IFEATWORLD December 2022

CIT-22-xxxxx-08-IFEAT_PrintAd_001.pdf 1 8/10/22 2:11 PM
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FROM THE IFEAT
2022 VANCOUVER
CONFERENCE CHAIR
WORLD 3
The IFEAT 2022 Vancouver
Conference was a wonderful success!
Trepidation for the organisers and
Executive Committee was quickly
dispelled after a few weeks once
registration was opened. Not having
had a Conference with in-person
meetings for three years was
challenging. It was fantastic for all
that were able to attend; to feel some
normalcy, having been confined due
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
926 delegates attended Vancouver
along with 36 accompanying
persons. We enjoyed 557 companies
representing 59 countries.
During the opening, we were
welcomed and blessed by the
Indigenous First Nations Peoples.
The Westin Bayshore venue did not
disappoint. Situated on the English
Bay with the magnificent North Shore
Mountains in the background, coupled
with the weather being perfect,
we simply could not have asked
Vancouver for any more hospitality!
Initial feedback regarding the
speaking presentations has been
great. The opening by Minter
Dial was energetic, uplifting, and
informative…. do you know your
north? Kim Bleimann’s medal lecture
was jam-packed with so much
content underscoring the regulatory
challenges we face. Henry Gill gave
Vancouver’s final presentation which
was a fact-filled talk on many of
the market conditions our industry
is facing. If you missed any of the
presentations, remember these can
be viewed by all registered delegates
and revisited until 13th January
2023 on the Whova event platform,
and please do complete the post
Conference survey on the Whova
app because your responses provide
us with valuable information which
help us continue to improve future
Conferences and provide greater
benefit to our delegates.
During the conference, Dominque
Roques launched the English version
of his book entitled “In Search of
Perfumes.” A long queue for the
book was formed with each person
fortunate to receive a signed copy.
The closing banquet, sponsored
by Citrus and Allied, was very
well attended. Sami Ghawi of
FUSIONpresents made the event
memorable with a tremendous lineup
of DJ music and the organisation of
the band Phonix. From the moment
the music began the dance floor was
full of attendees dancing with great
enjoyment, finishing off what was a
great week of business meetings.
Many, many thanks to all the sponsors
along with the professional staff,
our DMC (Rare Indigo), the IFEAT
Vancouver Conference Committee
and a very special thank you to the
IFEAT Local Organising Committee
too. None of what we experienced and
enjoyed would have been possible
without everyone’s help.
For more details, be sure to read the
Vancouver Conference roundup in this
edition of IFEATWORLD.
Lastly, let me once again ask for
everyone’s attention concerning the
regulatory challenges our industry
faces. With this concern in mind,
please ask yourself, how can you
engage and work with your industry
and your industry associations to
mitigate the regulatory tsunami that
is approaching and will impact us, if
we do not act?
I look forward to seeing everyone in
Berlin in 2023!
Alan Brown
Chair of the IFEAT 2022
Vancouver Conference Committee
CONTENTS
Vancouver 4 - 10
Conference Roundup
Whova App Report 11
Pine Chemicals 2022 11
International Conference
New Chair and 12
1st Vice Chair for IFEAT
Two IFEAT Executive 12
Committee Retirements
Two New Directors Join 13
the Executive Committee
Socio-Economic Report 14 - 27
on Cardamom
IFEAT Panel of Experts 29
My Favourite: Lemon 30 - 33
Valuing Our ‘Scents’ 34
of Identity
IFEAT 2023 35
Berlin Conference
If you would like to contribute editorial,
or write a “My Favourite” article, please
contact the editor, Tina Hotchin,
by email at: tina.hotchin@ifeat.org

4
WORLD
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
VANCOUVER
CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
Three years of meticulous planning
in a period of great uncertainty
caused by the pandemic, finally
reached fruition in Vancouver, Canada,
from the 9th to 13th October 2022.
The considerable efforts made by
the IFEAT Vancouver Conference
Committee, chaired by Alan
Brown, and supported by the Local
Organising Committee and IFEAT’s
Secretariat were realised with IFEAT’s
second Conference in Canada,
following the Montreal Conference in
2008.
The Vancouver Conference proved
a great success, much welcomed by
delegates after such a long absence.
Because of the uncertainty and travel
disruptions created by the pandemic
it was agreed that this would be
IFEAT’s first hybrid Conference,
whereby delegates could participate
either online or in-person. Although
online participation was better than
nothing, everyone present agreed
that meeting up in-person was much
superior.
