FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for preparation of green chilli powder. The
present invention provides green chilli powder with improved shelf life and enhanced
retention of quality attributes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Chilli peppers are fruits of plants from the genus Capsicum, which belongs to the
Solanaceae family. Numerous varieties of chilli peppers are cultivated throughout the
world: Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum
pubescens, and Capsicum frutescens, being among the well known varieties of chilli
peppers used for food. The chillies are known for their characteristic flavour ranging
from mild and sweet to fiery. Some active alkaloid compounds such as capsaicin and
several related chemicals, collectively known as capsaicinoids are present in chilli
peppers. Capsaicinoids are responsible for the intensity and strong spicy pungent taste
of chilli peppers. Chilli peppers contain numerous plant derived chemical compounds
known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. Studies on
mammals have demonstrated several beneficial properties of capsaicin such as antibacterial,
anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic, and also in reduction of cholesterol
levels in obese individuals. Further, chilli peppers are a rich source of vitamin C which
is a water-soluble antioxidant. Consumption of food rich in vitamin C helps in
development of immunity against infectious diseases and protection of body from
harmful effects of free radicals. Chilli peppers are also known to have good levels of
other antioxidants like vitamin A, and certain flavonoids. Additionally, chilli peppers
are a good source of vitamin B-complex, which is required by the body through external
sources for its replenishment. Chilli peppers also contain a good amount of minerals
like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.
3
Chilli peppers are available year round in fresh, dried, and powdered form. The shelf
life of green chilli is only 2 to 3 days at room temperature. However, the shelf life of
chilli peppers can be extended with steeping preservation and hurdle concept to about
25 to 30 days. Chilli powder is one of the most extensively used form of chillies in the
food industry. The powdered form of chilli pepper has a tendency to lose its green
colour and pungent taste upon storage over a period of time. However, drying
technology can appreciably increase the shelf life of chilli powder for 10 to 12 months
at room temperature with better green colour, retention of vitamin C and pungency.
Preparation of green chilli powder has previously been attempted by using a method
involving pretreatment and drying of green chillies (Take Ajaykumar et al., 2012, ISCA
Journal of Engineering Sciences, 1: 71-74). The pretreatment of the chillies was carried
out by soaking the chillies in a solution of ascorbic acid, sodium metabisulphite and
calcium chloride after blanching in hot water. The chillies were subsequently dried and
ground to produce chilli powder. The incorporation of ascorbic acid for blanching
increased the cost of producing the green chilli powder. Studies describing specific
conditions of time and temperature of blanching treatments for inactivation of enzymes
have not been reported (Take Ajaykumar et al., 2012, ISCA Journal of Engineering
Sciences, 1: 71-74). Further, blanching treatments known in the prior art do not teach
the use of additives which can be used to prevent significant loss of vitamin C and green
colour of the chilli powder during its preparation.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an efficient method for producing green chilli
powder without significant losses of vitamin C, capsaicin content and green colour. The
present invention provides a cost effective method for producing green chilli powder
with enhanced retention of vitamin C, green colour and capsaicin content.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparation of green chilli
powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by treating the pieces
of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by dipping in potassium
4
metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces; osmotically diffusing the
blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to obtain osmotically diffused
green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green chilli pieces in dryer to obtain
dried green chilli pieces; and grinding the dried green chilli pieces to obtain green chilli
powder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Those skilled in the art will be aware that the invention described herein is subject to
variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be
understood that the invention described herein includes all such variations and
modifications. The invention also includes all such steps, features, compositions and
compounds referred to or indicated in this specification, individually or collectively,
and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.
Definitions
For convenience, before further description of the present invention, certain terms
employed in the specification, examples and appended claims are collected here. These
definitions should be read in light of the remainder of the disclosure and understood as
by a person of skill in the art. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific
terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of
ordinary skill in the art.
The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are used to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at
least one) of the grammatical object of the article.
The terms “comprise” and “comprising” are used in the inclusive, open sense, meaning
that additional elements may be included. It is not intended to be construed as “consists
of only”.
Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise the word
“comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, will be understood to
5
imply the inclusion of a stated element or step or group of element or steps but not the
exclusion of any other element or step or group of element or steps.
The term “including” is used to mean “including but not limited to”. “Including” and
“including but not limited to” are used interchangeably.
The term “blanching” refers to the process of food preparation wherein the food
substance is treated with hot water or steam for a brief period and finally plunged into
iced water or placed under running water to halt the cooking process. Blanching causes
inactivation of enzymes which otherwise might cause quality deterioration, particularly
of flavour, during processing and storage of food substance.
The term “osmotic diffusion” and “osmotically diffusing” are used interchangeably and
are used to denote the process of spontaneous movement of particles from an area of
higher concentration to an area of low concentration through a semi-permeable
membrane.
