74 Handbook of herbs and spices
4.1 Introduction
Quality is one of the most important and critical factors in the world food market, and
herbs and spices are no exception. Importers and buyers place increasing importance
on ‘clean’ herbs and spices rather than ‘cleaned’ herbs and spices, and will not import
herbs and spices that are still contaminated after cleaning. In order to supply clean
herbs and spices, there are a number of dos and don’ts which should be strictly
followed during production and processing.
National food laws and regulations aim to protect citizens from health hazards.
These laws and regulations include the quality of herbs and spices people consume,
and many governments have specified maximum permissible limits of possible
contaminants. The contaminants include extraneous matter, microbial infection, insect
infestation, insect, bird and animal excreta, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and heavy
metals. Some of the specifications prescribed by importing countries are so stringent
that it is safest to aim at zero levels to avoid the risk of rejection. Contaminants
generally make herbs and spices deteriorate in physical and intrinsic quality, and may
also cause diseases, some of which are very dangerous. Table 4.1 lists the harmful
effects of contaminants.
Consumers are becoming increasingly quality conscious, and farmers, traders,
processors and exporters must maintain the quality of their products at every stage
during production, processing and handling. The steps required for quality assurance
have become an integral part of the production and supply strategies for herbs and
spices, particularly in developed countries.
The decontamination techniques for herbs and spices described in this chapter are
divided into two main areas, prevention of contamination and decontamination. The
section on preventive measures explains how to avoid contamination, and how to
clean herbs and spices to bring the contaminants down to within permitted limits is
discussed under decontamination. Irradiation of herbs and spices is dealt with in
Chapter 3.
4
Other decontamination techniques for
herbs and spices
C. K. George, Peermade Development Society, India