2.6 Cleaning
Cleaning the spice prior to packaging and sale, is to ensure that the spice is of the highest quality and will obtain the highest price. Cleaning should remove all the foreign matter that lowers the quality and endangers the sale. Sieves, grading tables, flotation tanks and screens can all be used to ensure that the quality standards are met and an even line of high quality spice is obtained.
Processed plant materials should be packaged as quickly as possible to prevent deterioration of the product and as a protection against exposure to pest attacks and other sources of contamination. Continuous in-process quality control measures should be implemented to eliminate substandard materials, contaminants and foreign matter prior to and during the final stages of packaging. Processed plant materials should be packaged in clean, dry boxes, sacks, bags or other containers in accordance with standard operating procedures and national and/or regional regulations of the producer and the end-user countries. Materials used for packaging should be non-polluting, clean, dry and in undamaged condition and should conform to the quality requirements for the plant materials concerned. Fragile plant materials should be packaged in rigid containers. Whenever possible, the packaging used should be agreed upon between supplier and buyer. Reusable packaging material such as jute sacks and mesh bags should be well cleaned (disinfected) and thoroughly dried prior to reuse, so as to avoid contamination by previous contents. All packaging materials should be stored in a clean and dry place that is free from pests and inaccessible to livestock, domestic animals and other sources of contamination.
A label affixed to the packaging should clearly detail the product name of the spice, the plant name, the place of production, the harvest date and the names of the grower and the processor, and quantitative information. The label should also contain information indicating quality approval and comply with other national and/or regional labeling requirements. The label should bear a number that clearly identifies the production batch. Additional information about the production and quality of the plant materials may be added in a separate certificate, which is clearly linked to the package carrying the same batch number. Records should be kept of batch packaging, and should include the product name, place of origin, batch number, weight, assignment number and date. The records should be retained for a period of three years or as required by national and/or regional authorities .
(modified from the WHO guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants).
The International Trade Centre ( UNCTAD/WTO) has produced a packaging manual (1999) for dried herbs and spices (ISBN 92-9137 -114-9) and this reviews products and relevant packaging standards; explains various types of packaging methods and packaging materials used for handling and st orage of such products; outlines current trends and highlights health, safety and environmental issues affecting spice packaging ( www.intracen.org ) . There is continuing development with packaging materials and an example is CTMP (Chemi- Thermo- Mechanical Pulp) board which is aluminium- free but has aroma –barrier properties. There is also an increasing usage of irradiation by importing countries to sterilize herbs and spices and this requires special packaging by the exporting countries or processors . The American Society for Testing and Materials has a standard guide ( F 1640 – 03) for packaging materials for foods to be irradiated and a standard guide (F1885-04 ) for irradiation of dried spices, herbs, and vegetable seasonings to contro l pathogens and other organisms (see www.astm.org ). The International Atomic Energy Agency also lists packaging approved in the USA as well as in the UK , for the packaging and irradiat ion of food ( www.iaea.org /icgfi/packaging-dat-usa.pdf or www.iaea.org/icgfi/packaging-dat -uk.pdf ). Some specific packaging requirements for major spice crops are detailed below.
2.7.1 Packaging for Seeds and fruits
Vanilla, f or most of the world trade, has grades of whole and split beans which are subdivided according to length into various sizes between 12 and 2 6cm and then put into bundles, each containing 70-100 beans and weighing between 150-200g. These are packed into wax- lined cardboard boxes that hold 20-40 bundles. Beans remaining from the grading and sorting , such as short or broken beans, are bulked together and loosely packed into boxes. Cardamom, when dried, needs to be kept in polypropylene double lined polythene bags to ensure the flavour components are retained and to prevent re-adsorption of moisture, mould growth and reduce insect pests . A sealing machine with a timer wi ll aid efficient bagging. Cloves when b agged should be stored in cool, clean dry buildings. Sound, properly dried cloves are relatively free from storage pests. Clove oils should be stored in full, airtight containers, and remain sealed until required. Bulk oil is usually transported in 200 litre metal drums. Nutmeg & mace is graded according to size, and the bigger the mace, the better the premium. After drying , the nutmeg seeds are put into bags and transported to the processing factory for kernel separation and grading . After grading , nutmeg mace can be classified is , bagged , labeled and can be fumigated pri or to export . Nutmegs are usua lly packed in double-layered linen, jute, sisal or wo ven bags. If other packaging is used, care should be tak en to avoid materials that might lead to sweating and mould development. Mace follows a similar process but there is a need for three months curing before bagging and fu migation and top quality mace is packaged in plastic bags. Chillis ( Capsicums, Chilli peppers and Paprika) that have been dried should bestored in airtight containers away from sunlight as air and light accelerates the rate of bleaching. Chillies should be stored in polyethylene bags or packs and can be stored for a year in a cool, dry and dark place.
