Spices. Flavor chemistry & antioxidant properities

133 Pages·1997·25.4 MB·English

by  Risch

-
660
A C S S Y M P 0 S I U M S E R I E S
Spices
Flavor Chemistry and Antioxidant
Properties
Sara J. Risch, EDITOR
Science By Design
Chi-Tang Ho, EDITOR
Rlltgers, 71le Stale University of New Jersey
De~e.l~ped from ~ symposium sponsor~:---~
the DIVIsIOn of Agncultural and Food .. c!t~rp~~try; .,~
American Chemicol Society, WOshington, DC
Uhnry or Congr''!! Calalos;ng.!n.I'ubUu !lon Ila!a
Advisory Board
Sl'tc,,: Il.wor che,niWy and antio~idant pmpcrtie .• I S,,.n I, Ri""h, rJilOI,
Chi·T"n~ 110. wiU)",
ACS Symposium SerIes
p. cm.-{ACS .• ympo<ium series, ISSN 0097--61 ~6: 660)
··n.:",lopal from a ,ymposium lponsored by tile Divi~ion of Al'i~uh"I,,1
~"J F("O~Il'lIc",i,"y al ti,e 2111h National Muting oflhe Anoerio.:an Cloemic"1 Robert J. Alaimo Cynthia A. Maryanoff
S<lci.,ly. New Orlean~.looi~i.fta. Much 24_28, 1\I'}6.'" l'roeler & Gamble PhJ'lI1l1<:euticals R. w, JOII05011 J'llarmaccut;cal
R~ •• dt Institute
ISHN O·M412_3495_7 Mark Arnold
.. SI'I<:<:.,·-Congre.. .e ... 2. C'm,liment~-Cong,e.',es. University of Iowa Roger A. Minear
University of 1I1ioois
I. Ri«:h. Sara 1., 1958- n. HO,o.i·Tang. 19044- III. American David Baker M Urbnna-Chalnp"ign
C1Icmk.,1 SOCiely. Division of Agrieultulal und F"od O'CII,iSlry. IV. AUlerican Uoivenity ofTenne5$<'e
Otc:,"IC~1 SOCtcty. Meeting (21 Ith: 1996: New OrIeIlllS, La .. ) V. SC'.!eS. Omkaram Nalarnasu
Arindam Bose AT&T Ikll LaboralOri~
TP420.S6~ 1996
664'S--<:Ic21 I'filtr Cel1!r~1 Rcsearcl, Vincent Pecoraro
Robert F. Brady. Jr. Uni~rsily of MichiG~n
N~v,11 Re.o;car(h tabomtory
George W. Roberts
This book;< prinl~d IJf\ Kid·free, recycled paper. Mary E. Castellion Non" Carolina StAte UniVeriiiity
ChemEdil Company
Copy.i£ht C 1997 Amer;can l.'hr:micaJ Society John R. Shapley
Margaret A. Cavanaugh University of Illinois
All Ri~lllS R~er"ed. Reproaraphic cOl'yi~M beyond that pcnnitted by Section5 107 or 108 of Ihe U.s. NallQn.1 Science Foundatioo I! Urba.na-013mpalgn
CopyriGht Act;s allowed fOf ,nlern.1 use only. provided that a pc1-chap1er fee of ~17.00 plus $0.25 pcr
p~e i5 paid to the CopyriGht Oearance Center. Inc., 222 Rmewood Dri'·e. Dan'·crs. M,\ 01923, U~A Arthur B. Ellis Douglas A. Smith
Republic-.ahon or rel"oducliOft for sale of pagc:~ in lh,~ book i, permined only un<kr licen<e f.om ACS. Univer,;ity of Wiscon!in at Madison Concurrent Teeh!lolvgies Corporation
Di=I lhQC and othet jlCm1issions requesls 10 ACS Copyright Office, Publiutions Division. 115~ 161h
SlIcet. N.W" Washington. OC 20036. Gunda I. Georg L. Somasundaram
The citalion of trade nanoe. andlor namc. of 'n.1nuf""tun:~ in this pubfication i~ not to be con5\nH:d IS Un;~cuity or Kansas DuPont
an enoJ~O\cn( or as ap>"oval by ACS of the CQlnmefeial producu 01' ",."iets .de.ented hcn:in; 00f
sbovld the meTC rerc.~ncc .... ein to any drawing. speciflC"ioo. che. ... ical process. 0, other data be Mnddcine M. Joullie Midlad D. Taylor
regarded as" Ikense or "5 ~ con"ey"nc, of any riMllt or permission to the holdc:r. reade •• or any odler Uni"cl"$ity of l'cnnsylvania Par~e·DaYi, l'hilftnaCeutical Reseuch
pc.~n or corporation. to m3l1ufx,u.e, .(produce. use, or sen any palcnled inventiort ()( copyrighted
work th~t m~y in ~ny w~y be related thereto. Rtgi~tered names, tra<lemarh. etc. . used in thi~ Lawrence P. Klemann William C. Walker
pubhca~ion .• "en willlOUt ~pccitie indication thereof, arc not 10 be considered unprotected by law. Nabj~o 1'00<15 GIOUp DuPont
PRll\'TED];O; Tim UNIll;D STAll~ OF AMERICA Douglas R. Lloyd Peter Willett
'Ille University of Teus at Au~lin University or Sheffield (England)
Foreword Contents
THE ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES W3S first published in 197410 provide Preface ............................................................................................................. ix
a mechanism for publishing symposia quickly in book form. The
purpose of Ihis series is to publish comprehensive books developed GENERAL OVERVIEW Al"'D METHODS
from symposia, which are usually "snapshots in time" of the current
research being done on a topic. plus some review material on the I. Sllices: Sources, Processing, and Chemistry................................... 2
lopic. For this reason, it is nccess:uy that Ihe papers be published as Sara J. Risch
quickly as possible.
