Herbs and spices have played an important role in our nutrition for centuries. They are making a noticeable come back, with the US contemplating making them a part of the food pyramid. Hamid Faridi, the vice president of research and development at McCormick and Company, recently discussed why herbs and spices are a super food.
In his presentation, Faridi, discussed three major areas influencing this refocus. ‘Spices and herbs could become the next multi vitamins’, he says.
South Africa has the perfect climate for all sorts of herbs to grow prolifically’ says David Horn a horticulturist from the Eastern Cape, who specialises in growing and researching SA indigenous herbs and spices. ‘We are not culturally unaware of the benefits they have on health solutions’, he goes onto say. While spices and herbs have long been praised for their culinary value, their healing values have always outshone them in the past. ‘And we need look no further than our own back garden’ says Horn. ‘Africans have used herbs and spices in alternative medicine for hundreds of years’ he says.
According to Faridi, globalisation, health and wellbeing, and spices and science are the three trends boosting everyone’s interest in what he has called the ‘Spice Renaissance’. Consumer research done in America in 2007 demonstrated that when choosing products, the ingredients included far outweigh the flavour. This further stresses how consumers have become more aware of what they put into their trolleys, and then ultimately into their bodies. Faridi said in his presentation that ‘Spices and herbs in ancient civilisations and biblical times were considered the super food’. If it says ‘super’ on the label, it’s more likely to be sold.
With this in mind McCormick continues to research the benefits of adding herbs and spices too food. Faridi made reference to an article published in February 2004 in Time magazine, the ‘Secret Killer’. This, inflammation, has become a target of health investigation due to its various links to heart attacks, cancer and even Alzheimers.
Faridi predicts that chronic inflammation (and the means to avoid it) will become the focus of wellness initiatives in 2010. At the McCormick Science Institute in America research into the link between different inflammatory biomarkers as a way to support well being is underway. Some of the biomarkers include Interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), and Nuclear Factor-kB (NFkB).
Further studies done at the institute, with animals and in vitro, have shown that sage, black cumin, cinnamon, and capsaicin can suppress or reduce various biomarkers of inflammation. It is quoted on the website that: ‘In humans, some experimental studies have shown that ginger and turmeric inhibit the inflammatory process.’
Mintel 2008 new product trend predictions indicated that ‘products that complement a simpler, purer and more natural way of life are number 1 on the list’. Faridi sees herbs and spices becoming the perfect food additive. Consumers, as we know, are far more label conscious than before and number 2 on Mintel’s list was that ‘junk-free foods sporting clean and transparent labels free of additives, preservatives, colours and flavours or otherwise unknown ingredients’ are becoming more popular.
Herbs and spices are naturally flavourful unlike many additives, therefore disguising bad tastes will be unnecessary. ‘Consumer’s demand for flavour has driven up spice use per capita about 300% since 1966,’ Faridi pointed out in his talk. He demonstrated that populations that consume foods rich in specific polyphenols (such as ginger) maintain greater well being. ‘I cannot over-emphasise the nutritious values of ginger,garlic and chillies,’ says Horn.
Nutrition is playing more of a role in anti aging. ‘In 2006,42% of adults over the age of 50 used herbal supplements’, says Faridi. He went onto to say that, ‘We now know that spices and herbs rank at the top of the list as sources of antioxidants in food’. Horn says, ‘We have always had the ability to self medicate with what’s growing in our gardens, but knowing that specific research is being done to enhance the reputation of everyday spice on our racks gives me hope’.
According to an article in New Nutrition Business ‘Many products target consumers who have a need for a product that has effective technology. These products sell in low volumes at premium prices, but over time they move down eventually becoming mass-market products. Few functional foods have yet to make this transition, and many companies deliberately target the lifestyle area as a way of creating a defensible niche and maintaining premium prices.’ The spice trade is centuries old, and a new market need not be targeted. They are an already tried and tested product, and with the boost of research McCormick supports, herbs and spices will indeed reach super food status.
