Archive
herbs-spices-processing
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What is coriander essential oil used for?
Distilled from the seed, it goes into flavour houses, fragrance, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. The seed type determines whether distillation is…
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How should dried herbs be stored for export?
Cool, dry, dark and sealed. Humidity is the controlling variable, light is the underestimated one, and the liner is quality-critical rather than…
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How are dried herbs graded?
On four axes at once: cut size, colour, leaf-to-stem ratio and volatile oil. Trade grade names are conventions, so the specification has…
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What is steam sterilisation for spices?
A short, controlled exposure to saturated steam that reduces the microbial load, followed by immediate re-drying. It is the mainstream EU alternative…
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Irradiation Rules for Spices in the EU: What Is Permitted and What Must Be Declared
Dried spices carry a microbiological load from the field. What Directive 1999/2/EC permits for irradiation, what must be declared and the options.
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Irradiated vs Non-Irradiated Spices: The Decision and What It Costs
Dried herbs and spices are the only category the EU permits to be irradiated, and most European retail specifications exclude it anyway.…
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What is essential oil content in dried herbs?
The volatile aromatic fraction, measured by hydrodistillation and reported in millilitres per 100 g on a dry basis. It is what the…