Before a symposium-based book is put under contract, the 2. Methods of Dactel"ial Reduction in Spices ....................................... 7
proposed tllble of contents is reviewed for appropriateness 10 the topic W. Leistritz
and for comprehensiveness of the collection. Some papers are
excluded al this point, and others are added to round Qut the scope of FLAVOR CIlEMIS1"RY
the volume. In addition, a draft of each paper is peer-reviewed prior
(0
final acceptance or rejection. This anonymous review process is 3. The Principal Flal'or Components of Fenugreek (l'rigo1lelfa
supervised by the organizer(s) of the symposium, who become the foe1lum-graecum L) ............................................................................... 12
editor(s) of the book. TIlt": authors then revise their papers according to Imre Blank. Jianming Lin, Stephanie Dev3ud,
the recommendations of both the reviewers and the editors. prepare Ren~ Fumeaux, and L:l.Urent n. Fay
camera-ready copy, and submit the final papers to the editors, who
check that all necessury revisions have been made. 4. Vanil\ll..................................................................................................... 29
As a rule, only original research papers and original review Daphna Havkin-Frcnkel and Ruth Dorn
papers are included in the volumes. Verbatim reproductions of
previously published papers are not :!ccepled. 5. Onion Flavor Chemistry and Factors Influencing Flavur
Intensity.................................................................................................. 41
William M. Randle
ACS BOOKS DEPARTMENT
6. Cuntribulion IIf Nonvolatile SuUur-Containing Flavor
PI'ecursors of the Genus Allium to the Flavor of Thermally
I'rocessed Allium Vegetables ................................ "............................ 53
Tung·"lsi Yu
ANALYTICAL 1):CHNIQUES
7. Characterization of Saffron Flavor by Aroma Extract
I)ilution Analysis................................................................................... 66
Keith R. Cadwallader, Hyung !-Icc 8aek. and Min COli
,
H. Tile (]wracteri7.atinn of Volatile :lntl Semivulatile CllmllIInen"~ 17. Antioxidant Activity of L:lvandin (LtlVam/lIia x illfermedill) Cell
in I'uwdered Turmeric hy Dired Therm:ll Extractiun Cultures in Relatilln to Their R"smarinic Acid Content._.. .......... 206
(;a5 ChruIIllIlugr:lphy- M:lss Sllectrumetry ..................................... 1:10 T. L6pez-Arnaldos, J. M. Zapata, A A. Calder6n,
Rich:lrd D. Iliscrodt, a li-Tang 1-10, and Robert T. Rosell and A. Ros Barccl6
'J. !,ungent Flavor I'rnfiles and Components of Spices 18. Anti-innanunatory Antioxidants from Trupic:!1 Zingiberaceae
by Chrolll.,tugraphy and Chemiluminescent Nitrngen Plants: Isolation and Synthesis of New Curcuminoids ................. 219
Ilctectinn ...................................... " ................................... ".................... 98 Toshiya Masuda
E. M. Fujinari
19. Curcumin: A Pulse Radiolysis Investiglltinn of the Radical
10. Supercritical "'Iuid Extraction nfAlliulII Species ............................ 113 In Micellar Systems: A Model for 8eha\'ior 3S a Biological
Eli;r.abcth M. C.,lvey and Erie Block Antioxidant in Both Hydrnphobic and Hydrophilic
EnvironJllents ......................................................................................... 234
11. Determination of Glucosinolates in Mustard A A Gorman, I. Hamblett, T. J. Hill. H. Jones,
by High.Performance: Liquid Chromatography- V. S. Srinivasan, and P. O. Wood
Electrospray M:lss Spectrometry ....................................................... 125
Carol L. Zrybko and Robert 1'. Rosen INDEXES
12. Reasons fur the Variation in Composition of Some Author Index .................................................................................................. 246
COInnlercial Essential Oils .................................................................. 138
Chi-Kuen Shu and Brian M. L1wrence Affiliation I ndex ............................................................................................. 246