The “Pacific Reunion” Conference
was held at the Westin Bayshore
Hotel, which provided ample space
for meetings, networking, company
meeting rooms and suites, and a
flavour and fragrance (F&F) workshop,
which are such vital components of
IFEAT Conferences. In addition, the
two large ballrooms were excellent
locations for the extensive fourday
lecture programme, the trade
exhibition, and the IFEAT AGM and
Business Session. Moreover, in part
because of access to hybrid facilities,
the presentations were more diverse
than at previous Conferences and the
quality was facilitated by the excellent
video reproduction, sound system,
and viewing screens available. In
addition, there was a range of eating
places and buffet areas located
throughout the hotel enabling the
lunch and coffee breaks to operate
smoothly. Furthermore, the hotel was
in a stunning location overlooking
Coal Harbour Bay, with views over
the bay to the mountains and forests
beyond. On top of all of this, the
weather was unseasonal and near
perfect - clear blue skies throughout
the day, no rain and stunning sunrises
and sunsets – enabling delegates
to relax and breathe in the fresh
Vancouver air with an occasional
stroll along the quayside to nearby
restaurants and bars.
As mentioned in the editorial by Alan
Brown on page 3, 926 delegates
and 36 accompanying persons
attended from 557 companies over 59
countries. There were also 35 online
only attendees.
The traditional ice breaker Welcome
Reception on Sunday evening allowed
delegates to meet up for drinks and
canapés with old friends they hadn’t
seen for some time – and make
new ones. The Reception began
with members of the First Nations,
representing the Indigenous people of
Canada, welcoming delegates to their
land. The Elder gave a speech, after
which there was a traditional dance
performance.
ALAN BROWN
The Conference programme was
opened on Monday morning by the
Conference Chair Alan Brown who
explained the theme was the “Pacific
Reunion” and why the Conference
differed in several respects from
previous years. As mentioned earlier,
it was IFEAT’s first hybrid Conference,
and it was the first with a professional
Master of Ceremonies - Ralph
Cochrane. He did an excellent job of
introducing speakers, moderating
the Q&A sessions, and ensuring
the programme ran to time with no
hitches. In addition, the Whova app,
first used in Athens, had been greatly
improved and delegates were able to
use it for a wide range of functions,
e.g., obtaining detailed information on
the programme, delegates, exhibitors,
and various events. All the Conference
speakers’ presentations would be
available to registered delegates on
the Whova app until 13th January
2023. Moreover, in the week prior
to the opening of the Conference,

WORLD 5
there was a series of online speed
networking sessions that enabled
delegates to meet other delegates
before meeting up in person.
There were four days of presentations,
in the mornings and some online
sessions on two of the afternoons.
Also, having a hybrid Conference
enabled presentations to be
made and discussions to be held
with delegates not physically
present. During the four days – and
seven sessions - there were 20
presentations, not including the
IFEAT AGM and Business Session,
covering a wide range of topics on
essential oils and F&F markets, as
well as addressing current legislative
and scientific issues. Each of these
presentations would be worthy of
a separate article in IFEATWORLD.
Holding lectures during the threehour
morning sessions was popular
and attendance figures reflected this.
The afternoon sessions that were
only held online were streamed into
the lecture hall with delegates also
having the option to view on the
Whova platform.
MINTER DIAL
Following the Conference opening
there were three excellent and diverse
presentations by skilled presenters
each with excellent PowerPoint slides.
The first was a dynamic, stimulating,
and motivational 90-minute session
on Energy in Connection with
Minter Dial, a professional speaker.
He endeavoured to energise the
audience and discuss concrete and
actionable ways to strengthen both
individuals and their businesses –
particularly after the major anxieties
of recent years: the pandemic, war,
economic, and political issues. He
explained why energy is vital in a post
pandemic world; how to be positive;
and how to tap into your essence with
the 5Es – engagement, exchange,
emotion, experience, and essence
(linking to your “north”). The session
incorporated online polls through
the Whova app as well as small
discussion groups. Very different from
any previous presentation at an IFEAT
Conference and from the feedback
we received, very popular too!
ALAIN FRIX
The second was a thought-provoking
and wide-ranging lecture by Alain
Frix discussing F&F Feedstocks
& Renewability. He reviewed the
increasing competition for renewable
feedstocks, the impact of mergers
and acquisitions, and the excessive
regulatory environment. Each major
source of F&F raw material ingredients
was discussed and quantified:
petrochemicals, forest products,
essential oils, and biotechnology.
Severe concerns were expressed
regarding their low renewability and
future availability for the F&F sector.
Finally, Alain explained why there is
no perfect sustainability solution, with
petrochemical and natural ingredients
each having a different, but never
complete, sustainability profile.
