CINNAMON - THE real TASTE OF SRI LANKAN SPICE W.D.L. GUNARATNE DEPARTRMENT OF EXPORT AGRICULTURE, PERADENIYA, SRI LANKA

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1 CINNAMON - THE real TASTE OF SRI LANKAN SPICE W.D.L. GUNARATNE DEPARTRMENT OF EXPORT AGRICULTURE, PERADENIYA, SRI LANKA

2 Cinnamon in Spice is the Inner Bark of perennial tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume Origin in Central Hill country of Sri Lanka Commercially well established in Southern Coastal belt and Western and South Western districts of Sri Lanka. Prefers more Humid and Sunny weather with deep red soil However, a hardy crop tolerate shallow, eroded soils even acidic in nature

3 Origin of Cinnamon

4 Cinnamon A Spice used for food flavoring Directly in food preparation as Ground cinnamon Either Oil, Oleoresin or some other Extract of cinnamon as a food flavoring in chocolates, biscuits, cakes and other confectionaries as well as tea, cocoa and liqueurs As a medicine in traditional therapies As a food preservative Pharmaceutical or Fragrance ingredient

5 There are two types of Cinnamon in Trade Cinnamon & Cassia In world spice trade Cinnamon seems to be the 3 rd most important next to Pepper & Vanilla. Within the broad name Cinnamon there is more than one product Ceylon Cinnamon is the True Cinnamon derived from Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Syn C. verum) and Sri Lanka is the major producer with intrinsic qualities as well as identical form of Quill Cassia also commonly known as Cinnamon but differ from True Cinnamon. Cassia is derived from either C. aromaticum, C. brumanii or C. loureiroi produced in China, Indonesia and Vietnam

6 Ceylon Cinnamon - Cassia cinnamon

7 Ceylon Cinnamon Soft in Texture, easily broken Soft & Sweet Aromatic flavor Light Brown in colour Soft in appearance Number of folders/layers in quill Native to Sri Lanka Low Cinnamaldehyde Coumarine content 0.004% Generally safe Cassia Cinnamon Hard texture not easily broken Pungent and very Spicy flavor Dark Brown or Reddish in colour Rough in Appearance One inward folded, empty cavity Native to China, Indonesia, Vietnam High Cinnamaldehyde Coumarine content 5% Toxic in prolonged use

8 Chemical composition of Cinnamon Cinnamaldehyde - the major component in all cinnamon Cinnamyl alcohol Cinnamic acid Cinnamyl acetate Euginol Coumarin Coumarin Reported to be toxic to human; Hepatotoxicity, Liver and Kidney damage (WHO 1995) Carcinogenic (Carcinomas of liver and bile ducts) Coumarin first found with Tonka beans but associated with many other fruits, vegetable and herbal products but In human diets, Cinnamon (not the true cinnamon) is the main source (Lungarini et al. 2008)

9 The difference between Cassia and Cinnamon is established in Europe but not much in USA and Canada Maximum permitable level of Coumarin in food stuff in Europe is 2mg kg -1 (EEC, 1998). New toxicological data propose TDI is 0.64mgkg -1 body weight no health hazards After having evidence that carcinogenicity of coumarin is nongenotoxic, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established the Tolerable Daily Intake(TDI) as 0.1mg kg -1 body weight in Susceptibility of human for coumarin-induced Hepatotoxicity is reported to be more common (Abraham et al. 2010) Use of coumarin to treat edemas, renal cell carcinoma and other tumors, has been banned in Australia and France after those reports. Lungarini et al. proposed that there is no relation between Cinnamaldehyde & Coumarin contents in Cinnamon; Tonka beans or bean extract has been listed as prohibited substances because of coumarin in US but not the Cassia. The most reason study by Wang et al.(2013) reported that all the Cassia samples collected has very high levels of coumarin >2.14mgkg -1 while Ceylon cinnamon contains <0.01mgkg -1 Cinnamon flavored snacks were found to contain 0.05 to 2.4 mg coumarin per serving.

10 How to Distinguish Cinnamon from cassia In case of ground cinnamon, it is very difficult to distinguish between the two, especially at sniffing spices. However, in case of sticks, it is easier to differentiate between the two. Most bottled or packaged ground cinnamon does not mention its type or origin. Therefore, difficult to ascertain its type and origin or the country or plant. The best is to identify the sticks and make sure that you are buying the True Cinnamon. Once you get the real thing, use your blender to crush it to powder.

11 The Largest Cinnamon tree found in Sri Lanka Over 400 years old. More than 20meter in height About 85cm in diameter L

12 Well established canopy - Minimum soil erosion and Environmental hazards, Add organic matter & Enhance soil biological activities

13 Leaves left for drying after Harvest of Stems for Bark

14 Nursery of Cinnamon

15 A healthy cinnamon crop

16 Young Generation in Processing of bark

17 Tools used for pealing cinnamon bark over centuries It makes identical quill of Ceylon Cinnamon

18 Scrapping outer bark Rubbing to lose the inner bark Loosen the bark Removing the bark

19 Connecting bark to make Quills and rolling to get the shape

20 Air drying on racks & dried quills

21 Bales of Cinnamon Fine grade & Rough grade 21

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23 Cut Cinnamon; a Value Added form

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25 Cinnamon value added products Cut cinnamon Cinnamon chips Cinnamon quelling Bark oil Leaf oil Cinnamon soft drink Cinnamon toffee Cinnamon Biscuits Cinnamon tablets Cinnamon flavored tea/chocolates/ cakes/liquor

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28 Best Wishes for a Better Future