13. Cumponent AII~llyses of Mixed Spices .............................................. 160 Subject Index .................................................................................................. 247
C. K. Cheng, C. C. Chen, W. Y. Shu, L. L Shih,
and H. H. Feng
ANll0XIDA."lT PROPERTIES
14. Antioxidative Activity of Spices and Spice Extracts ....................... 176
Helle Lindberg Madsen, Grete Bertelsen,
and Leif H. Skibsted
15. Antioxidative Effect and Kinetics Study of Capsanthin
on the Chlorophyll-Sensitized I)hotooxidation of Soybean Oil
and Selected Flavor Compounds ....................................................... 188
Chung-Wen Chen, Tung Ching Lee, and Chi-Tang Ho
16. Cureumin: An Ingredient that Reduces Platelet Aggregation
and Hyperlipidemia, and Enhances Antioxidant and Inunune
Functions ................................................................................................ 199
Yaguang Liu
Preface
S PICES ARE WIDELY USED IN FOOD PRODUCTS to create the distinctive flavor
or
and I:haruClcr that is representative different cuisines. The symposium on the
flavor and antioxidant propenies of spices was organized \0 look al new
developments in the area o[spicc chemistry.
111C nature of the volatile components in different spic..:s is important in
understanding the flavors they impart 10 food products. Research is being
conducted \0 determine the significant volutilc and nonvolatile compounds thnl
create the distinct flavor of various spices. Variations in spices C;l1l occur
depending on the region in which Ihey arc grown and the climatic condition. ..
which can dramatically influence their composition. This information j-.;
imponant in formulating food products and maintaining their consist~ncy (I\,...:r
time_ As spices vary in their flavor profile, adjustments may need to be made in
the fonnulution of a product or spice blend to maintain the desired !lavOL
Computer modcls are being developed to eVlllullte spices [lnd spice blends to
determine thcir composition and other rekvllnt variables_
Another major arcu of interest today is the antioxidant properties of spices.
Although spices have long been used to help preserve food, it has not been
known what components give the preservative eITect. Research in this area has
expanded beyond the use of spices as preservatives 10 the potcntiol hcalth
benefits they confer as antioxidants in the body_T here is considerable evidence
that specific components in spices may provide these beneficial cl1ccts.
Research is being carried oul to determine the aclive components and \0 explain
the mechanism of action. With increasing interest in the use of food products to
help maintain health and prevent disease, spices may playa significtlnt role.
-Ille symposium on which this book is based was sponsort..-d by the Division
of Agricultural and Food Chemistry at the 21lth National Meeting of the
Americtlll Chemicill Socicty, which took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from
March 24-28, 1996. ·nlis symposium provided a forum for researchers from all
over the world to prcsent information on possible specific roks .)J" spices ill
disease prevcntion.
We thank all of the panicipants in thc symposium as well as Ih~· ad,litioll;11
authors who have contributed papers \0 this hook_ All or 'lIlT c"I1~·_'!-!Ul-" wi",
gtlve of their time to Hssist in the review of the mnnuslTirl.~ an: r,-n':'I!i/l-.I, ;lIltl
Iheir work is ~inccrdy appreciatcd. Thc American Spice Trauc Associatiun was
helpful in providing general information about spices and their usage.
SARA J. Risen
Scicnce Oy Design
50S :-Jorth Lake Shore Drive, 113209
Chicaso. IL 60611
CIII·TANG 1-10
Dcp:_u1ment ofFoocl Science
Cook College
Rutgers, '111C Siale University orNcl\' Jersey
GENERAL OVERVIEW AND M ETHODS
New Brunswick. NJ 08903-023 (
Novcmber 22, 1996
,
1. RISCH Spi"fls: S(//m:u, l'rocb'l';ng, allll CJII'IIris(ry
Chapter 1 which is noIteclmicaJly /I spice but is a Vf%'J 'Nidcly used flavoring material that comes
from a plant grawn in tropical regions, it is the second largest prodllct in the
Malagasy Republic.