MICHAEL FORD
The third presentation by Michael
Ford, a specialist in import/export
documentation and regulatory
compliance at BDP International,
was very topical, discussing the
Current Transportation and Trade
Challenges Impacting Shippers.
Factors disrupting the global supply
chains in 2021 and 2022 were
covered including port congestion,
high freight costs, new regulations,
and COVID-19. Several important
transport and trade regulations
impacting the aroma trades were
discussed.
The afternoon saw an online
presentation by Romel Guzman on
Sustainability Assurance of Tonka
Beans in the Amazonian Region of
Venezuela.
HUSSEIN FAKHRY
A key feature of every IFEAT
Conference is the IFEAT AGM and
Business Session, which took place
on the Tuesday morning. The format
was like previous years: the 2021
Report and Accounts were approved;
the retiring Executive Committee
(EC) Chair Hussein Fakhry reviewed
the previous year’s activities; new EC
members John Cavallo and Henry Gill
were elected, and Catherine Crowley
was announced as the new EC Chair
with Geemon Korah becoming 1st
Vice Chair. Presentations were made
on the next IFEAT Conference which
will take place at the InterContinental
Hotel in Berlin, Germany from 8th -
12th October 2023 with the theme of
“Trade, Tradition, Modern Spirit.” and
the IFEAT Focus Study Tour to Spain
from 26th February - 1st March 2023.
IFEAT’s President, Alastair Hitchen,
also introduced a short and moving
“In Memoriam” video dedicated to
IFEAT Members who have passed
away since the Bali Conference.
During the session there were also
reports on the ICATS and Reading
University perfumery and flavour
education programmes supported
by IFEAT, and the presentation of the
IFEAT Best Student Medals to Holly
King (ICATS) and Marcella Di Mauro
(Reading).
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP

6
WORLD
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
KIM BLEIMANN
Following the IFEAT Business
Session was Kim Bleimann’s much
anticipated wide ranging IFEAT 2022
Medal Lecture entitled Catalysts of
Change. Kim reflected on his nearly
50 years in the industry as Owner
and Chairman of Berjé. In addition,
during the past two decades, he
has played an influential role in
helping guide IFEAT’s growth. His
presentation was littered with quotes
but some of his own words reflected
the sentiment of his lecture, namely
“Thunderstorms are building all
around us” in references to the EU’s
Green Deal (see below) and “Death by
regulation is real”. Certainly, existing
and forthcoming regulations bore the
brunt of concerns regarding the future
of the F&F industry, citing especially
the impact of REACH and the EU
Green Deal, and the need to intensify
lobbying to bring about change. In
particular, he stressed how innovation,
a vital growth stimulus for the F&F
sector, was being threatened by
regulation, mergers and acquisitions,
and the reduced availability of
ingredients for the perfumers’ palette.
The afternoon session saw three
online presentations dealing with
specific aspects of the F&F sectors
in China, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The
first was The Road to Innovation of
Oriental Aesthetics: Current Status
and Trends in the Chinese Fragrance
Market by Zhaokai Wu dealing with
how fragrance products are leading
an emerging consumer market in
China. The second provided a detailed
walk through the production and
processing of cinnamon oil in Sri
Lanka: Technological Development
in the Cinnamon Oil Industry &
Modern Usage of Essential Oils by
Ravindu Runage. The last of the day
was entitled Collaboration with the
Community Forest User Group: a
Tried-and-True Method of Promoting
Transparency, Accountability and
Sustainable Forest Management by
Prasun Satyal.
Wednesday morning was devoted to
an excellent but worrying overview
of The EU Green Deal and its impact
on Flavours & Fragrances: The
Domino Effect. The advent of the
EU Green Deal, originally presented
in December 2019, and two of its
eight strategic pillars, namely the
Chemical Strategy for Sustainability
(CSS) and the Farm to Fork (F2F)
initiative, will set new boundaries for
the flavour, fragrance, cosmetics, and
aromatherapy industries.
In all the seven presentations – a first
for IFEAT because it was a mixture
of in-person and online speakers
- provided clear, concise, and
informative information on different
aspects of the complex Green
Deal. Each was given by a leading
industry figure, some of whom were
industry association heads. These
were followed by a Q&A session
moderated by Sven Ballschmiede,
Executive Director of the International
Organization of the Flavor Industry
(IOFI).