The term “drying” refers to the process of removing moisture or other solvent by
evaporation from a solid, semi-solid, or liquid substance. Foodstuffs can be dried in the
sun, in an oven, or in a food dehydrator by using the right combination of warm
temperatures, low humidity, and air current.
The term “grinding” refers to the process of crushing, pulverizing, or reducing to
powder of any substance by friction. The term “grinding” and “ground” are used
interchangeably.
The term “antioxidant” refers to a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other
molecules.
The term “shelf life” refers to a recommended period of time for which products such as
foods, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, or any other perishable item can be
stored, during which they are considered suitable for sale, consumption, or use.
The term “ascorbic acid” and “vitamin C” are used interchangeably in the present
specification.
6
The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments
described herein, which are intended for the purposes of exemplification only.
Functionally-equivalent products, compositions, and methods are clearly within the
scope of the invention, as described herein.
The present invention provides a method for preparation of green chilli powder, said
method comprising blanching pieces of green chilli by treating them with a blanching
solution, osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in a solution, drying and
grinding the osmotically diffused green chilli pieces to obtain green chilli powder. The
blanching treatment of green chilli pieces in magnesium carbonate solution followed by
dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution resulted in enhanced retention of vitamin
C, chlorophyll and capsaicin content in the green chilli powder. The method provides
for an economical, efficient, and industrially useful method for preparation of green
chilli powder that is capable of retaining antioxidants, pungency, and green colour in
the green chilli powder.
During the blanching process of green chilli pieces for preparation of green chilli
powder, the inventors surprisingly found that the use of additives: magnesium carbonate
and potassium metabisulphite during blanching treatment resulted in retention of 50%
to 52% vitamin C (ascorbic acid), 94% to 96% chlorophyll content, and 65% to 70%
capsaicin content in the blanched green chilli pieces. The blanching treatment of green
chilli pieces was carried out by treating with 0.4% to 0.75% (w/v) magnesium carbonate
at 100°C for 4 minutes to 8 minutes followed by dipping in 0.5% to 0.8% (w/v)
potassium metabisulphite solution at a temperature of 5°C for 8 minutes to 12 minutes.
However, blanching treatment of the green chilli pieces in distilled water at 100°C for
18 minutes without the use of additives could retain only 25% to 30% vitamin C
(ascorbic acid), 82% to 86% chlorophyll content, and 40% to 45% capsaicin content in
the blanched green chilli pieces. Thus, the blanching treatment involving the use of
additives could retain more amount of vitamin C, chlorophyll and capsaicin contents in
the blanched green chilli pieces. Therefore the green chilli powder produced from the
7
method of the present specification showed enhanced levels of antioxidants (vitamin C),
green colour (chlorophyll), and pungency (capsaicin).
The present invention provides a method for preparation of green chilli powder,
wherein the method comprises blanching pieces of green chilli by treating the pieces of
green chilli with 0.4% to 0.75% (w/v) magnesium carbonate solution at a temperature
ranging from 95°C to 100°C for 4 minutes to 8 minutes followed by dipping in 0.5% to
0.8% (w/v) potassium metabisulphite solution at a temperature lying in the range of 5°C
to 10°C for 8 minutes to 12 minutes to obtain blanched green chilli pieces. The ratio of
weight of green chilli pieces to volume of blanching solution (i.e. magnesium carbonate
solution) was 1:2 (w/v). The blanched green chilli pieces were osmotically diffused in
1% to 3% (w/v) sodium chloride solution at a temperature lying in the range of 45°C to
60°C for 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours to obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces. The
osmotically diffused green chilli pieces were dried in a tray dryer at a temperature in the
range of 40°C to 60°C for 8 hours to 12 hours to reduce the final moisture to 2%. The
dried green chilli pieces were ground in blender and sieved with 15 to 20 mesh size and
were packed, sealed in polypropylene pouches, and stored at room temperature (26°C to
32°C). The green chilli powder was acceptable even after storage for 10 months at room
temperature. The green chilli powder demonstrated retention of 35% to 38% vitamin C
(ascorbic acid) and 90% to 92% chlorophyll. The capsaicin content (in percentage) in
the green chilli powder was found to be 0.64% to 0.66%. 100g of green chilli contains
95 mg to 100 mg of vitamin C and 100g of green chilli powder prepared by the method
disclosed in the present specification retained 35 mg to 38 mg of vitamin C.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, wherein the method comprises blanching pieces of
green chilli in 0.5% (w/v) magnesium carbonate solution at 100°C for 5 minutes
followed by dipping in 0.75% (w/v) potassium metabisulphite solution at 5°C for 10
minutes. The blanched green chilli pieces were osmotically diffused in 2% (w/v)
sodium chloride solution at 50°C for 2 hours. Further, the osmotically diffused green
8
chilli pieces were dried in tray dryer at 55°C for 10 hours, ground in blender and sieved
to obtain green chilli powder. The green chilli powder was packed in polypropylene
pouches and stored at ambient temperature of 26°C to 32°C. The green chilli powder is
found to be acceptable after storage for upto 10 months at ambient temperature of 26°C
to 32°C. The green chilli powder demonstrated retention of 35% to 38% vitamin C
(ascorbic acid) and 90% to 92% chlorophyll. The capsaicin content (in percentage) in
the green chilli powder was found to be 0.64% to 0.66%. 100g of green chilli contains
95 mg to 100 mg of vitamin C and 100g of green chilli powder prepared by the method
disclosed in the present specification retained 35 mg to 38 mg of vitamin C.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparation of green
chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by treating the
pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by dipping in
potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces; osmotically
diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to obtain
osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green chilli
pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green chilli
pieces to obtain the green chilli powder.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparation
of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by
treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by
dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the green chilli powder is rich in
antioxidant.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
9
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the green chilli powder is rich in
ascorbic acid.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein concentration of the magnesium
carbonate solution is in the range of 0.4% to 0.75% (w/v).