Spices
There are 36 different herbs and spices that are generally recosnized and
commonly used, White and black pepper account for the largest amount of spices
Sources, ProceSSing, and ChemistrY
used in terms of dollar value The ne.'l:t highest value spices consumed are cloves,
nUlmeg, cardamom, cinnamon ginger, mace and allspice It should be noted that
Sara J. Risch accurate figures for the value of spice imports and exports are difficult to track.,
Countries typically do nOt repon spices separately from other food products
Science By DeSign, 505 North L'lke Shore Drive, #3209, Most spices that are imported into the United States come in whole or
Chicago, IL 60611 unprocessed, There are requirements that they meet minimum standards for purity
and cleanliness. The Food and Drug Administration performs inspections on the
incoming spices mainly to conlirm that they are free from undesirable filth and that
they are safe for use in food. The American Spice Trade Association (I) and AOAC
(2) have defined specific tests for spices. A complete list of typicallcsl~ for the
Spices are used throughout the world to season food products and
quality of herbs and spices was developed a number of years ago by Heath (3) This
create the unique characteristic flavors of different cuisines,
provides a comprehensive listing of tesls that can give information on Ihe volatile oil
Spices are grown primarily in tropical countries although the
content as well as other quality related factors in spices.
United States has recently started growing a number of different
Spices and herbs come from a number of different pans of plants. This cnn
spices to supply the domestic needs. The use of spices has
include the bark, seeds, berries Dnd leavcs of a plant. In the United States, spices
increased significantly over the past few years, due in pan to the
have a legal definition that is spelled out in the Code of Federal Regulations (4). This
high level of interest in different types of foods that use a wide
states that spices are "any arommie vegetable substance in whole, broken or ground
variety of spices. Interest is also developing in the ability of spices
fonn, except those SllbS1anc~s which have been traditionally regarded as foods, such
to act as antioxidants in addition to seasoning a product
as onions, garlic and celery; whose significant function in food is seasoning rather
than nutritional; that is tAre to name; and from which no ponion of any vola:ile oil or
other na\'oring principle has been removed". nle form that the spice is use<! in ollen
Spices have long been important for food products. It was found that small amounts depends on the application in the food product In some cases it is desirable to have
or various plants could be used to enhance the flavor of a food and also served to large, visible pieces of spice while in others the spice may be finely ground to be more
help preserve that food. In somc cases spices wefe even used to mask spoilage or easily incorporated into the product. Some of the applications for whole spices
off-flavors in products. This use continued for centuries without any real include peppercorns in sausages, bay leaves in soups and various seeds thllt are used
understanding of how the spices were being effective. People simply understood 1hat on or in breads and other baked products including caraway seeds, sesame seeds and
spices helped create a more desirable taste in the foods that were being prepared. poppy seeds.
Different cuisines are noted for using s~cific types of spices to create their For the vast majority of applications, the spice is processed before using in a
characteristic fla\·ors. food product. General processing of spices usually involves some means of panicle
People also viewed spices as being imponant because in early history the size reduction. Processors use different techniquc~ to achieve the desired panicle
entire ecollomy of many regions was based solely on spice trade. Spices were the size. The process of grinding spices breaks down some of the cell structure to make
major item of trade and the region that could control spice trade dominated as a the volatile oils in the plant more readily released when used in a product than if the
world power. That situation has changed dramatically with spices now accounting spice were left in the whole form. Care must be laken during the grinding process
for less than 0.1 percent of world trade. Other raw materials as well us processed to insure that the desired volatile oil level is maintained in the spice. One process Ihal
foods account for a larger percentagc of world-wide trade than spices. There are has been investigated to help preserve the quality of the spice is cryogenic grinding.
still several countries that rely heavily on the trade of a specific spice. In Tan~nia, In addition to grinding or comminution of the plant part, a mcans or bacterial
the production of clove accounts for a large percentage of that country's economy. reduction is also needed. The different methods employed to reduce the bacterial
Tanzania grows about 213 of tile world requirement for cloves. About half Granada's load on spices. including irradiation, steam trcatment and ethylene oxi{!c, will be
revenue is derived from the sales of nutmeg and mace. !fyou also consider vanilla, covered in a subsequent chapter in Ihis book. A comprehensive review ofindividllill
(tI l991 American Chemicat Society
,
SI'II.:F.S: flAVOR CIII':MJSTIlV fiNO ANTlOXJUflNT l'IIOI'lmTJK" I. JUSCI! Spices: SOllrces, Pmce.I'.I'i/'I:. and Chemistry
spi..:;cs intludinij thcir flavor characters and various applications is included in the (ASTA, personal communication, 1996). The other countries that are impoJ'lant
Source Book of Flavors by Reineccius (5). This rererence also includes inrormation sources of spices include India, Indonesia, Mexico, Guatemala, China and Canada.
aboUI processing ofspice5 as well as the specific volatile oils and the procedures that Canada has gained prominence: for its production of mustard, caraway and coriander
arc lIsed to extract the oils from spices. The flavor of herbs and spices is derived seeds.
