or description, it shall be
presumed
until the contrary is proved, that all of the
food in
that batch, lot or consignment fails to comply
with those
requirements.
(2)
The Food Authority shall, while framing regulations or
specifying
standards under this Act–
(a)
take into account –
(i)
prevalent practices and conditions in the country
including
agricultural practices and handling,
storage
and transport conditions.
(ii)
international standards and practices, where
international
standards or practices exist or are
in
the process of being formulated, unless it is of
opinion
that taking into account of such prevalent
practices
and conditions or international
standards
or practices or any particular part
thereof
would not be an effective or appropriate
means
for securing the objectives of such
regulations
or where there is a scientific
justification
or where they would result in a
different
level of protection from the one
determined
as appropriate in the country.
(b)
determine food standards on the basis of risk analysis
except
where it is of opinion that such analysis is not
appropriate
to the circumstances or the nature of the
case.
(c)
undertake risk assessment based on the available
scientific
evidence and in an independent, objective
and
transparent manner.
(d)
ensure that there is open and transparent public
consultation
directly or through representative bodies
including
all levels of panchayats during the
preparation,
evaluation and revision of regulations,
except
where it is of opinion that there is an urgency
concerning
food safety or public health to make or
amend
the regulations in which case such
consultation
may be dispensed with : Provided that
such
regulations shall be in force for not more than
six
months.
(e)
ensure protection of the interests of consumers and
shall
provide a basis for consumers to make informed
choices
in
relation to the foods they consume.
(f)
ensure prevention of
(i)
fraudulent, deceptive or unfair trade practices
which
may mislead or harm the consumer
(ii)
unsafe
or contaminated or sub-standard food.
PACKAGING
AND
LABELLING OF SPICES
Spices
constitute an important group of agricultural
commodities
which are considered indispensable for
culinary
purposes and for flavouring food. India is known as
the
“Home of Spices” and produces a large variety and
quantity
of spices. As most spices grow under specific climatic
conditions,
annual production level and India’s share of
spices
in the world market has varied considerably in the
recent
years. Although India exports spices to so many
countries
in the world, of the total spices produced in the
country,
only a small quantity of about 6-7% is exported. The
rest
is consumed in the Indian market, as there is an
immense
domestic demand. A steady increase is observed in
the
export of value added spices. There is also a good scope
to
increase export earnings from spice oils and oleoresins as
the
global industry is increasingly leaning towards natural
flavours.
Spoilage
Factors
Spices
are aromatic substances of vegetable origin and
are
derived from various parts of plants like leaves, bark, fruit,
flower
buds, stems, roots, seeds etc. Spices are used as
condiments
and seasonings and form an essential part of food
preparations
as they add flavour, taste and colour. Spices
have
good anti-oxidant and preservative properties as well
as
good anti-microbial and antibiotic properties and therefore,
are
also used for medicinal purposes. So to preserve their
original
aroma and property we need to pack them properly,
as
they are easily affected by factors like high temperature,
humidity,
heating, insects, pest, rodents and birds.
In
order to select a suitable packaging material/type of
package
for spices, it is essential to know the factors which
affect
the quality of spices.
(i)
Moisture Content
Spices,
specifically spices in powder form, are hygroscopic
in
nature and pick-up moisture from the atmosphere
resulting
in sogginess and caking/lumping of the powder.
Pick-up
of moisture also results in loss of free-flowing nature
of
the spice powder.
(ii)
Loss of Aroma/Flavour
Spices
contain volatile oils, which impart the
characteristic
aroma/flavour to the product. Loss in the
volatile
oil content or oxidation of some aromatic compounds
result
in aroma and flavor loss.
Discolouration
Some
of the spices like green cardamom, red chillies,
turmeric,
saffron contain natural pigments. Light can affect
the
pigments resulting in loss or fading of color deterioration.
(i)
Insect Infestation
Spices
are prone to spoilage due to insect infestation,
which
can be further accelerated due to high humidity, heat
and
oxygen.
(ii)
Microbial Contamination
In
high humidity condition of 65% and above, moisture
absorption
occurs. Beyond a certain level of moisture content,
spoilage
due to microbial growth sets in.