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparation of
green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by treating
the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by dipping in
potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces; osmotically
diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to obtain
osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green chilli
pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green chilli
pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein concentration of the magnesium
carbonate solution is 0.5% (w/v).
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
10
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein treating pieces of green chilli
with magnesium carbonate solution is carried out at a temperature ranging from 95°C to
100°C for 4 minutes to 8 minutes.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein treating pieces of green chilli
with magnesium carbonate solution is carried out at 100°C for 5 minutes.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein concentration of the potassium
metabisulphite solution is in the range of 0.5% to 0.8% (w/v).
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
11
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein concentration of the potassium
metabisulphite solution is 0.75% (w/v).
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparation
of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by
treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by
dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the dipping in potassium
metabisulphite solution is carried out at a temperature ranging from 5°C to 10°C for 8
minutes to 12 minutes.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparation of
green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by treating
the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by dipping in
potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces; osmotically
diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to obtain
osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green chilli
pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green chilli
pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the dipping in potassium
metabisulphite solution is carried out at 5°C for 10 minutes.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
12
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein concentration of the sodium
chloride solution is in the range of 1% to 3% (w/v).
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein concentration of the sodium
chloride solution is 2% (w/v).
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparation
of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green chilli by
treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed by
dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the osmotic diffusion of
blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution is carried out at a temperature
ranging from 45°C to 60°C for 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
13
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the osmotic diffusion of
blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution is carried out at 50°C for 2
hours.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the drying of osmotically
diffused green chilli pieces is carried out at a temperature ranging from 40°C to 60°C
for 8 hours to 10 hours.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for
preparation of green chilli powder, the method comprising: blanching pieces of green
chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with magnesium carbonate solution followed
by dipping in potassium metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
osmotically diffusing the blanched green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to
obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green
chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green chilli pieces and grinding the dried green
chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder, wherein the drying of osmotically
diffused green chilli pieces is carried out at 55°C for 10 hours.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a green chilli powder
prepared by: blanching pieces of green chilli by treating the pieces of green chilli with
14
magnesium carbonate solution followed by dipping in potassium metabisulphite
solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces; osmotically diffusing the blanched green
chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution to obtain osmotically diffused green chilli
pieces; drying the osmotically diffused green chilli pieces in dryer to obtain dried green
chilli pieces and grinding the dried green chilli pieces to obtain the green chilli powder.
A person having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention can
also be performed with some modifications and variations. As such, the spirit and scope
of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred
embodiment contained therein.
EXAMPLES
The disclosure will now be illustrated with working examples, which is intended to
illustrate the working of disclosure and not intended to take restrictively to imply any
limitations on the scope of the present disclosure. Unless defined otherwise, all
technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly
understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although
methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the
practice of the disclosed methods and compositions, the exemplary methods, devices
and materials are described herein.
Example 1
Preparation of green chilli powder
Sample Preparation
Green chillies were sorted to separate spoilt and unhealthy chillies from the healthy and
fresh chillies. The fresh green chillies were weighed to a weight of 120 kilogram (kg)
and used for preparation of green chilli powder. The quantity of green chilli powder
obtained from 120 kg of fresh green chillies was 10 kg. Table 1 represents the quantity
of ingredients requires for making 10 kg of green chilli powder. A person of ordinary
15
skill in the art will appreciate that the quantity of the ingredients can be appropriately
varied depending on the amount of chilli powder required.