from the volatile viis that arc present in the plant. The only exceplion to this is the With the growth in the use of spices., there has been continued research into
cap~icum~ which give The flavor to peppen. The essential oil content of herbs is the active components of spices not only from a flavor standpoint but also from
Ollcn less Ihan 1%. The conlenl of other spices ranges up to 18% essential oil in functional perspective 10 explore the antioxidant properties of spices. Differcnt
clove buds Essential oils arc recovered from herbs and spices by steam distillation. spices are known to contain hundreds of acli ....e compounds. One area of interest is
'111i5 recovers The vollllile oils but not the non-volatile components which contribute to identify Ihe specific compounds in a spice that make the most significant
to the pungency of some spices such as ginger and pepper. Oleoresins are oblained contribution to the flavor of that product. A technique that has been applied to flavor
by solvent extraction which yields both volatile and non-volatile components. compounds to detennine thclr relative importance to Oavor of a product is gas
While spices have long been used in food products, their usage continues to chromatography coupled with effluent sniffing, referred to as GC-O (gas
grow al a significant rate. A recent estimate by Ihe American Spice Trade chromatography-olfactometry). Several variations on this te<:hnique, including aroma
Association indicates that the usage in the U. S. alone could reach one billion pounds extract dilution analysis, can be used to determine the compounds that are most
by the year 2000 (ASTA personal communication, 1996). Interest in spices started important to the aroma. This uses the human nose to determine characteristic and
growing aner World War II and saw a sharp rise beginning in the 1980's. This c~n importance ofindividual compounds to compliment gas chromatography which can
likely be attributed to first, the exposure that many people had to other spices in the only give an indication of relative amounts of different compounds but cannot give
1940's and. more recently. to increased interest in different ethnic cuisines. 11 should any information on importance to the flavor profile. It is known that flavor
be noted that the consumption figures that are reported include dehydrated onion and compounds can have widcly varying sensory thresholds so having only the analylical
garlic even though by legal definition they are not spices. These items may be used dala does not teUthe entire story regarding importance of the individual compounds.
as spices in a food in the U. S. but must be listed separately on an ingredient The two specific spices that were evaluated and are presented in later chapters were
statement. The average consumption today is about 50"10 greater than the average salll'on (Cadwallader and Back) ~nd fenugreek (Blank et el). This data e~n be used
a decade AgO with the annual per capita consumption of spices in the United States in developing flavor systems that may be able to replace or supplcment spices in food
ovcr three pounds (ASTA, personal communication, 1996). The spices that have products.
shown the largest increase in use include sesame seeds., oregano and paprika. II is There is ongoing de\-dopmcnl of new analytical techniques to evaluate spices
likely that the growth in usc of sesame seeds parallels the growth in fast food to dcvclop specific information about their composition. These techniques may nol
restaurants using sesame seeds on sandwich buns. be applicable only to spices but are ~erving to expand our knowledge of spices and
The other trends in spice consumption in thc U.S. follow thc growth of their active components. One method is supercritical extraction which is used to
cenain food categories. One area is in hot foods where the AInerican public is more effectively removc Ihe volatile compounds from a spice and eliminate Ihe
becoming much more adventuresome in the foods that they will eat. Consumption interference of olher plant malerials. Once the compounds are isolated, one detector
ofrcd peppcrwas up 105% from 1988 to 1992. Our bland foods arc becoming much that is being employed is specific to nilTogen and can aid in determining Ihe amounts
spicier One company rc:ccnlly introduced a fudge sauce for icc cream that contains of capsaicinoids which contribute the heat or pungency to different types of peppers.
blnck pepper, red pepper and cinnamon ill addition to dark chocolate. At the 1996 Spice companies and food manufacturers arc also concerned about
Institute of Food Tcdlnologists convenlion, one demonstration showed thc use of red maintaining the consistency of the spices and spice blends that they lire using. It is
pepper sauce in brownies. In contrast, another area of growth is in the mild herbs know that a number offactors can influence the abundance of the aelive components
including basil and oregano. This growth follows the increase in consumplion or in spices. The climatic conditioJlll can have a significant impact on spice quality from
piua and a proliferation of commercially available spaghcui sauces. As the desire for one year to the ne.'!:t. One chapter later in Ihis hook will address the influence or
ncw and unique foods continues, it is expected the use of spices will continue to different growing conditions on the volatile compounds that are present (Randle).
