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Spices
and condiments are a major commercial crop in
India, and earns foreign exchange worth Rs. 3620
million annually, yet books on spices and
condiments relevant to the Indian context are few
and far between. There is no single compedium which deals with all aspects and facts of spices
and condiments which may meet the requirements of
all those handling them at various stages, from
harvesting to their end-use. Manual of Indian
Spices takes care of all these needs.
Usually spices and condiments have been projected
as good culinary aids. However, their role as
drugs in medicine (Ayurvedic, Unani, Allopathy as
well as Homoeopathy) has not been projected
authentically. This manual has, for the first
time, collated details about their adoption as
drugs by major pharmacopoeias of the world.
An analysis of spices and condiments did appear as
a section in Mr. Mahindru's earlier book "
Handbook of Food Analysis " (1987). In the
present Manual this topic has been expanded also
estimation of pesticides' and insecticides'
residues on spice crops as well as determination
of toxic heavy metals like lead, copper, Zinc,
mercury, arsenic and tin.
Various physiochemical constants under Agmark and
P.F.A. Act of whole and ground spices and
condiments have been condensed for ready
comparison and reference.
Food adulteration cases, the major decisions
directly related to spices and condiments, have
been meticulously culled out from several law
journals to be of direct help to average vendors,
manufactures and others.
Up-to-date area and production figures, crop wise,
have been adduced so also export statistics
projecting different important angles of export
marketing.
Oleoresins, their characteristics and quality
control parameters, have been elaborated so as to
assist in their handling for marketing purpose.
In short, this manual fulfills the needs of
producers, processors, quality controllers, and
exporters by providing comprehensive Information
on Indian Spices and Condiments hitherto scarcely reported in a ready-reference manner.
This
Comprehensive Manual of Indian Spices has been
prepared by S.N. Mahindru after a careful review of
literature on essential subjects directly or
indirectly related to spices. It is difficult to
get such an assorted and exhaustive information in
a single compilation. I am sure that Manual of
Indian spices will soon become popular among all
those concerned with spices : their production,
usage, quality control, trade and export."
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