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Recipe for Success: Understanding Spice Oleoresins
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Friday, 16 March, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Kalakad V Ganapathy
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Indian behaviour and attitude can often be inscrutable. On the one hand, we rush to yoga and Ayurveda centres to learn breathing techniques, different body postures and get that perfect oil massage. We read about healthy, sattvik food but finally succumb to the temptation of eating something spicy! An interesting twist in this tale is that Kerala which is synonymous with Ayurveda is also the state where the first spice oleoresins were manufactured by Synthite way back in 1972.
Spice oleoresins
Oleoresins are the concentrated form of spices where you get the wholesome flavour and aroma of the spice. Spice oleoresins are characterised by high potency of active components which enables their usage in small dosages. Spice Oils and Oleoresins can be used to advantage wherever spices are used, except in those applications where the appearance/ filler aspect of spice is important. Usage of spice oleoresins leads to standardisation in taste and consistency in flavour. Oleoresins find application in beverages, meat canning, confectionery, sauces and pharmaceuticals. They are also used as a base for a number of seasonings.
Technology
Generally, extraction of spice oils and oleoresins using a non-aqueous solvent is a small- scale operation. For easy standardisation of oleoresins, the spice oils need to be distilled first. Then the oleoresins are extracted using solvent. The spent residual meal after extraction can be used in animal feed formulation. The oleoresin extract is mixed with the dry spice oil to the required level to produce spice oleoresins before they are finally packed.
Process control is vital to get a uniform product in every batch. Delicate processing under controlled conditions of temperature is a must to maintain the freshness and flavour of spices.
Solvents that are used for extraction of spice oleoresins are Ethylene dichloride, Acetone, Hexane or alcohol. Stripping off residual solvent at the final stage of preparation of oleoresins is crucial. The choice of solvent governs the ratio of spice constituents that are extracted. Example - highly coloured turmeric oleoresin without characteristic odour of turmeric can be obtained or a low-coloured product having highly aromatic smell of ground turmeric in a liquid state can also be produced.
Super critical fluid extraction (SCFE) is a sophisticated method for extracting spice oleoresins. It is a two-step process where carbon di oxide is used as a solvent above its critical pressure and temperature for extraction of various natural materials. In this process, there is no residual solvent.
Correct extraction technology is a must to make the product with the right flavour profile. Identification of components in spices that give optimum flavour potency is a must.
A combination of technology and innovative manufacturing practices is essential to get the desired properties of final product. Due to food safety laws, use of solvents and residual solvent limits in the final product is becoming more and more a concern for food industry. To overcome this, technologies like SCFE are becoming popular.
Market
The global spice oleoresin market is $1 million. The global requirement of various oleoresins - paprika, chilly, turmeric, pepper, ginger, and cardamom is about 15,000 tonnes.
India with its favourable climatic and soil conditions for growing spices and semi-tropical herbs is in the forefront among the spice producing countries. The Indian spice oleoresin market is about Rs 600 crore. India accounts for 70% of the world oleoresin production with competition from China, the US, Lanka, South Africa and Latin America. Brazil, China and India are the market leaders. Kochi in Kerala with its spice farms is the hub of oleoresin manufacturing.
Spice oleoresins have to meet global standards when they are exported. Solvent residues in the oleoresins should not exceed 30 ppm. Demand of this product can be attributed to a sharp rise in the snacks and fast food industry for producing a standardised effect on taste.
Rushabh Adani, chairman, Adani Pharmachem Pvt. Ltd, had to quit manufacturing chilli oleoresins in 2001 owing to low demand in India. He says, "Chilli oleoresins contain two active components - capsaicin for pungency and paprika for colour. China used to import chilli oleoresins from India. Today they are exporting to the world. These are used in sauces. China has started growing chilli and is a leader in manufacturing chilli oleoresins. We quit as we were unable to face the onslaught of competition from China and Spain."
Stanley Mathews, general manager (marketing), Synthite, is upbeat about the prospects of spice oleoresin industry in India. "The market for spice oleoresins is largely untapped and Indian homes are still not familiar with the product. Urbanisation and the trend of more women stepping out of their homes to contribute to the family income will encourage the use of products like oleoresins. Synthite has always focussed on B2B but now we have decided to look at B2C too. Look at the popularity of instant foods in the market by players like Eastern, Unilever, and ITC. These products are using spice oleoresins. We understand the need to develop expertise in logistics and supply chain to run the B2C model. An aggressive marketing campaign is vital to promote wide awareness. However, we would like to capture this market slowly and steadily," he says.
Spice Oleoresins offer the following advantages
● Consistency in flavour
● Not affected by bacterial contamination
● Much longer shelf life
● Easier storage and handling
● Full release of flavour during cooking
● Easy blendability to achieve the desired features
The usage of spice oleoresins is not without its limitations. There is low awareness about the product in the Indian market. Oleoresins are highly concentrated and so they need to be used in diluted form. While oleoresins can be used for Italian, Mexican and other continental dishes, surprisingly not much has been done to take spice oleoresins to the Indian kitchen. Research needs to be done to explore use of oleoresins in dishes like sambar, rasam, lassi and dal. The level of research in these areas has been sub-optimal.
Nitin Jain, MD, N&S Natural Products Pvt. Ltd, says that the exorbitant price of spice oleoresins is a major stumbling block in its usage in India. "Home-users will need a small quantity of spice oleoresins. There can be a logistical challenge to distribute small quantities. E-commerce is an option, but how many people in the non-metros are net savvy," he asks. "As of now, oleoresins are considered more of an industrial product. Indian homes can use them, but one has to create greater awareness about the same."
Stanley disagrees with the notion that spice oleoresins are exorbitantly priced. "A small quantity of oleoresins can match the flavour, taste and pungency of a large quantity of spice powder." (See table). "Spice oleoresins can also be used in toothpastes," he adds.
| Sr No | Spice | Quantity of Spice | Output | | 1 | Black Pepper | 30 kg | 1 kg black pepper oleoresin | | 2 | Cardamom | 40 kg | 1 kg cardamom oleoresin | | 3 | Chilli | 600 kg | 1 kg chilli oleoresin | | 4 | Garlic |
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