(iii)
Spices Packaging Requirement
In
order to maintain the quality of the spices during
handling,
transportation, storage and distribution, the
packaging
material to be used is to be selected with care,
keeping
in mind the functional as well as the marketing
requirements.
The packaging requirements for spices, in
general,
are listed below:
•
To protect the product from spillage and spoilage.
•
To provide protection against atmospheric factors such
as
light, heat, humidity and oxygen. The selected
packaging
materials should have high water vapour and
oxygen
barriers.
•
The packaging material should have a high barrier
property
to prevent aroma/flavour losses and ingress of
external
odour.
•
The volatile oil present in the spice product has a
tendency
to react with the inner/contact layer of the
packaging
material, at times leading to a greasy and
messy
package with smudging of the printed matter. The
packaging
material should therefore begrease and oil
resistant
and compatible with the product.
•
Besides the above functional requirements, the packaging
material
should have good machinability, printability and
it
should be easily available and disposable.
Packaging
Material Requirement
To
prevent or slow down the deteriorative changes during
storage,
for easy handling, transportation and to have export
potential
for spices, the package:
1.
Should have the ability to protect the content from
spoilage
and spillage.
Should
offer protection against physicochemical and
microbiological
spoilage due to environmental conditions
like
humidity, temperature, light and oxygen
transmission
rates and light transmissivity.
2.
Should be a good aroma barrier to prevent loss of flavour
substance
from the product and pick up of foreign odours.
3.
Should have good oil and fat resistance characteristics.
4.
Should have good machinability characteristics and
possess
the required mechanical strength properties.
5.
Should have good resistance to insects and mites.
6.
Should be compatible with the product packed as regards
tainting
and migration and conform to the food laws of
importing
and exporting countries.
7.
Should have good appearance and printability to assist
in
selling suitable attractive graphics.
In
addition, it should be economical, easily available and
disposable.
Packaging
Method and Materials for Spices
Most
intact spices will store adequately in sacks/boxes
if
the humidity of the air is not too high. Ground spices can
also
be stored without special packaging if humidity is low
but
over long periods there is a loss of flavour and risk of
contamination
and spillage.
It
is therefore better to store spices in a barrier film such
as
polypropylene (essential in areas of high humidity) to
provide
an attractive package, retain spice quality and prevent
contamination
and losses. If polypropylene is not available,
cellulose
film is adequate if it is heat sealable. Polythene is a
poor
substitute and should only be used for short term
storage
as it allows the flavour/aroma of the spices to escape.
The
containers shall be free from insect infestation fungus
contamination,
deleterious substances and any undesirable
or
obnoxious smell. Each package shall be securely closed
and
suitably sealed.
Suitable
number of consumer packs containing graded
material
of the same grade designation and from the same
lot/
batch may be packed in master containers such as
wooden/
cardboard cases.
The
mixed Masala Powders shall be packed in new clean
and
sound containers made of jute or cloth or tinplate with
inner
lining of 200 gauge high density polyethylene or in
sound
and clean glass bottles or in new sound and clean
pouches
of 200 gauge polypropylene or high density
polyethylene
or containers in the form of bottles, jars or
pouches
made of laminated/extrusioned/metalled/
multilayer
plastic materials or any other packing material as
may
be approved by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser as
per
rule 11 of the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988.
Provided
that the Packing Material shall be manufactured
out
of food grade materials as permitted under prevention of
Food
Adulteration Rules, 1955. The product may also be
packed
under vacuum.
The
packaging requirements depend on:
(1)
The type of spice
(2)
Whether it is ground or intact
(3)
The humidity of storage
Types
of Packing
(i)
Bulk Packaging
The
traditional method is to use gunny/jute bags for
packaging
of whole spices with capacities ranging from 10kg
to
70kg. The jute bags may be provided with a loose liner bag
of
polyethylene or may be without a liner. At times double
gunny
bags are also used especially for whole black pepper.
