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FSSAI issues guidance note on cinnamon, cassia to prevent adulteration
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Friday, 07 April, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Shraddha Joshi, Mumbai
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In a bid to avoid misrepresentation of cinnamon and cassia, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a guidance note on the distinguishing features of both the spices. The note was released with reference to several representations received by the apex regulator for cassia, a cheap substitute being sold as cinnamon.
Production
The document stated, “True cinnamon, which is known as Cinnamomum verum syn Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, is native to Sri Lanka and South India. Sri Lanka is the major cinnamon-producing country in the world. It accounts for about 60 per cent of the world trade. Meanwhile, India also produces cinnamon in a small quantity.”
Adulteration
The document mentioned the differences between the two varieties, which are usually mistaken for each other due to their resemblance.
It added, “Cinnamon and cassia are closely related spices. However, cassia is being imported in the form of different spices, such as China Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia syn C. aromatic), which is grown in China and Vietnam, and Indonesian cassia (known as C Burmannii), which is grown in the Sumatra and Java regions.”
Differentiation between cinnamon and cassia
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Parameter
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Cinnamon
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Cassia
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Taste
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Cinnamon
is sweet and delicate.
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Cassia
is strong and
peppery.
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Color
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Cinnamon
is light brown
or tan
in
colour.
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Cassia
is reddish-brown
to dark brown
in colour.
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Look
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Cinnamon
sticks curl from one side only,
and roll up like a newspaper. Real Cinnamon from Sri
Lanka (Cinnamomum
Zeylanicum) is filled like a cigar.
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Cassia
bark is thicker,
because its outer layer is stripped off. For that reason, cassia
sticks curl inward from both
sides
towards the centre
as they dry. Cassia has a hollow tube.
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Feel
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Cinnamon
bark is smooth.
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The
surface of cassia
is rough and uneven.
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Grown
in
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India
and Sri
Lanka
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China,
Vietnam
and Indonesia
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Coumarin
content
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Low
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High
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Citing further differences between the two spices, FSSAI issued and operationalised an amendment to the standard of cinnamon (whole and powdered) on November 24, 2016 with respect to the inclusion of the maximum permissible limit of coumarin content to be not more than 0.3 per cent by weight, as cinnamon varieties have a coumarin content of around 0.2 per cent. The inclusion of this new standard helped in distinguishing between cinnamon and cassia, as the latter contains coumarin in the range of 0.8 to 10.63 per cent.
The document pointed out, “Cassia and cinnamon vary in chemical composition. The former contains a higher level of coumarin as compared to cinnamon. Review of scientific evidence indicates that cassia is used/consumed in minor quantities, as one of the ingredients in curry powder or used to make curry masala at home. In normal circumstances, the coumarin intake never reaches levels that can be toxic to human health. Thus, the consumption of cassia is safe.”
However, contradictory to the FSSAI guidelines, Aman Chawla, proprietor, Deepak Trading Co, Mumbai, said, “Cinnamon and cassia are one and the same. The Indian spice is known as cinnamon, while its imported variant is cassia. Cinnamon is of a better quality than cassia. The former is used as an ingredient in food preparations, while the latter is used in the form of extracts.”
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