Food Processing - November 2007 - (Page 25)

Hooked on if you can stand the heat, you just may hang around the kitchen a little longer. that’s the message coming out of the research into the benefits of our favorite spices. By Mark Anthony, Ph.D., Technical Editor Spicy iS in. not merely aS a way to tickle the palate or define an ethnic cuisine, or even to preserve food (an original motivation for spicing). increasingly, we are learning that the instinct to “kick it up a notch” is a healthy one. But first things first: what exactly is a spice? traditionally, spices are defined as the dried seeds, fruits, roots, pieces of bark or other vegetable substances used in nutritionally insignificant quantities to flavor and preserve food and to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria. they are distinguished from herbs, which are leafy green plant parts used for flavoring, and from salt, which is a mineral. humans have a historic relationship with spice that can be traced to the ancient civilizations of the indian subcontinent and Southeast asia. we find mention of spice traders in the book of Genesis, the Song of Solomon and the hindu epic of ramayana. By about 4,000 years ago, the trade of cinnamon and pepper burgeoned throughout the middle east. During the middle ages, spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and pepper were considered luxurious commodities. and when Venice demanded too much money for spices, Vasco de Gamma sailed to india to open spice routes for Spain and portugal. even christopher columbus got his investors excited about the prospect of spices from the new world – which he “discovered” while looking for a new spice route to india. Back then, we spiced for taste, food preservation (many spices possess antimicrobial effects stronger than pharmawww.foodprocessing.com ceutical antibiotics) and a medicinal value which was steeped in tradition. today, there are additional motivational forces driving us to continue the spice trade. they include a wealth of studies showing how spices weigh in on the major health concerns of the day. in fact, the health potential of spices is so great some spice companies are sponsoring their own research programs. “many spices are known for their antioxidant properties, especially in the test tube,” says Guy Johnson, executive director of the mccormick Scientific institute. the institute, a separate entity from mccormick & co. (www.mccormickflavor.com), hunt Valley, md., both sponsors research and communicates the benefits of herbs and spices to the public. “we are interested in the practical application of that health potential. what are the specific compounds? what is their bioavailability? what is the effect of processing? Do different spices act synergistically to increase the antioxidant effect?” Spicing up health a study reported last summer in the British Journal of Nutrition showed regular consumption of chili pepper (30g/day; 55 percent cayenne) increased the resistance of serum lipoproteins to oxidation in healthy human volunteers. this confirmed in vitro studies showing extracts of capsaicin (the active ingredient in peppers) protect lDl cholesterol and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) from oxidation. oxidized lDls are a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease. noVemBer 2007 food processing • 25 http://www.mccormickflavor.com http://WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM

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Food Processing - November 2007 Contents Editor's Page NewsBites Regulatory Rollout Food Biz Kids Our Favorite Products of 2007 Ingredients Product Development Plant Operations Packaging New Product Profiles Toops Scoops

Food Processing - November 2007

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