King of spices in cold plasma immersion – a potential microbial decontamination technology

Abstract

Sri Lanka is home to the king of spices – Pepper and also Sri Lanka earned its historical moniker as the “Spice Island” due to its geographical advantage, boasting a tropical climate that enhances the flavors of its spices, making them prized in the global market. Annual black pepper production in 2020 was 23,970 MT. Exports of black pepper valued 49.18 US$ Million in 2020 hold a significant share of the spice export market in Sri Lanka [1]. Other competitive black pepper producers are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam [2]. Fig.1 (a and b) shows the black pepper cultivation areas in Sri Lanka and the major export destinations. Black pepper seeds, rich in piperine and essential oils, are valued for their pungency and health benefits. The composition of volatile oils and piperine content depends on maturity, with Sri Lankan black pepper containing 8.6 ml/100g and 11.5 ml/100g at 22.5 weeks of maturity [3].