Jens-Achim Protzen of EFEO and a
member of the IFEAT EC, gave a brief
introduction to the session which
was followed by Alexander Mohr,
who introduced the eight strategic
pillars, and the potential impact of
the CSS and F2F initiatives on the
flavour sector. Martina Bianchini,
who had recently written an article
on the Green Deal in IFEATWORLD,
presented IFRA’s strategy to defend
natural and synthetic ingredients
in the context of the Green Deal
ranging from the business impact
assessment to the development of
relevant criteria for the “Essential
Use” concept and IFRA’s high level
political outreach. Charles Laroche
reviewed the implementation of the
Green Deal and what the concept of
essentiality may eventually mean for
essential oils and natural complex
substances. Richard Meads discussed
the concept of “essentiality”, which so
far is without any formal assessment
of its feasibility, benefits, impacts,
or consequences for other policy
objectives, yet it is being progressively
proposed at EU-level as a new
regulatory principle. Andrew Fasey
discussed the legal framework and
practical implications of the concept
of essentiality. Finally, Graham
Ellis ended the speaker session by

WORLD 7
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
JENS-ACHIM PROTZEN ALEXANDER MOHR MARTINA BIANCHINI
addressing specific hazard endpoints.
All are extremely important and
current issues that everyone in the
industry should be talking about and
need to be addressed and discussed.
While IFEAT has supported the
overarching goals of the EU Green
Deal for sustainable growth and
remains committed together with
other industry Associations to support
the EU in making this transition to
achieve its policy ambitions, IFEAT
also believes that the F&F industry
deserves special consideration in
EU legislation and that consistency
between European and international
standards is key. The novel concept
of “Essential Use”, which is currently
not defined within EU law but which
would set the premise to legitimise
state intervention to direct or control
the development and use of groups
of chemicals and technologies, is of
particular concern.
The round table discussion has become
a feature of IFEAT Conferences and
on Wednesday afternoon Dominique
Roques (fresh from a successful
book signing the previous evening)
moderated a discussion on the issues
surrounding Certifications: a major
step forward or extra burden and cost?
Some 27 delegates discussed a wide
range of key issues relating to the rising
tide of certifications and their impact on
the producers, factories, supply chains
and brands.

8
WORLD
SHANAVAS BAVU
AJAY KUMAR JAIN
HENRY GILL
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
EDUARDO MATTOSO
The final day saw a range of diverse,
informative, and entertaining
presentations, namely:
• Process Optimisation; Value
Enhancement & Total Value
Recovery in Essential Oils &
Botanical Extracts Production by
Shanavas Bavu
• Can the F&F Industry Help Fight
Deforestation in the Amazon?
by Eduardo Mattoso
• A Deeper Look into Vietnamese
Cinnamon: from Seeds to Global
Market by Dr. Chuc Nguyen
SERGIO SEPIURKA
Running alongside the lecture
programme was the trade exhibition,
taking place over four days. Some
30 companies from a range of
countries participated on site, and five
companies with online only exhibition
booths. Certainly, the trade exhibition
proved to be a good opportunity
for companies to meet both current
business contacts and customers
and make new ones. There were also
41 company meeting rooms, which
were sold out. In addition, the regular
and popular Flavour and Fragrance
Workshop continued this year led by
Michael Zviely which took place over
one full day and was sold out.
Centre. The Conference Chair, Alan
Brown, besides thanking the many
Conference sponsors and speakers,
invited on stage those who helped to
make the conference such a success,
particularly the Local Organising
Committee and the IFEAT Secretariat
after which many people took to the
dance floor and were entertained by
the excellent band Phonix.
During the past three years, IFEAT
has managed and negotiated
through very difficult times. The
return of the in-person IFEAT
Conference suggests that there
is light at the end of the very dark
tunnel of 2020 and 2021. Vancouver
showed the resilience and ability
to adapt in difficult times. As the
Conference moves between
continents and with new companies
and countries participating, this
gives a clear indication that IFEAT
can continue to go from strength to
strength. Following on this trajectory,
Berlin in October 2023 should be
a spectacular affair – and we look
forward to seeing you there!
• Synthetic Menthol Used in the
Global Flavour and Fragrance
industries and the Effect on
Natural Menthol Production by
Ajay Kumar Jain
• The Production of Patagonian
Essential Oils in Argentina:
Compared Varieties of Douglas Fir
from North and South Pacific Areas
by Sergio Sepiurka
The final Conference
event, as always, was the
Closing Banquet held
on Thursday evening
at the spacious
Vancouver Conference
• The session ended with an
excellent presentation by Henry
Gill, Crop/Market Report: Buying
Better in a Turbulent Market.
We anticipate that these crop market
assessments will become a regular
feature of IFEAT Conferences.
