60 Handbook of herbs and spices
3.1 Introduction
Spices are natural plant or vegetable products, or mixtures thereof, in whole or
ground form, and are used for seasoning and imparting flavor, aroma and pungency
to food (Pruthi, 1980). Spices and condiments play an important role in the economies
of several exporting and importing countries of the world. The terms spices and
condiments are often used synonymously, but the latter refers to a mixture of one or
more spice(s) along with flavor potentiators, added to food after it has been served on
the table. Herbs are actually weak-stemmed plants or plant parts, used raw in powdered
form or for the extraction of biologically active principles, used extensively in the
alternative system of medicine including ayurveda and unani. Herbal medicine is
becoming increasingly popular around the world. China and India are the largest
producers of medicinal herbs. Globally, the herbal medicine market is valued at
around $60 billion.
The majority of spices and herbs are grown in tropical countries of the world.
Since these are high-value commodities they are an important source of valuable
foreign exchange for many countries. Though data on medicinal herbs is lacking,
figures for spice production and export are well documented. India alone produces
more than three million tonnes of spices annually. There are more than 112 plant
species that are used as spices and vegetable seasonings. In India about 53 spices are
included in the official list of the Indian Spices Board, of which 12 are spices of
major economic importance to the country. Most of these spices are consumed within
the country. Only about 10% of the produce is exported. India accounts for about
50% of the world export of spices. During their journey from farm to table spices
exchange several hands. Improper conditions like drying in open and inadequate
packaging and storage result in contamination of spices with soil, excreta of birds,
rodents, and insects.
3
Irradiation to decontaminate herbs and
spices
A. Sharma, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India