SPICE EXTRACTS

SPICE EXTRACTS – AN OVERVIEW

The most popular application of spices is in food flavouring. They are also valued as ingredients for perfumes, cosmetics and medicines. Spices come in different forms for adding the aroma, taste or character desired in the final product.

· whole spices

· Ground spices and

· Spice extracts

WHOLE SPICES

They are spices in their primary form with intact cellular structure and looked-in flavour principles. However, raw spices suffer from certain drawbacks:

· Large volume of inert matter associated with the flavour principles increases the transportation expenses and demands extensive storage facilities;

· Deterioration of quality on long storage.

· Very slow release of flavour

· Whole spices in whole form have limited application.

GROUND SPICES

These are whole spices milled to a certain degree of fineness required by the food processor. Compared to whole spices, they can be incorporated more uniformly in food products. Like whole spices, spice powders have a limited shelf life and are subject to microbial contamination.

SPICE EXTRACTS

Spice extracts serve an alternative to whole and ground spices and provide the stability and consistency required in food formulations. They can be customized to meet specific product needs for solubility / dispensability, aroma, taste and color, and are microbiologically stable.

Spice extracts fall under three categories :

· Essential oils;

· Oleoresins ; and

· Derivatives of essential oils and oleoresins.

ESSENTIAL OILS

They are odoriferous volatile organic compounds present in most spices and provide the characteristic aroma. In some spices, they form only as a result of enzymatic reactions taking place when the plant tissue is crushed or macerated.

SPICE OLEORESINS

Spice oleoresins represent the complete flavor profile of the spice. It contains the volatile as well as non volatile constituents of spices. Oleoresins can be defined as the true

essence of the spices and can replace whole/ground spices without impairing any flavor and aroma characteristic. Oleoresins are obtained from spices by extraction with a non-aqueous solvent followed by removal of the solvent by evaporation.

Spice oleoresins guarantee superior quality of flavour and aroma. They are complete and balanced, consistent and standardized. They ensure storage stability in the final product and are free from contamination. Custom made blends are also offered to suit the specific requirement of the buyer. Spice oleoresins are mainly used in processed meat, fish and vegetables, soups, sauces, chutneys and dressings, cheeses and other dairy products, baked foods, confectionery, snacks and beverages. India enjoys the distinction of being the single largest supplier of spice oleoresins to the world.