ONE OF THE PERFORMERS
AT THE CLOSING BANQUET

WORLD 9
BEST STUDENTS
COLLECT THEIR MEDALS
Holly King (ICATS Course) and Marcella Di Mauro (Reading
University Flavourist Training programme) received their
medals at the Vancouver Conference. Holly was the ICATS
2022 best student and Marcella was Reading Flavourist
Training programme’s best student in 2021 so received
her award this year. The best student from the Reading
programme for 2022, Matthias Guggenberger, was unable
to attend in Vancouver and will receive his award in Berlin
along with the 2023 winners of the medal.
The IFEAT medal which is awarded to the best
students will be renamed the Mike Boudjouk
Medal for Student Excellence in his honour. Mike,
a former IFEAT Executive Committee Director, died
earlier this year and was instrumental in developing
IFEAT’s support of the ICATS courses and the
Reading Flavour programme.
HOLLY KING (ICATS) AND
MARCELLA DI MAURO (READING)
Receiving the IFEAT Best Student Medals
MIKE BOUDJOUK
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
A
HAT-
TRICK!
It has become a tradition at the Conference Closing
Banquet since Athens in 2017 for the IFEAT staff team
to give a gift to the Chair of the Conference Committee.
This year they presented Alan Brown with a traditional
Canadian “Mountie” hat - they then went on to present
Immediate Past Chair of the IFEAT Executive Committee
Hussein Fakhry with a Canadian faux fur hat and, not to
leave him out, they also gave IFEAT President Alastair
Hitchen a woolly ski hat!

10
WORLD
THANK YOU TO OUR IFEAT
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE
SPONSORS
PLATINUM
VANCOUVER CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
LANYARDS
GOLD
CLOSING BANQUET
SILVER
28
ONLINE PLATFORM & APP
RECHARGE AREA
HOTEL KEY CARD
LUNCH BREAKS
COFFEE BREAKS
ROUNDTABLE
FLAVOUR & FRAGRANCE
INGREDIENTS WORKSHOP
DELEGATE BAG GIFT INSERT

WORLD 11
WHOVA APP
REPORT
Once again we used the Whova event platform for
this year’s Conference. Here are some facts and
figures we received from Whova.
2022 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Private messages sent 1-on-1 70,648
Private group chats created 645
Attendee interaction 1-ON-1 54,277
(messages between attendees
who have interacted with each
other in private 1-on-1 messages)
Business cards scanned and exchanged 2,172
Attendees profile views 55,696
Total sponsor web page views 14,402
(people who clicked sponsor to go
through to their website)
Total exhibitor web page views 3,247
Mobile & web app total active users 997
(users who signed in to either mobile
or web app)
Used both mobile & web app 301
(users who downloaded the mobile
app and signed in to web app)
Mobile app active users (attendees 91%
who used the mobile app)
Web app active users (attendees 38%
who used the web app)
Points are awarded to people who use the app and we
decided to award a prize to the leaderboard winner Ozgur
Ozer, Executive Director of Sebat Rose Oil & Essential Oils
Co. Ltd. Ozgur was presented with a small prize at the
Closing Banquet.
The complexity of the pine chemicals industry was amply
demonstrated by the growing range of relevant and
important topics discussed at the highly successful Pine
Chemicals Association 2022 International Conference held in
Denver, Colorado, USA, from 25th to 27th September.
The PCA International Conference is recognised as the
premier international gathering of the global pine chemical
industry. Under the leadership of the PCA Executive Team
and staff led by Ms. Amanda Young, the 2022 event brought
together over 200 people from around the world. It was
once again a great success.
For those unfamiliar with pine chemicals, these products
are related to the processing of one of the world’s largest
biomasses: conifers. Nearly one billion MT of conifers
are processed each year, generating a large amount of
firewood, but also wood for important industries. It can be
estimated that conifers are responsible, every year, for some
200 million MT of lumber and panels for construction and
furniture, and more than 100 million MT of paper. These
lumber, panel and paper industries have an estimated
combined turnover of over US$250 billion. These industries
also generate numerous organic by-products. The
chemicals obtained from these by-products are known as
pine chemicals. Some pine chemicals can also be obtained
by other means, such as tapping, which involves collecting
the resin from the living tree.
Pine chemicals are very important raw materials for many
industries such as adhesives, inks, emulsifiers, soaps,
detergents, automotive, pharmaceuticals, animal feed,
construction, agriculture, paints, cleaners, food, perfumes,
camphor, and recently have faced a strong demand
for biofuels, which is changing some of the traditional
dynamics.
There are hundreds of pine-based chemicals, but the main
commercial products are lignosulfonates, tall oil rosins,
tall oil fatty acids, tall oil pitch/heads, and gum rosins.
Some products, such as crude sulfate turpentine and gum
turpentine, are probably familiar to you, although they
represent only a fraction of the pine chemicals.
