The final volume of this three-volume sequence completes the coverage of the main herbs and spices used in food processing.

Part One covers ways of improving the safety of herbs and spices. There are chapters on detecting and controlling mycotoxin contamination, controlling pesticide and other residues, the use of irradiation and other techniques to decontaminate herbs and spices, packaging and storage, QA and HACCP systems.

Part Two reviews the potential health benefits of herbs and spices with chapters discussing their role in preventing chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease and promoting gut health.

Part Three comprises chapters on twenty individual herbs and spices, covering such topics as chemical composition, cultivation and quality issues, processing, functional benefits and uses in food.

Handbook of Herbs and Spices is a standard reference for R&D and QA staff using herbs and spices in their food products.

Contents

Part 1: Improving the safety of herbs and spices

Detecting and controlling mycotoxin contamination of herbs and spices

• Naturally occurring mycotoxins in herbs and spices
• Mycobiota of spices and herbs and possible mycotoxin production
• Detecting mycotoxins in herbs and spices
• Preventing and controlling mycotoxin contamination

Controlling pesticide and other residues in herbs and spices

• The regulation of pesticide residues
• Analytical methods for detecting pesticide residues
• Control of pesticide residues in herbs and spices
• Integrated pest management and organic production

Irradiation to decontaminate herbs and spices

• Quality considerations
• Application of ionizing radiation
• Nutritional and safety aspects
• International approval
• SPS application to boost international trade
• Detection of irradiated spices and herbs

Other decontamination techniques for herbs and spices

• Preventive measures against contamination
• Organic production
• GAP, GMP, ISO 9000 and HACCP
• Decontamination techniques
• Sterilization of Herbs and Spices
• Detoxification

Packaging and storage of herbs and spices

• Consumer trends driving innovation
• Herb and spice product formats and packaging techniques
• Essential oils
• Oleoresins
• Storage requirements for fresh and dried herbs and spices
• Types of packaging materials
• Printing
• Microbiological safety of herbs and spices
• New packaging material used in herbs and spices

QA and HACCP systems in herb and spice production

• HACCP planning for herb and spice production
• Plant identification practice

Part 2: Herbs and spices as functional ingredients and flavourings

The range of medicinal herbs and spices

• The role of medicinal herbs and spices
• Major constituents and therapeutic uses of medicinal herbs and spices

Herbs, spices and cardiovascular disease

• Chemical composition of herbs and spices
• Herbs, spices and cardiovascular disease
• Measurement of antioxidants
• Complex mixtures versus single compounds

Herbs, spices and cancer

• What is Cancer? Cancer therapy in modern medicine
• Complimentary and alternative medicines (CAM)
• Mechanism of action of herbs and spices
• Evidence supporting the functional benefits of herbs and spices
• Botany of some important herbs in cancer therapy

Herbs, spices and gut health

• Herbs and spices as digestive stimulants
• The effects of herbs and spices on enteric bacterial pathogens
• Herbs and spices as growth promoters in animal studies
• Anti-inflammatory activity
• Effect on gut-immunity
• Adverse effects

Volatiles from herbs and spices

• Classification of volatiles
• Biosyntheses of the components of volatile oils
• Volatiles and plant sources

Part 3 Particular herbs and spices

Asafetida

• World trade
• Chemical constituents
• Extraction
• Processing
• Quality issues
• Main uses

Capers and Caperberries

• Brief description
• Chemical composition
• Cultivation and production
• Uses in food processing
• Functional and health benefits
• Quality issues and future trends

Carambola

• Description - Origin and distribution - Cultivars and Varieties - Climate - Propagation - Planting - Soils, water and nutrients - Pests and diseases - Harvesting and yield - Quality issues - Food uses - Food value - Medicinal uses

Caraway

• Cultivation - Chemical structure - Main uses in food processing - Functional properties - Toxicity - Quality specifications

Cayenne/American pepper

• The genus Capsicum - Pod types and quality breeding goals - Uses in food processing - Cultivation

Celeriac

• escription
• Production

Celery

• Cultivation
• Post-harvest handling
• Cultivars
• Chemical structure
• Main uses in food processing
• Functional properties
• Quality specifications

Chives

• Chemical composition and nutritional value
• Cultivation and production
• Varieties

Galanga

• Cultivation and production
• Tissue culture studies
• Functional properties
• Chemistry
• Uses K rotunda

Galangal

• Production
• Molecular pharmacology
• Functional properties
• Alpinia officinarum Hance (Lesser galangal, Chinese ginger)
• Alpinia calcarata (Lesser galangal)

Leek and Shallot

• Leek: Introduction
• Cultivation and production
• Uses in food industry/processing
• Functional properties
• Quality issues
• Shallot
• Cultivation and production
• Uses in food industry/processing
• Quality issues

Lemon balm

• Chemical composition
• Cultivation and production
• Main uses
• Functional/health benefits
• Quality issues

Lemongrass

• Species and varieties
• Origin and distribution
• Cultivation and processing
• Physiology and Biochemistry
• Chemical composition
• Uses in food processing
• Functional properties
• Quality issues

Long pepper

• Chemical composition of long pepper
• Uses
• Cultivation
• Quality specifications
• Biotechnology

Lovage

• Chemical composition
• Cultivation and production
• Use in food
• Functional/health benefits

Padan Wangi

• Cultivation, production and processing
• Chemical structure
• Uses in food
• Functional properties

Peppermint

• Description
• Cultivation and production
• Chemical composition
• Commercial uses
• Quality issues

Perilla

• Crop production and management
• Chemical composition
• Biotechnological approaches
• Functional properties and pharmacological studies

Potato onion (Multiplier onion)

• Chemical composition and uses
• Production
• Uses in food processing
• Medicinal properties
• Toxicity

Spearmint

• Chemical composition, biosynthesis and genetics of the essential oil
• Cultivation and production
• Diseases, pests and their control
• Food uses
• Medicinal uses
• Functional benefits
• Quality issues

Index

See also: Handbook of Herbs and Spices Volume 1
See also: Handbook of Herbs and Spices Volume 2

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