The
quality of the jute fabric used with respect to the
grammage
and the weave (ends/picks) varies from one trader
to
the other. There is no standardization on the type and
quality
of the fabric used. Recently, some of the spice traders/
packers
use alternate bulk packaging media such as woven
plastic
bags which may be laminated or provided with a loose
liner
bag and multiwall paper sacks with a plastic liner bag.
The
plastic based alternate packaging materials are used to
overcome
the contamination problems associated with jute.
Moreover,
the plastic bags / liners also help in retaining the
quality
of the spices packed inside for a longer time.
The
latest trend is to use Jumbo bags (Flexible
Intermediate
Bulk Containers) (FIBCs) for export of spices.
These
bags have a capacity of up to 1 tonne and offer various
advantages
such as:
•
Bags are flexible, collapsible and durable.
•
Can be used for packaging of granules, powder, flakes and
any
free flowing material.
•
Product wastage/spillage and tampering can be avoided.
•
Since the handling is mechanized, less labour is required.
•
Saving in time for loading and unloading.
•
Bags are light in weight and therefore, freight costs are
reduced.
•
Creates eco-friendly, pollution free working atmosphere.
The
jumbo bags are sometimes made from cloth but
mainly
from plastic fabric, which can be laminated or
provided
with an inner plastic liner bag. The bags are provided
with
filling and discharge spouts and slings for hanging
during
loading/unloading operations.
(ii)
Institutional Packages
The
spice traders also use institutional packs of capacities
ranging
from 2kg to 10kg. The variety of packages used
include
laminated flexible pouches and plastic woven sacks
which
replace traditional material like tinplate containers and
jute
bags.
(iii)
Consumer Packages
The
options available to the traders/exporters of spices
in
the selection of a consumer pack for domestic and export
market
are quite wide. However, the selection/choice of the
packaging
material/ system depends upon a number of
factors
which are broadly listed below:
•
Shelf-life period i.e. the degree of protection required by
the
product against moisture pick-up, aroma retention,
discoloration
etc. (this is more critical in case of powdered
spices).
•
Climatic conditions during storage, transportation and
distribution.
•
Type/sector of market.
•
Consumer preferences.
•
Printability and aesthetic appeal.
Unbranded
Consumer Packs of Ground
Spices
The
package types generally used as consumer packs are:
•
Glass bottles of various sizes and shapes with labels and
provided
with metal or plastic caps. The plastic caps have
added
in built features of tamper evidence, dispensing,
grinding
etc.
•
Printed tinplate container with/without dispensing
systems.
•
Composite containers with dispensers.
•
Plastic containers with plugs and caps with dispensing
and
tamper evidence features.
•
Printed flexible pouches – pillow pouch, gusseted pouch,
stand-up
pouch.
•
Lined cartons.
The
printed flexible pouches have recently become very
popular
due to their easy availability, excellent printability,
light
weight, machinability and cost-effectiveness. Also,
depending
upon the functional and marketing requirements,
the
laminate/film can be tailor made to serve a specific need.
MARKET
OF SPICES
Spices
are the pearls of developing countries. Today,
Indian
spices
are the most sought-after globally, given their
exquisite
aroma, texture, taste and medicinal value. India,
known
as the home of spices, boasts a long history of trading
with
the ancient civilisations of Rome and China. India has
the
largest domestic market for spices in the world.
Traditionally,
spices in India have been grown in small land
holdings,
with organic farming gaining prominence in recent
times.
India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and
exporter
of spices; the country produces about 75 of the 109
varieties
listed by the International Organization for
Standardization
(ISO) and accounts for half of the global
trading
in spices.
In middle
age Spices were among the most demanded and
expensive
products available in Europe in the Middle Ages,
the most
common being pepper, cinnamon , cumin, nutmeg,
ginger and
cloves. It has been estimated that around 1,000
tons of
pepper and 1,000 tons of the other common spices
were
imported into Western Europe each year during the Late
Middle
Ages. The value of these goods was the equivalent of
a yearly
supply of grain for 1.5 million people. The most
exclusive
was saffron, used as much for its vivid yellow-red
color as
for its flavor. Spices are most important constituents
of Indian
food and cuisines, and are used not only for
household
purpose, but also in hotels, restaurants, eateries
and food
processing industries.