The market evolution of various important coniferous
products was examined in terms of industry trends,
geopolitics, petrochemical markets, new technologies, and
advances in by-product recovery.
OZGUR OZER
Whova leaderboard winner
Due to the complexity of the topics discussed, a detailed
article will be published in our next issue of IFEATWORLD. It
will be an attempt to help the reader better understand the
characteristics of conifer feedstocks and how this biomass is
gaining ground and developing in terms of applications. The
article will reflect the opinions of various experts in the pine
chemical industry on the current and future role of one of
the world’s largest sources of biogenic chemicals.

12
WORLD
NEW CHAIR AND
1ST VICE CHAIR FOR IFEAT
IFEAT NEWS
CATHERINE CROWLEY
New Chair of the IFEAT Executive Committee
IFEAT is delighted to announce that
Ms Catherine Crowley of Eucaforest
(Pty) Ltd. is the new Chair of the
IFEAT Executive Committee. During
his annual speech at the IFEAT 2022
Vancouver Conference, Immediate
Past Chairman, Mr Hussein Fakhry,
extended a warm welcome to Ms
Crowley and also to the new 1st Vice
Chair, Mr Geemon Korah of Mane
Kancor Ingredients Private Limited,
who was 2nd Vice Chair for the past
year.
Both Ms Crowley and Mr Korah
were voted in at an Extraordinary
Executive Committee meeting held
on Tuesday 11th October 2022 during
the Conference.
GEEMON KORAH
New 1st Vice Chair of the
IFEAT Executive Committee
Mr Fakhry said: “Catherine has
been a steadfast supporter of my
Chairmanship under the duress of a
shorter Vice Chairship for her and it is
now my turn to support and serve her
as I become Immediate Past Chairman.
Catherine will also have the extremely
talented Mr Geemon Korah by her side
as he becomes 1st Vice Chair”.
TWO IFEAT EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE RETIREMENTS
ALAIN FRIX
CSABA FODOR
Alain became Executive Committee
Chair in 2013 and saw IFEAT through
the transition of moving the IFEAT
Secretariat back to London from
Germany which led to the creation
of a staff team in 2015 and 2016.
Following his retirement as Executive
Committee Chair in 2016, he became
Scientific Committee Chair in 2019,
overseeing scientific support to
the industry along with many new
projects. He remained in this role until
his retirement this year.
After being the Local Organising
Committee Chair for the IFEAT
2007 Budapest Conference, Csaba
joined the Executive Committee and
became Finance Committee Chair
in 2014. During this time, IFEAT’s
new Finance team was created
with Ronit Meier joining as Finance
Coordinator in 2017 and TC Group
(formerly LSG) as IFEAT’s Accountant.
Csaba remained in this role for six
years and then from May 2020 took
on the role of Education Committee
Chair, overseeing IFEAT’s support
to educational institutes along with
investigating potential avenues for an
IFEAT Academy.
IFEAT thanks Alain and Csaba for their
passion and commitment to IFEAT
and to the Industry as a whole.

WORLD 13
TWO NEW
DIRECTORS JOIN
THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
topics that are in direct support of addressing key issues
and concerns impacting our industry today and proactively
looking to the future to evaluate those important topics
that may come. In my opinion, this is the proactive work
that we all strive for to make our industry better than
what it is today, and I was glad to be part of the Scientific
Committee team all working toward the same goals.
Moving forward I am hoping to help support and offer my
expertise where it can best be utilised. I’m excited to be part
of the IFEAT Executive Committee and engage with industry
professionals that have a global perspective from the farm
to the end-use products our industry offers.”
JOHN CAVALLO
Dr. John Cavallo is an accomplished flavour industry
executive with a global business background with over
25 years of experience. John is currently Senior Vice
President at the Citromax Group and manages the citrus
ingredient group in the USA and oversees Citromax
Ingredients (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which he is credited for
establishing in 2019.
Prior to his positions at the Citromax Group, John held
senior management positions at two related firms:
Vice President of Technology and Global Business
Development at Trilogy Essential Ingredients and Chief
Technology Officer at Citrus and Allied Essences in
addition to his role as General Manager, Trilogy Flavors
Shanghai Ltd. John was also President of Comax Flavors
and enjoyed a significant tenure as Sr. Vice President,
Global Beverage Business Unit at Symrise. He also
worked at Haarmann & Reimer and started his flavour
career at Givaudan.
John holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry
and has published a significant number of professional
and technical papers on nano and microemulsions.
He has a great interest in the use of these systems for
enhanced bioavailability, active ingredient delivery
and drug delivery, and oil stability. John is a member of
many technical organisations including the ACS, NAFFS,
FEMA, where he was FEMA President from 2016- 2018,
a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Perfumer
& Flavorist and was elected to the IFEAT Executive
Committee during the AGM on 11th October 2022.
