Packaging and storage of herbs and spices 87
their multidimensional flavour and texture profiles, are becoming the trend, especially
cuisines that feature a variety of spices, seasonings and condiments. Ethnic foods
are no longer thought of as being ethnic, they have formed part of the mainstream
consumption pattern.
The key factor driving this trend includes immigration, global travel, media coverage,
environmental interest and perception of freshness. Spices and seasonings build flavours
and set apart one cuisine from another. Consumers’ knowledge of spices and their
technology including how to store them effectively in order to reduce product
deterioration becomes of paramount importance. Spices are typically available in a
variety of forms including fresh, dried, frozen, whole, ground, crushed or pureed; or
as pastes, extracts or infusions.
Fresh spices such as ginger, cilantro, galangal, lemongrass, sweet basil, chilli
peppers or curry leaves are frequently used by chefs and consumers. Their fresh taste
is a result of their overall flavour, aroma and texture. Using fresh spices in commercial
applications presents significant problems since if they are not seasonal and processed
immediately they have short shelf life and stability. Fresh herbs and spices are available
in another product format that uses a patented formulation to provide the fresh
product, with a 90-day refrigerated shelf life.
Dried spices are available throughout the year, are cheaper in costs but lack the
aromatic properties of their fresh counterparts. Volatile oils are lost or oxidized
during drying, curing, crushing, grinding or other processing methods. Dried spices
become more concentrated in their nonvolatiles, which can result in bitterness, increased
pungency and unbalanced flavours.
Spice extracts are produced by grinding or crushing the spices and extracting them
with steam distillation, solvent extraction or other methods. Most of the volatile and
nonvolatile components that give each spice its flavour are concentrated forms of
spices used for uniformity and consistency of flavour, colour and aroma. The volatile
portions include essential oils and typify the spice aroma. The nonvolatiles include
the oleoresins and aquaresins and include fixed oils, gums, resins, antioxidants and
hydrophilic compounds that contribute to taste or bite. Since oleoresins frequently
lack volatile compounds, both oleoresins and essential oils are needed to drive a
more complete spice profile. To ensure spices and herbs maintain the flavour properties
for as long as possible appropriate storage and packaging techniques need to be
utilized. The types of techniques will be unique to the type of herb and spice and will
be discussed in more detail later in the chapter.
5.3 Herb and spice product formats and packaging techniques.........
5.3.1 Examples of fresh and dried packaging formats
To pinpoint the most appropriate packaging to be used for fresh or dried herbs and
spices it is critical to understand the following factors:
∑ Light sensitivity. Spices containing carotenoids or chlorophyll are highly susceptible
to deterioration by light. The light will cause changes in the colour of all spices
and cause the colour to fade.∑ Flavour sensitivity. As soon as spices are harvested their inherent essential oils
begin to deteriorate. Some varieties of spices will deteriorate in flavour more
rapidly than others due to the highly volatile compounds.