In the
regions where spicy food is consumed, Cumin is
an
important part of most recipes. Cumin is used in whole,
grounded
form-pure and also forms part of various blended
special
purpose spices, which are used to add flavors to
various
dishes through out India and Asia. Turmeric is
another
important spice largely used in Indian cuisines and
it also has
several medicinal uses. Turmeric finds application
in
oleoresin production also. Like Cumin, Turmeric is also
used in
pure and as a component in blended spices for various
Indian
dishes. Chilly is a globally popular spice that finds
usage in
variety of cuisines and dishes. Chilly powder,
obtained by
the crushing process of dried chillies, finds wider
applications
in food processing industries as well as a
medicinal
ingredient. Like Cumin and Turmeric, Chilly is also
used in
pure or blended form for various dishes in India and
Asia.
The
Indian Spices Industry
Indian
spices command a formidable position in world
spice
trade. The Indian spices industry exported 8,93,920
tonnes of
spices and spice products during last year, valued
at
US$2,432.85 million. India’s spice exports comprise whole
spices,
organic, spice mixes, spice blends, freeze dried, curry
powders/mixtures,
oleoresins, extracts, essential oils, spice
in brine
and other value added spices.
Adherence
to High Spice Quality Standards
Spice
quality has assumed great importance in recent
times. Some
of the quality features include:
Stringent
quality control measures and quality
certification
for spices from internationally recognised
agencies.
Pre-shipment
inspection of all spices and validation of
quality
checks.
Mandatory
inspection by the Spices Board of India.
Strict
checks
on physical, chemical and microbial
parameters
of all spices, including pesticide residues,
aflatoxin,
heavy metals and other contaminants/adulterants.
Samples
testing with the American Spice Trade
Association,
International Pepper Community and Eurofins
Lab
(Germany).
Government
Initiatives to Promote Exports of Indian
Spices.
India’s
Spice Parks
The
objective of setting up Spice Parks in India was to
provide
common infrastructural facilities for both postharvest
and
processing of spices and spice products along
with
backward integration by providing rural employment.
India’s
Spice Parks provide excellent processing facilities
that are at
par with international standards in terms of
cleaning,
grading, sorting, grinding, packing and
warehousing.
Educative
services provided to spice farmers and traders
at the
Spice Parks include:
• Spice
Training Programmes on Good Agricultural
Practices
(GAP).
•
Post-harvest Operations of Spices.
• Advanced
Spice Processing Practices.
• Global
Food Safety and Quality Standards.
Spice Parks
help ensure better pricing of spices
by reducing
supply chain costs. They provide spice
farmers
with the necessary infrastructure and facilities
to improve
spice quality and sell spices directly to spice
exporters.
Spice Parks
under the Spices Board are located in several
parts of
India, including:
•
Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh)
• Puttady
(Kerala)
• Jodhpur
(Rajasthan)
• Guna
(Madhya Pradesh)
• Guntur
(Andhra Pradesh)
• Sivaganga
(Tamil Nadu)
• Kota
(Rajasthan)
• Raebareli
(Uttar Pradesh)
Product
Range in Indian Market
The
products available in the Indian market are classified
into four
categories.
1. Basic
Spices (In powder form)
• Chilli
(Mirch)
• Turmeric
(Haldi)
• Coriander
(Dhaniya)
•
Coriander-Cumin (Dhaniya-Jeera)
2. Whole
Spices (In powder form)
• Cumin
(Jeera)
• Mustard
(Rai)
• Fenugreek
(Methi)
• Ajowan
(Ajwain)
• Seasame
(Til)
3.
Compounded Asafoetida & Blended Spices (In powder form)
•
Compounded Asafoetida
• Super
Garam Masala
• Garam
Masala
• Super Tea
Masala
• Tea
Masala
• Pav Bhaji
Masala
• Chole
Masala
• Sambhar
Masala
• Panipuri
Masala
• Chat
Masala
• Achar
Masala
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