Grading and value added products


Grading
    Grading
    • Dried ginger is marketed on the basis of geographical origin and the form of preparation.
    • The chemical and physical characteristics of the spice differ from one producing region to another.
    • Indian dried ginger is classified as Malabar ginger, Assamese ginger and Himachal ginger. But the two types of the spice which are in great demand in the world market are Cochin and Calicut ginger, which come under the Malabar ginger type.
    • The bulk of our exports are of rough-scraPed, whole rhizomes. Sometimes, coated ginger is also exported. Bleached or limed Calicut ginger is mainly exported to the Middle Eastern countries.
    • Cochin dried ginger is about 20 mm long and has a light brown to yellowish-gray colour, whereas, Calicut dried ginger is orange to reddish-brown in colour and is generally considered to be inferior in quality to the Cochin spice.
    • Both types are graded prior to export into the following categories, according to the number of fingers on the rhizomes—B (three fingers), C (two fingers) and pieces (individual finger).
    The grades of whole ginger and the specification are given in the table below.

    Grade

    Specification

    Size of Rhizome

    Calicut (NGK)

    Garbled (distorted), non-bleached

    Not less than 20mm in size

    Calicut (NUGK)

    Ungarbled, non-bleached

    Small, cut pieces, <20mm in length

    Cochin (NGC)
    NUGC

    Garbled, non-bleached
    Ungarbled, non-bleached

    Not less than 20 mm in length Small, cut pieces, not less than 20 mm in length

    BGC
    Cochin (BUGC)

    Garbled, non-bleached
    Ungarbled, bleached

    Not less than 20 mm in length
    Small, cut pieces of less than 20 mm in length

    • The technical and physical specifications of ginger as prescribed by ASTA-(1) and FADA mould (% by weight) are: (1) insect defiled (% by weight) (2) volatile oil (%) (min.) 2; moisture (% max.) 12; ash (% max.) 5, acid-insoluble ash (% max.) 1.0; average bulk index (mg/100 g) N/A.
    Value-added products
    • Ginger oil, oleoresin, candy, preserves, vitaminised effervescent ginger powder, plain effervescent powder, starch from spent ginger, ginger brandy, wine, beer, medicinal beverages, encapsulated ginger oil, and delydrated ginger are some of the value-added products of ginger.

Last modified: Sunday, 11 March 2012, 5:13 AM