Moisture And Humidity Control in Spice and Seasoning

Spices and seasonings are indispensable and used in various delicacies, soups, stews, etc. to enhance the aroma and flavour of the meals. Recently, the global seasoning and spices market is seeing a surge in demand due to an increase in disposable income. In addition to this, ready- to-use spices are also witnessing a remarkable demand among the working population for ease of convenience and consumption. Other than meal preparation, spices are also used for preservation, for skincare treatment, and for their medicinal value.

Effects of Uncontrolled Humidity

The most common spices are oregano, basil, coriander, mint, ginger, cardamom, clove and usually, they are dried and powdered for further usage. These dried and powdered spices being highly hygroscopic absorb moisture from the surrounding air when humidity is high and become sticky. In the packaging process, the sticky powder clogs the filling systems and affects the free flow in packaging process. The damp powder also sticks to the wrapping paper slowing the process and creating hygiene problems. It also decreases the shelf life of the product.

In addition to the packaging issues, the hidden moisture can impact its core properties like aroma, colour, flavour. When spices like cardamom, cinnamon, chilies are not dried properly due to presence of moisture, they lose its aroma, colour and flavour. Inadequately dried cardamom causes mould, making it unfit for processing and longer storage. Even leaves of cinnamon possess a substantial amount of volatile aroma which are lost if the leaves are dried at recommended temperature. Moreover, moisture can lead to microbial growth, which reduces it shelf life.

Some of the common problems that the spice manufacturers and traders face are:

Change in chemical properties like colour, aroma, and flavour
* Loss of freshness
* Slow drying process
* Uneven drying
* High wastage
* Becomes sticky
* Free flow in filling systems
* Short shelf life