Spice extracts

United States Imports of Spices and Oleoresins. The consumption of spices has continued to increase in the United States into 1993 (7). The demand for ethnic foods, and the trend toward less salt, glycerides, and fat, has stimulated more spice and condiment use. The United States consumes approximately 25% of the spices produced in the world. In 1993, imports accounted for about 65% of U.S. seasoning needs compared to 80% in the early 1980s. In 1991 approximately 50% by value of U.S. imported spices entered New York, the principal port of entry around 1983 more than 75% was imported through this port. The volume of spices and oleoresins (spice extracts) into the United States has been increasing steadily, but the value of imports has varied because of specific shortages and large price variations (Table 1). 

The FDA has pubhshed methods for the deterrnination of residual solvents in spice extracts such as oleoresins and has limited the concentrations of those specific solvents that are permitted. Chlorinated hydrocarbons and benzene have been almost completely removed from use as extracting solvents in the United States their use continues overseas where toxicity regulations are less stringent. The presence of pesticides or herbicides in spices is rigidly controHed by the FDA. 

Plumb GW, Chambers SJ, Lambert N, Bartolome B, Heaney RK, Wangatunga S, Aruoma OI, Halhwell B and Wilhamson G. 1996b. Antioxidant actions of fruit, herb and spice extracts. JFood Lipids 3 171-178. 

Synthetic analogues or derivatives of a-tocopherol which have better antioxidant properties can be introduced. Many natural antioxidants such as flavonols, flavones, tea leaf catechins, rosemary antioxidants and spice extracts have been reported to be more active than BHA, BHT or the tocopherols in model systems. The food applications of these compounds need to be explored further. 

Shan B, Cai YZ, Sun M, Corke H. (2005) Antioxidant capacity of 26 spice extracts and characterization of their phenolic constituents. J Agric Food Chem53 7749-7759. 

Thyagaraja, N., and A. Hosono. Effect of spice extract on fungal inhibition. Food Sci Technol (London) 1996 29(3) 286-288. 

Most of the industrially applied separation processes use precipitation by means of reduced solvent power by changing the pressure/temperature in one or more steps. In most cases, as for the production of oleoresins from spices, or the extraction of hops, a single-step separation is sufficient. Double- or triple-step separations are applied for spice extraction, in case enrichment of pungency, colour or essential oils are desired - as, for example, with pepper, with precipitation of piperin, the pungent substance of the pepper, in the first step, and essential oil in the second step. 

Figure 9.6-5. shows the spice extraction plant at NOVO AGRITECH near Hyderabad, India (archives NATEX)... 

Asai et al. (1999) determined that phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH) are key products for oxidative injury in membranous phospholipid layers in the plasma, red blood cells (RBC), and liver of mice. The formation and accumulation of PLOOH have been confirmed in several cellular disorders, various diseases, and in aging. A lower PLOOH level was found in RBC of the spice-extract-fed mice (65 to 74% of the nonsupplemented control mice). The liver lipid peroxidizability induced with Fe2+/ascorbic acid was effectively suppressed in mice by dietary supplementation with the turmeric and capsicum extracts. Although no difference in the plasma lipids was observed, the liver triacylglycerol concentration of the turmeric-extract-fed mice was markedly reduced to half of the level in the control mice. These findings suggest that these spice extracts could act antioxidatively in vivo by food supplementation, and that the turmeric extract has the ability to prevent the deposition of triacylglycerols in the liver. 

Amerine et ah, 1980). Vermouths are typically classified as sweet (Italian) or dry (French). In the Italian version, the alcohol content can vary from 15% to 17%, with 12-15% sugar. French versions have 18% alcohol with 4% reducing sugar. Dry vermouth contains less herb and spice extract than the sweeter vermouth—about 3.74-5.62 mL/L for dry, and 5.62-7.49 mL/L for sweet (Amerine et al., 1980 Panesar et ah, 2010). 

Brandy is added to raise the alcohol content of vermouth to a specified limit. The base wine, brandy, spice extract, and sugar syrup are combined according to a proprietary formula appropriate for each type of vermouth. For Italian vermouths, extracts are prepared by soaking the herbs and spices (7-11 g/L) in highly rectified alcohol ( 85%). For a darker color, after flavoring, caramel may be added. In French vermouth, fewer herbs and spices are used. The spice mixture of (4-8 g/L) is typically infused for flavor development, to avoid the uptake of undesirable herbaceous flavors. 

Joshi and Sandhu (2000) have described the production of an apple vermouth with different ethanol concentrations (12%, 15%, and 18%), sugar contents (4% and 8%), and spice extracts (2.5% and 5.0%). These variables significantly influence their respective sensory qualities. Spices extract levels did not, however, affect TSS (°Brix), titratable acidity, color,... 