John told IFEATWORLD: “It’s an honour to be a member of
the IFEAT Executive Committee and be able to participate
in the face-to-face Vancouver meeting after such a long
absence. Before being selected to the Executive Committee
I served on the FEMA Board of Governors for 12-years and
followed that up by serving on the IFEAT Panel of Experts
supporting the IFEAT Science Committee. It was an exciting
time and very fulfilling to be part of a group working on
HENRY GILL
Henry Gill is the third generation of his family to be
involved in De Monchy Aromatics. He started his career
in China where he established and ran the group’s local
subsidiaries. During his eleven years there he travelled
widely throughout the country and witnessed first-hand
many examples of essential oil and aroma chemical
production. Outside of the industry, for several years he
was also involved in the British Chamber of Commerce
Shanghai as well as the UK’s Expo events programme.
In 2016 he relocated back to the UK as Group Managing
Director. With a degree in biological sciences from
Oxford University, Henry has a particular interest in
the production of natural aroma chemicals, an area of
growing importance for the business.
Henry told IFEATWORLD: “Following in the footsteps of
both my great uncle and more recently my father, it’s a
privilege to be asked to join IFEAT’s Executive Committee. I
attended my first IFEAT Conference in Hong Kong aged 16
(I was still at school at the time) and more recently assisted
with Conferences in both Cape Town and Shanghai. I was
very pleased to deliver our first market report in Vancouver
and look forward to further contributing to both IFEAT and
our industry more widely.”
IFEAT NEWS

14
WORLD
IFEAT
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT
ON CARDAMOM 1
BY ELISA ARAGON 2 , PETER GREENHALGH 3
AND MITHUN CHAKRAVARTHY RAJAMANNAR 4
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
INTRODUCTION
Cardamom is known as the “Queen of
Spices” and is one of the world’s most
expensive spices. It is the dried, fully
matured capsule or fruit of several
species of the genera Elettaria,
Amomum and Aframomum in the
family Zingiberaceae. The species
of E. cardamomum includes most of
the cultivated cardamom entering
international trade including:
• Mysore cardamom, indigenous
to India and has been introduced
to Guatemala, Honduras,
Indonesia, Tanzania, and Papua New
Guinea. Mysore species dominate
international trade – and are often
referred to as “true cardamom”.
• Malabar cardamom, indigenous to
India and suited to elevations up to
500 metres. Only small quantities
are traded internationally, and
it sells at a discount to Mysore
cardamom.
In addition, several species of
“large” cardamom (Amomum and
Aframomum species) are grown
commercially in various Asian and
African countries. This cardamom
is known by several other names
but negligible quantities enter
international trade outside Asia, since
they generally produce less aromatic,
larger capsules of lower commercial
value. Each type of cardamom has a
characteristic flavour and fragrance
but both types of seeds offer very
similar properties.
Cardamom is recognised by its small
seed pods: triangular in cross-section
and spindle-shaped, with a thin,
papery outer shell and small, black
seeds. Green cardamom - Elettaria
pods - are light green and smaller,
while black cardamom - Amomum
pods - are larger and dark brown.
This report relates almost solely to
small “true” cardamom.
GROWTH, CULTIVATION,
AND HARVESTING
Cardamom is a demanding crop in
all respects from the initial planting,
husbandry, and pruning, through to
harvesting and processing of the
seed capsules. The plant can be over
two metres in height but the seed
capsules emerge from the rhizome at
ground level. Moreover, the individual
capsules ripen at different stages
and to produce high quality green

WORLD 15
cured capsules, it is necessary to
pick capsules individually, a skilled
operation requiring care and good
judgement. Women dominate
cardamom harvesting while men
usually harvest the neighbouring
coffee crop.
Cardamom is a large, perennial
aromatic herb, with a tuberous,
horizontal, hard, and branched
rhizome, with fibrous roots that extend
horizontally up to 1.5 metres (m) away
from the rhizome. It has main stems
that reach a height of between 2 m
and 3 m. A stem can have one or two
flower spikes and up to 40 clusters
that can carry five to 10 flowers
each. The flowers self-fertilise and
are cross-pollinated by the action
of different types of bees. The fruit
(pod) begins as a green coloured
capsule and at maturity becomes
yellow-greenish in colour, known in
Guatemala as cereza when green
and pergamino when dehydrated.
The seeds known as oro, have a
strong aroma and flavour. They are
black, pyramidal, 3 mm to 4 mm
long, with a coarse surface. Each pod
holds around 20 small black seeds,
containing the essential oil.