grow. The same species of plant that is grown in different regions of the country can have
Spices are commonly grown in tropiCI'll regions ofthc world. This can present a diffcrent volatile profile from that grown in another region. Understanding these
challenges to companies that are trying to fmd a consistent source of spices both from dilTerences"is important for manufacturers to be able to maintain consistent flavor of
a qlJality and supply perspective. Fanners in the U. S. have Slarted growing a number a product when the spice being used may be sourced from different areas. A variety
of different spices to meet our growing demand. When dehydrated onion and garlic of plant species have been investigated to develop fingerprints of spices from different
arc includcd in the figures, the U.S. in 199] was able to supply 38% of its needs growing regions. This information can be used to determine authenticity or a spice
6 SPICES: H.AVOM CIlt-:l\IISTMY ANIl ANTlUXILIANT j'IWI'EMT1KIi
and determine optimum blends that should be used to maint!!.in the desired flavor
Chapter 2
profile. Statistical programs arc also bting developed \0 be used 10 detemune the
most likely constituents in a spice blend and aid in replication oCa slJCCilic blend.
This is presented in the chapter by Chen el al. Methods of Bacterial Reduction ill Spices
An area of considerable interest and the focus of many research projects is the
antioxidant propenies of spices. As was mentioned earlier, one of the earliest uses
of spices was to help preserve foods. Liule was understood III that time about the w. L..eistritz
mode of aaion of the spices. It was simply known that they would help maintain the
quality of the food to be stored, The area of antioxidant propenies of spices is Spie~Tec limited, 185 Alexllndra Way, Carul Stream, IL 60188
imponant for preserving the quality of foods but may also provide beneficial health
effects for people consuming the spices. This area will be covered in much more
detail in an ollCl"View of the antioxidant properties of spices that is presented later ill
this book in the chapter by Madsen et a!. One spice component in particular that has
received atlemion is curcumin. Several chapters address the effectiveness of
rurcumin and possible ways to synthesize new curruminoids. The investigators have
looked at the various ways in which the compounds may be effective as an There IIfC three major Incthods for b.lclerial reduction currently being us.:d
antioxidant in different systems. This is an area that will continue to receive attention in the spicc industry. These arc ethyknc oxide, irnlliiation and Sh::.m.
in the research conununity as people cominue [0 look for Ihe specific health benefilS Irradiation has received a gl"l!lll deal of pn:ss and although tnc popul;Hity uf
Ihal certain foods may offer. Spices will remain important for Ihe flavor lhat Ihey this mcthod is increasing, there is still whether or nol Ilk: consurno::r will
impart to foods and may also gain significance for other benefits they have to offer. IIcccpt it. The induslry h.1S $t:icntific theory but the consulTler activists :lrc
concerned about the unknown ruture consequences of the kchnolo);.v.
Another method that is not new bu has nOl been used in thc U.S. i;; stcam
steriliLation using supcrhealcd steam. This is a consumcr friendly method
Literature Cited
that may be the solution tlmt the world is lookin~ ror. The nlCth(l\l is
I. Analytical Methods orthe American Spice Trade Association, )rd ed. ASTA.., efti!ctive and viewed liS being safc. A comparison of the three Ill<:toods will
Englewood Cliffs, NJ.,1978. be presenll""d and the adv.lrltages and disndvuntages of cach method delllikd.
2. Official Methods of Analysis. 14th ed. AGAC, Washington, D.C. 1984.
3. lieath, t-I. B. Call.lnSI. Food 'f"e,·h. J. 1968, 1(1), pp. 9·36.
4. Code of Fcderal Regulations, Title 21, U.S. Government Printing Office.
1995. Spices are grown all o~r the world, in many cases it is in areas wh..'re the cle:'lnlincss is
5. Source Book oj Flavors; Reineccius, G. A., Ed., Second ed.; Chapman and not closely controlled. There is 110 dian made to limit contamination of the spices wither
during growing or harvesting. While there are some specifications and regulations
Hall, One Penn Plaza, New York, NY, 1994, pp234· 255.
concerning imponed spiccs, it is oncn necessary to process the spices to reduce the
bacteriallond prior to use in food products. The oot:h:rialload varies with thc type or
spice and total plate counts in excess of one million colony formin~ units per g~ 11:1\·e
been reponed in some spkt:s (I). Diflerenl types of pcpp..:r are known to ()fien h:'lVC very
high bacterial counts.
The original need sterilized spices cnmc from a demand by the U.S. armed r(\Tecs.
I'rior to World War 11, they were seeking roods that coukllx: ItI,:ld for long pcri<.'.lls (lrtill"ll:
without spoiling. One source orlh.: bacterial contamination that rcduced the .~ho:1r-lir.. . or
some products was the spice or seasoning being used. By reducing the l~wl \Jf IxJl·t~rii\
in the spice, products could be made "ith significant I)' longer slk:lf-li\"cs. Till: nll. . "thud !;lr
doing this rJCedcJ to dcstroy the bacteria without changing the Havor or color "I" th,· spicc.
