The use of spices in Indian cuisine is not just limited to adding flavor to the food, but also to promote good health. India is known for its rich variety of spices that are used in different forms like whole, powdered, or as a paste. However, the process of grinding spices has been a tedious and time-consuming task, leading to the loss of essential oils and nutrients. But with the advent of Cryogenic Grinding, this process has been revolutionized, making it faster, more efficient, and better for the overall quality of spices.
Cryogenic grinding is the process of using liquid nitrogen to freeze raw spices, which are then ground into a fine powder. The use of liquid nitrogen in this process reduces the temperature of the spices to -196 degrees Celsius, instantly freezing them. This technique not only ensures the retention of essential oils and nutrients but also improves the quality of the spices, making them more aromatic, flavorful, and colorful.
One of the leading companies that have revolutionized the spice industry with Cryogenic grinding is Hathi Masala. This company has launched the world’s largest spices Cryogenic Grinding Unit in 2012 at an investment of 4.5 Crore rupees, which has significantly improved the taste profile of spices, increased their shelf life, and reduced the loss of essential oils during the pulverizing process. Hathi Masala provides chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, Garam masala, processed with Cryogenic grinding at no extra cost to its customers.
The technology used by Hathi Masala involves submerging raw spices such as chillies in liquid nitrogen, freezing them instantly, and then pulverizing them. This process significantly reduces the heat generated during grinding, resulting in a finer particle size, more aroma, higher natural oil content, and no burning of spices. This technology was developed indigenously by Sagar Dubal, making it a make-in-India initiative. To put things in perspective, with the use of this technology, there is retention of natural oil by 27%, reduction of particle size by 14% and reduction of energy by margin of 8%.
Today, Hathi Masala has seven Cryogenic mill lines with a total output of 60,000 kgs/day, while also having traditional mill lines with a capacity of 60,000 kgs/day, making it one of the largest manufacturers and processors of spices. This technology has not only benefited Hathi Masala but has also been shared with other OEMs for free of cost, leading to more than 20 factories using Cryogenic technology. This has significantly improved the quality of spices produced, making them more flavorful and aromatic, while also saving electricity and improving taste.
Hathi Masala has not only been active in the domestic market but has also made a significant impact on the global market, exporting to over 50 countries. They supply spices to snack food industries such as Parle namkeen, Balaji Wafers, Real Namkeen, Gopal Snacks, Haldirams foods, and many more.
With the use of Cryogenic grinding, Hathi Masala has improved the quality of spices used in snacks, making them more flavorful, colorful, and aromatic, leading to higher consumer satisfaction.
The Cryogenic grinding technology used by Hathi Masala has not only benefited the company but has also had a positive impact on the environment. The use of liquid nitrogen reduces the emission of greenhouse gases, making it an eco-friendly process. The use of Cryogenic grinding has also significantly reduced the wastage of spices, leading to lower costs and whose benefits are passed on to customers.
In conclusion, Cryogenic grinding by Hathi Masala has revolutionized the spice industry, making it faster, more efficient, and better for the overall quality of spices. Hathi Masala has played a significant role in this revolution, developing and sharing this technology with other OEMs, leading to higher quality spices produced in India. The use of Cryogenic grinding has also had a positive impact on the environment, making it an eco-friendly process.
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