Increased alcohol concentrations augment the aldehyde, ester, phenol contents, TSS but decrease acidity and Vitamin C content. Addition of the herb/spice extract increased total phenols, aldehyde, and ester content of the vermouth. Sensory evaluation showed the sweet products were... 

The composition of wild apricot vermouth of different musts as influenced by the addition of spices extract is shown in Table 8.11. 

Sensory quality is important to the final acceptance of any product. In case of vermouth, the type and quantity of the spices and herbs are particularly central to its sensory attributes. Nonetheless, alcohol and other constituents are also critical. For example, plum-based vermouths were considered optimal at 15% alcohol (Joshi et al, 1991), and apple-based vermouths preferred at 5% alcohol, 4% sugar, and 2.5% spices extract (Joshi and Sandhu, 2000). 

Joshi, V. K. and Sandhu, D. K. (2000). Influence of ethanol concentration, addition of spices extract, and level of sweetness on physico-chemical characteristics and sensory quality of apple vermouth. Braz. Arch. Biol. Technol. 43, 537-545. 

The novel canned food product comprises beef, liver, pork, dried milk, melange, buckwheat flour or com flour, vegetable oil, soya isolate, Jerusalem artichoke, laminaria, Caroline, curative and prophylactic salt, bone powder, spice extracts, fohc acid, ascorbic acid, and water, in predetermined ratios. 

Mandeel, Q., Hassan, A. and Isa, Z. (2003) Antibacterial activity of certain spice extracts, journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops 12,146-1 53. 

Krishnakumar and Gordon (1996) estimated that the Western European market for feed/food antioxidant in 1995/1996 was split into approximately 50% synthetic antioxidants and 50% natural antioxidants, including vitamin C types, vitamin E types, carotenoids and spice extracts. The current legal status of herb extracts and other plant extracts is that of ingredients, but it can be assumed that extracts used as antioxidants are likely to be legislated as additives in the future. 

Aeschbach, R. and Philippossian, G. 1989. Preparation of a spice extract having antioxidant action. European Patent Application. EP 0 307 626 A 1. 

Liu, Z.-H. and Nakano, H. 1996. Antibacterial activity of spice extracts against food-related bacteria. J. Facul. Appl. Biol. Sci., Hiroshima Univ. 35 181-190. 

Usage The fresh, rarely the dried herb is used for seasoning cucumbers, vinegar, salads and for producing spice extracts. 

Usage Apart from the oleoresin, for spice extracts. 

The natural spice extracts from rosemary and sage are not regulated as antioxidants. However, they are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), approved as spice extracts and they have to be declared as such. 

Liqueurs are alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of approx. 15-20% by vol. and a sugar content of at least 10 g/100 ml and which can be flavoured with fruits, spices, extracts and other flavouring materials. 

Cartx>hydrates cereals, vegetable extracts, fruits, sugar Fats or fatty acids fat of animal or vegetable origin Other ingredients herbs, spices, extracts thereof... 

A wide range of flavouring substances is used in powdery or pasty convenience foods. Reaction flavours based on hydrolysed plant proteins, natural flavours, artificial flavours and meat, vegetable, yeast and spice extracts are added to the products to generate the desired flavour profile. The most common savoury flavour types used for dehydrated convenience foods are chicken, beef and vegetable flavours. However various other flavour types are used while formulating dehydrated convenience foods. Amongst them are mutton, crawfish, fish, wine and various spice and herb flavours. 

The Katz patent states that about 15% of the coffee beans in the extractor are discharged and admitted during a semicontinuous pulse. To provide an estimate of the scale of the process we here calculate the amount of coffee beans moved during a pulse. The vessel is 70 ft tall X 7 ft diameter this equates to an internal volume of about 2500 ft. Coffee beans have a density of about 40 Ib/ft, so the extraction vessel holds about 100,000 lb of coffee beans. A 15% replenishment is a rate of 15,0001b per pulse, and the pulse happens about every 30 to 60 min—this is not laboratory scale operation. There are still many other hops extraction, coffee decaffeination, and spice extraction plants throughout the United States and Europe several of them operate at 30 to 60 million Ib/yr throughput, further exemplifying that SCF extraction is not just a laboratory curiosity. 

The industrial research efforts on coffee decaffeination, spice extraction, and flavors concentration are, to a great extent, shrouded by the cloak of proprietary security, but the investigations of the use of supercritical fluids to treat various waste streams is reasonably well publicized. Most familiar, perhaps, is the supercritical waste water detoxification process developed by Modar Inc. This is potentially attractive for detoxifying refractory chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin, and other toxic materials (Anon., 1982 Modell, 1982). In the Modar process, the toxic chemicals are homogeneously reacted with oxygen in supercritical water, the solvent for the organics and the oxygen. The main feature of the process is a chemical reaction discussed in more detail in chapter 11. 

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