Sterili7.ation tcduliqucs \\ierc developed and were so successrul ror prndu<."ls n~l.k I;,r th.:
I1rmcd rorces, that it soon became a gcnemlly accepted tedl!lilJllc Ii,r m',\ 'I'in·' 'lIkl
c:r
t9!17 Amcrit.·~n ChCI1lK.":li S. ..; kly
. ,
St'U ·t·~. ., .·t~\ VOlt ClIEMtS'fllY A:"III ,\NTIOXIIJANT 1'lIot'EKTn~. . 2. U:tSTKIT"l. Mell!l)(l~ 11 Baelcri(l/ HelilleliOlI in Spitt{ 9
"l·a". ,nm~s. All 'I'to.:e" ,m.1 .,",·a:«mings tk, lint ro:ttuin: h:to.:lel'i;11 reJudMlI1. hUI 111I.·r.: is a I. I'roduct is loaJnl 011tO a (arrier and travels along a .. onveyor through a series
li,1.. I:,el"f wilh all ,'Ilhe n~"\lerials. '1 he "w,d in;1I111t:1llllrcr nC<'d~ In wcil:!h lito.: ri"l..s "f or doors and locks int" the cdlllr .... containing eoixlh 60.
lI"m~: il1;1ll·ri;.ls 111:,1 p"lentially 1~1n::;1 high ha(lerial loao wilh any !le~. . tin· r-.;r(CI'1Mm 2. The product pa.<;scs IImWJJ and then tl ..o u~h t .....o shelvcs nfisotopes where the
tl1l'I,' 111;1)" he ,dth th,: pr'lI.:cs.sin!!-nfthe spi..:e. greatest pcrcent .. ge ()fOOelt.:r~11 reduction occurs. While in the cell. the product
Ill<' trealn .." t nf spices hi r"'llll(e Ihe h."lI:kri;d k'ad is "nl'lI IdeneJ h' .... i:« hombarded with energy lit lower lc\'cI~ as .... 'CII.
\l':llli/"tMIII. In !<Ome c .. ~, II. ..· spke nk!) ;lCt'l:llIy be ~erili:lJ;d. IMwl'{.""er. H m,'re a<.:l"1.rat .. 3. The product rctUfl\.<; through Ihe ~ric:« of doors ,mo locks on a tin){'(.( schedule
h:nll~' h:I(I .. ,-i:11 ,-.. duetMUI. TIll: lirst mctlK.d 111;11 W;lS dc,·ck'po."d 1<1 retlu .. e the h:'dlT~11 and pro~ralll to its origin. The entire rHlCes.~ takes between 5 and IS hours,
nne
l".,,~ <,n "I'icl's ill\'lIl\'cd lhe u<;c of cthykne oxide ~as. (omllany th;lt is using a depending upun the initial bacterial klad and the reduction that is required.
,,·I'-.KIIl ,,(this metl~>d to,by is (iriflith MicruSeicnee. The trealment nm~i~ts (If a lillll.'lI,
0'
I",," tnnpernt,u'e (yel<.: "r ....1 eulll11 gas.sing with Clhylcn( "xide propyknc oxide. The l11is is a cost clfoxtivc method IIk!tllffers 11 number of1:ll:ocfits to the consumcr. The main
;:"IK'ral pr"l,ess now is de~rihcd below. I>.:ndit is its overall effecti"encss. There is no nM)i~tl1re add .. d to the spice and thcre are
no ad ... erse cfkets on the wlatilc oils or rMlI1volatiJe components so the flavor pmfile i~
t. t'rodu..:t i~ p!;J.;eu in a scak:d chaml'l(."r about the width or" standurd ll.S. palkt !lOt negatively impat:ted. The irrnJililion will completely penctrate packaging materials
(.j() x 42 in). The chamber may ... ary in k,ngth and height, hut it is critical thnt it so that they can be processed withoulthe need oropening a package.
1\ot be too wide. The major concern with irradiatilln centcrs upon the fear ofeOllsumer a(ti ... isl
2. A \,<I":UUI11 is pulled within the chanlbcr. groups, both domestic and international. that nOI enough dnla hns been gathered to
3. "l'he..:h.1111hcr is heated to bring the temperature up to 110·120 I:. dl.. terrnine the long term effects of eoting rood products which have been irradiated or
4. I tumidit)' is introduced. ([t slllluld he IlOteJ thatlhe .. ombinatioll oflle,lt and which contain ingr ..x licnts tl101t have b<..~n imld~1ted. For this reason. the usc of irradiation
humidity are essential to activnte the microorgani~ms within the sllice.) or spices and ~asl)t1i[lgs has been Nmn .. d in scveral foreign countries. Some U.S. I{)od
5. I:.thylcllc oxide gas is introduced into the ch.'lmber. manufacturers ha ... e also made it a policy not to usc any ingredients which have been
6. Th..: spice is held in Ihe dl'lmber under Ihesc conditions fur a ~pcdlicd period irradiated. SteriGenics, the leading company offering irradiated spices is currently
uftime which is ,Iire .. tly relah. .d to the bulk density of the spice lind the level uf addrcs.~ing these cono;crns both to go\,emmental ageneics and to consumer groups.