The stalk portion of green chillies was manually removed and the green chillies were
cleaned by washing in potable water. The green chillies were subsequently cut into
pieces of 1 cm each.
Blanching and osmotic diffusion of green chilli pieces
The blanching treatment was carried out by using magnesium carbonate (MgCO3)
solution and potassium metabisulphite (KMS) solution. The aqueous MgCO3 solution
was prepared by dissolving 1.2 kg of MgCO3 in 240 litres (L) of potable water. The
aqueous KMS solution was prepared by dissolving 1.8 kg of KMS in 240 L of potable
water. The blanching treatment was carried out by treating the green chilli pieces with
240 L of aqueous MgCO3 solution at 100oC for 5 minutes followed by dipping into
240 L of aqueous KMS solution at 5°C for 10 minutes and blanched green chilli pieces
were obtained.
The blanched green chilli pieces were osmotically diffused by using an aqueous
solution of sodium chloride (NaCl), prepared by dissolving 4.8 kg of NaCl in 240 L of
potable water. The blanched green chilli pieces were osmotically diffused in 240 L of
aqueous sodium chloride solution at 50oC for 2 hrs and osmotically diffused green chilli
pieces were obtained.
Drying and grinding
The osmotically diffused green pieces were dried in a tray drier at 55oC for 10 hours to
reduce the final moisture content to less than 2% and dehydrated green chilli pieces
were obtained. The dehydrated green chilli pieces were ground in blender and sieved
with 15 mesh size.
The green chilli powder obtained was packed and sealed in polypropylene pouches. The
green chilli powder was observed to be acceptable for upto 10 months at room
temperature (25oC). The green chilli powder demonstrated retention of 35% to 38%
16
vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and 90% to 92% chlorophyll. The capsaicin content (in
percentage) in the green chilli powder was found to be 0.64% to 0.66%. 100g of green
chilli contains 95 mg to 100 mg of vitamin C and 100g of green chilli powder prepared
by the method disclosed in the present specification retained 35 mg to 38 mg of vitamin
C.
Table 1: Quantity of ingredients required for making 10 kg of green chilli powder

Ingredient Quantity
Green chilli 120 kg
Potable Water 720 L
Magnesium carbonate 1.2 kg
Potassium metabisulphite 1.8 kg
Sodium chloride 4.8 kg

I/We claim:
1. A method for preparation of green chilli powder, said method comprising:
a) blanching pieces of green chilli by treating said pieces of green chilli
with magnesium carbonate solution followed by dipping in potassium
metabisulphite solution to obtain blanched green chilli pieces;
b) osmotically diffusing said blanched green chilli pieces in sodium
chloride solution to obtain osmotically diffused green chilli pieces;
c) drying said osmotically diffused green chilli pieces in dryer to obtain
dried green chilli pieces;
d) grinding said dried green chilli pieces to obtain said green chilli powder.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said green chilli powder is rich in
antioxidant.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said antioxidant is ascorbic acid.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein concentration of said magnesium
carbonate solution is in the range of 0.4% to 0.75% (w/v).
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein concentration of said magnesium
carbonate solution is 0.5% (w/v).
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said treating pieces of green chilli
with magnesium carbonate solution is carried out at a temperature ranging from
95°C to 100°C for 4 minutes to 8 minutes.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said treating pieces of green chilli
with magnesium carbonate solution is carried out at 100°C for 5 minutes.
18
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein concentration of said potassium
metabisulphite solution is in the range of 0.5% to 0.8% (w/v).
9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein concentration of said potassium
metabisulphite solution is 0.75% (w/v).
10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dipping in potassium
metabisulphite solution is carried out at a temperature ranging from 5°C to 10°C
for 8 minutes to 12 minutes.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said dipping in potassium
metabisulphite solution is carried out at 5°C for 10 minutes.
12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein concentration of said sodium
chloride solution is in the range of 1% to 3% (w/v).
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein concentration of said sodium
chloride solution is 2% (w/v).
14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said osmotic diffusion of blanched
green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution is carried out at a temperature
ranging from 45°C to 60°C for 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said osmotic diffusion of blanched
green chilli pieces in sodium chloride solution is carried out at 50°C for 2 hours.
16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drying of osmotically diffused
green chilli pieces is carried out at a temperature ranging from 40°C to 60°C for
8 hours to 10 hours.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said drying of osmotically diffused
green chilli pieces is carried out at 55°C for 10 hours.
19
18. A green chilli powder prepared according to the method as claimed in claim 1.
Dated 26th Day of March 2013
MALATHI LAKSHMIKUMARAN
IN/PA-1433
Agent for the Applicant
To,
The Controller of Patents
The Patent Office at New Delhi