Spice is a general term for various plant-based materials used to add fragrance and flavor to all kinds of foods. There are currently over 3,600 known species of spice plants in nature and approximately 400 are effectively utilized, with about 150 varieties being the main trading spices in the world spice market. In 1997, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) confirmed and standardized 110 varieties of spices, and 68 varieties were included in China's national standards (GB/T127291 Spice and Seasoning Names).

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since the primitive era of mankind. The oracle bones already recorded the phrase "Yong Qi Wine," and the document of Ancient Egypt's Papyrus Ebers from 2000 BCE-1500 BCE discovered in the Pyramid of Egypt also records the use of "myrrh" - a resinous fragrant tree in daily life. In the Book of Songs in ancient China, there is a passage "Fragrant in its utmost healing," and a poem "With two kinds of fragrant plants." It can be seen that our country has also been using a large amount of spices thousands of years ago.

Spices can be divided into two categories: natural and synthetic spices, depending on their raw materials or production methods. According to their taste characteristics, natural spices are further divided into concentrated, spicy, and light types in the National Standard "GB/T 21725-2017 Classification of Natural Spices."

The classification of spice application fields.

1. Food Industry

Spices are widely used in the food industry, with Sichuan pepper, fennel, ginger, chili pepper, star anise, clove and other seasonings being the main ingredients of traditional Chinese cuisine. The use of spices can be said to be ubiquitous, playing an important role in flavoring and seasoning in beverages, dairy products, brewing products, fast food, and more.

2. Daily Necessities Industry

Aromatic components in natural spices are the main chemical components and basic raw materials of various modern cosmetics, such as perfumes, soaps, shampoos, and shower gels with different fragrances. They are also important raw materials for deodorants, odor-correction agents, and fragrance-fixing agents, with skin moisturizing and beautifying effects. Animal-based natural spices applied to cosmetic products can have excellent nursing and therapeutic effects. The volatile essential oils or aromatic components extracted from plants are the main sources of plant-based natural spices. These volatile essential oils can release fragrance, enhance the scent, and have pleasant aromas, making them the main materials of fragrance in cosmetics, with multiple effects of antibacterial, antiviral, detoxifying, refreshing the mind, improving brain function, and antioxidation.

3. Medical Field

Volatile essential oil components and non-volatile alkaloids such as tannins and flavonoids in natural spices have special medicinal effects in cosmetics. Long-term use also has various medical benefits, including disease prevention, disease elimination, antifungal, spot removal, and anti-aging for the skin.

Common Standards for Spices

There are many types of spices, making national control more challenging. With the increasing strictness in food safety control in recent years, the country has successively introduced and revised multiple general standards for spices, including general technical specifications for spice condiments, classification of natural spices, and green food spices and their products.

In addition, the country has established professional testing standards for the main components and parameters of spices, specifying methods for determining volatile oil content, moisture content, ash content, piperine, curcumin, capsaicin, and more. For example:

The development of China's spice industry is moving towards standardization and specialization. With the improvement in people's living standards and the increasing emphasis on dietary diversity and culture, there has been a year-on-year growth in both domestic and international markets for spices. Particularly, post-pandemic, the spice market in China has started to recover, showing robust demand, which provides ample room for the rapid development of the Chinese spice industry.

References:

- GB/T 21725-2017 "Classification of Natural Spices"

- "Flavorings and Fragrances in Food Technology"

- Shi Yanling. Overview and Development Trends of Spice Applications in China. China Condiment, 1997(06):2-4.

- Cao Lin, Qin Lixia, Kang Shizhao, et al. A Review of Common Detection Methods for Flavorings and Fragrances. Guangzhou Chemical Industry, 2017, 45(21):17-20.

- Wang Dan, Xie Xiaoli, Hu Xuan, et al. Current Applications of Natural Fragrances in Cosmetics. Modern Advances in Biomedicine, 2013, 13(31):6189-6193. DOI:10.13241/j.cnki.pmb.2013.31.004.

- Li Chunyan, Feng Aiguo. Application and Research Progress of Edible Natural Flavors. Agricultural Engineering, 2014, 4(03):55-57.

- Cai Yunsheng. Application of Flavors and Fragrances in Food. Cold Beverages and Frozen Food Industry, 2000(03):26-29.

- Sun Lingxia, Zhao Gaiming, Gao Xiaoping. Functional Characteristics of Edible Flavorings and Fragrances and Their Application in the Food Industry. Meat Research, 2010, No.139(09):65-68.