ooctcr~"\1 reduction thai is d~ircd. The usc or steam to reduce the b.1eterial count in spices has been gaining
1. The gas is c)(pclk.xI rrom Ih,: chambcr and it is Ilushed scveral limes with air momentum due to the C"oneerns with the ~Ifet)' ofbolh gas and irradiation. Sleam is
prior to rcluming it to auno~pherie pressure. considered III bc a safe form orblleterial reduction throughout the workl. There arc IWO
S. The product is then ren ... J\·ed to a '-Iuarantine area until it is pro ...e n th.1t IMl melhods of steam bacteria reduction being olli:red in the U.S. today. One oftllcse is a
rc~itJtlal gas can be detected. wet method and the Oilier is a dry pwc .. ss.
'I'hcrc are scvcrnJ mClhods of ..... et Sleam systems for bacterial reduction available
TIl;S i~:1 pro"cn method for spices. . particularly with wlMl\e sp;"; .. ~ and sectls. Iln"" .. \" .. r. in the U.S. These include lhe MicroMaster proccs..~ ufoCd by McCormick. Fuchs Micro
the usc of gas for grourMl spices is eontro'-crsial today. Thi~ method is e'tp:lhlc of c<)ntfoJ and the Kikkom1.n continuous steam process. These systems use eitner closed
r..:dllcing Ihc bacterial load by 31 least I x I 0'. nit' proecss may be repeated if the initial chambers or continuous fced systemS. The key to all orthe:'\C systems is the ability to
re~ull docs IMlt llleCI customer requirements. Using ethylenc oxide gas doc~ rC\jui ..· a penetrate the whole spices or Sl.'Cds with wet steam at II temperature of 100 C or great .. r
luner time period than irradialion (If steal11 .. wilh a lYl'ical process requiring any«hcre for a ~pcei1kJ period ortime. The bulk density is another critical factor v.hkh helps
Ir01;1 12 to 18 hours. l'roduclivity is il,nucnced by the Si7,C and amount uf eham[:.,:rs determine till: flow rate. moisture piek.up and e ...e ntually the cost per pound.
:l\"3ibblc. nle cost pcr pound of spice trellted is based upon volun. . trcated, bull.. densit), A l'(lnsistent cOllecn! with tho:: wet steam process is the anility to properly dry the
ami iength ofli1ne Te(luirl'd to obtain the desired b.1cterial reduction. ~I'iee during with OIM; I'as~ or treatmcnt after ~teri1i7ation. It may bei;ome ncces.o;.ary to
Irwdiation h;ls become a popular method of rcUueing b:leteria in spkes anJ re.dry lhe product at a II>\\cr temperalure 10 achieve the desired moisture le,·els. TIle
s,~asoT1in~s since its introduction in the early 1980's, lIcc,lrding to the personnel at overaU .. "sls for using wet steam 11\.11ch those nfusing gas.
SkriGeJ1ics ill Schaumberg, 1L. Throl.l~h the controlled release ofCob:llt 60, ~piCC5 P:1SS The usc or dry steam (superheated) is the lotesl stl'<lmlechnology being used for
through a hetun or gamma energy that dcstroys b.1cteria. The amount of energy is clilled ~rin"s lind seasonings. The cquipmentlo produce spices by this method was recently
the radiatioll absorbed dose !IIKI is nleasureo in fads (I rad = 100 ergs/g). Most ~pi .. es arc installed by SpiceTec Ltd. in their plant in Carol Stream. II.. [t is the first usc of this
tre .. ted at a Icvcl of 1.0 • 1.5 ntds which is less than 50% of the rate allowed by Ihe Food method in thc United Slales. The process tlow for thi~ system is described below.
and Drug Administratiun (FDA). TIM; gamma process requires (onlf()1 of only o11C
I. Continuous precle:med product is drupped through <In airlock into a closed
1).'lf'U1lCter and that is time of exposure. SleriGeni(s literature lK)tes thnl their process is
chamber that contains a shaking bed.
klh,11lH spoi~lge mlol! pathogenic microorganisms in spices. The following Sleps describe
the SteriGcnies method for usc of irradiation to reduce bacterin in spkes.