When producing spices for export compliance with various legal requirements and specifications on food safety, hygiene, traceability and control are essential. Due to continuing problems with high levels of pesticides, preservatives, aflatoxins and food additives, as well as salmonella contamination, it is likely that controls within the spice industry will become stricter in the future.

Production processes for making spices

Gentle drying or dehydration methods, like infrared drying or microwave vacuum drying, are used to reduce moisture content and ensure shelf life, while maintaining aromas, volatile oils, and color. Classification, cutting, and grinding processes are challenged by temperature changes, wear and explosion risks. Cryogenic spice grinding techniques with nitrogen or conditioned air help to minimize loss of essential oils while grinding at sub zero temperatures. Spice mixes and blends require gentle mixing and homogenization to create dust-free, uniform, free flowing batches but also blend up liquids such as oils, fat and other extracts.

Filling, dosing and spice packaging technology

Powder characteristics such as particle density, flowability, dustiness and segregation tendency will determine the type of dosing and filling systems suitable for your product. Whole spices such as the seeds from cardamom and coriander can easily be ground into fine powders using automated grinding machines. Uniformity of a final blend or mixture is needed to guarantee the ingredient ratio. Whether you would like to pack your spices into small stick-packs, stand up pouches, containers or jars, it’s important to find a technology that matches your production process and scale.