Quality Herbs and Spices from Leading Dehydrated Products Manufacturers

by Kompass India General Manager

Dehydrating the food products is one of the best ways to preserve them and make sure they retain the essential components. As such drying of foods is an art and calls for technological skills too in the use of the right equipments, drying temperature and time. Whether it is herbs or spices, they need to be processed to retain a certain amount of moisture; not more or less. Dehydrated products manufacturers ensure each specific herb and spice is processed the right way.

Doing it right preserves food. The amount of moisture is reduced to a level where bacteria and other living organisms cannot thrive and thus spoil foods. The process also slows down enzymatic reactions within the article and thus prevents deterioration of the qualities. Drying could be carried out in different ways. One way to do this is to place the item to be dried in a heated chamber that helps vaporize moisture slowly without cooking the item. Another way is to pass dry air over the product. Dry air absorbs moisture and slowly dehydrates the food item. Yet another process is to the use of vacuum drying and freeze drying, used in highly perishable food items. Some use steam drying that also sterilizes the food item. Which process to use depends on the costs involved, the end result desired and the specific material. Herbs and spices are usually dried in the sun, by air drying or a combination of both to help them retain their specific properties. When done right the products will maintain their properties and will not spoil for years.

Dehydrated products manufacturers offer:

Herbs and aromatic medicinal plants such as parsley, mustard, dill, chamomile, chillies, capers and chives
Spices such as bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, fennel, cloves, dried ginger, cinnamon, mustard seeds, pepper and turmeric either in whole form or in powder form.

When you are looking to buy such items in bulk you would look for a supplier who is reliable and can deliver the required materials in time and at the right prices. Reputed manufacturers and suppliers are usually registered with Spices Board, with APEDA and may even have Star Export House recognition. A typical quality conscious manufacturer would use a high tech plant, excellent drying facilities, metal detection and removal and sterilization as part of the process.

Quality is another important factor in addition to quantity. Whether it is herbs or spices, they need to conform to standards and must pass tests for physical and microbiological norms. Some quality producers may go as far as testing for active aromatic essential oil content and for flavonoid content to ensure consistency from one batch to the other. Expect your suppliers to have in-house labs to test for physical, microbiological and chemical parameters of each product. If you ask for a specific product test before placing an order any reputed dehydrated product manufacturer would be happy to give you a complete analysis. Buy from them and you have peace of mind knowing that you get products with the same specifications from one batch to the next.