ICAR Research Data Repository for Knowledge Management

Spices are important agricultural commodities throughout the world due to their high unit price. This is particularly true for India which produces about 2.5 million tonnes (valued at 3 billion US$) of spices, processes, markets in domestic sector and exports them to various countries to earn a handsome foreign exchange. India's share in the world trade amounts to 46% of the total in quantity (about 30% in monitory terms) (Anon, 2001a). It is, therefore, necessary to give due attention to this commodity with particular reference to quality and value addition. The objective of the present research is thus to examine the advantages of cryogenic grinding of black pepper in particular, and comprises of following main areas:
a) Determination of engineering properties of black pepper seeds
b) Studies on the ambient grinding characteristics of black pepper
c) Studies on the cryogenic size reduction (or grinding) of black pepper at both laboratory and pilot scales, and comparing it with ambient grinding technique with particular reference to quality of product and grinding characteristics.