Cardamom is propagated mainly
through seeds and through suckers,
each consisting of at least one old
and one young aerial shoot. Seedlings
are normally raised in primary and
secondary nurseries.
Cardamom grows at higher altitudes
in tropical forests. In Guatemala some
are found in areas fully exposed to
the sun, but efforts are being made
to move to forested areas to facilitate
conservation. If cardamom seeds are
planted, the first harvest is obtained
after three years, but if the rhizome is
planted, then the harvest is one year
earlier. Fruit ripening begins about five
months after flowering.
Yields vary depending on the
location, the variety planted, climatic
conditions, and the level of crop
maintenance. In Guatemala, with an
annual rainfall ranging from 2 m to
3 m and an average temperature of
22°, the average yield is between 35
kg and 45 kg per hectare (ha) of dried
cardamom, considering a green/dried
ratio of 5:1 (20% yield). Altitude will not
only affect yields but also the flavour
profile. Thus, more cineole notes at
higher altitudes and more terpineol
acetate at lower altitudes.
In India cardamom is grown in areas
where annual rainfall ranges from
1,500 mm to 4,000 mm, temperatures
range from 10°C to 35°C, and at an
altitude of 600 m to 1,200 m above
sea level. It is grown in forest loamy
soils which are usually acidic with a
pH range of 5.0 to 6.5. For a detailed
discussion of all aspects of cardamom
cultivation, including varieties,
propagation, nurseries, planting,
spacing, manuring, irrigation, and
weed control, see Chakravarthy (2021)
and Purseglove (1981).
The ripe fruit is harvested every one
or two months, depending on the
region or age of the plantation, but
in Guatemala the bulk of production
is obtained in the dry season after
October and mainly in January. The
green fruits (cereza) are harvested
manually from the bunch, starting at
the base with the ripest. For quality
reasons, it is important that the seeds
inside the green pods have changed
colour from white to brown or black.
To ensure the maturity and uniformity
of the seed it is recommended that
harvesting takes place every 35 to
40 days. In Guatemala the harvest
lasts approximately seven months
and the percentages of production
each month are estimated at 5%,
15%, 30%, 25%, 15%, 8% and 2%. In
India the optimum season is from
June to December with peak harvest
in October to November. Picking is
carried out at an interval of 15 to 30
days with five to six pickings in a year.
Ripe capsules are harvested to get
maximum green colouration during
curing. Ideally those fruits which are
just ripe, but not fully, are picked. Fully
ripe fruits tend to split on drying and
do not develop the desirable dark
green colour.
Cardamom is produced by
smallholders and on estates but
smallholder producers dominate.
Sometimes cardamom is grown
with other crops, particularly coffee.
Because of inter-cropping it is not
always easy to obtain a breakdown of
production and marketing costs when
these activities are inextricably mixed.
PROCESSING AND
PRODUCTS
Immediately after harvesting the
cardamom is dried either naturally
(sun drying) for several days or flue
curing. The latter produces a better
product. In Guatemala there is no sun
drying.
Flue curing
After harvesting, the seed capsules
are immediately cured in a kiln and
finally they are subjected to careful
sorting by colour and size, and then
into whole and split grades. Following
harvesting the green pods must be
dehydrated within 48 hours to ensure
that the pods do not rot. Dehydration
is invariably done in ovens and the
ratio of green to dry pods is usually
5: 1, i.e., there is an approximate
moisture reduction of 80%.
The cardamom pods can be
transformed into several different
products including spices, essential
oils, absolutes, CO2 extracts, and
other derivatives (e.g., oleoresins,
terphenyl acetate). Dried fruit or
cardamom capsule is the dominant
product traded. Cardamom can
be found as whole cardamom,
cardamom seeds, or in ground form
and it is also used as cardamom oil
and as an oleoresin.
Spices are the dominant use of
cardamom and are available in a wide
range of qualities and grades (see
later).
Essential oils are obtained by steam
distillation or hydro distillation of pods,
which are invariably those pods not
suitable to be sold as a spice. Dried
pods are ground to facilitate better
oil extraction, before being steam
distilled. The distillation process
takes between four to five hours and
the oil produced undergoes a final
preparation to allow it to reach its
full aromatic potential. It is estimated
that annual production of cardamom
oil in Guatemala ranges between 30
- 35 metric tonnes (MT) while in India
production is estimated at 35 - 40
MT. There is negligible distillation in
cardamom importing countries. In
terms of total cardamom production,
essential oil output is small.
Absolutes – produced by hexane
extraction.
CO2 extraction - supercritical CO2
extraction is a clean technology
used to obtain extracts from natural
materials and offers superior
quality while being benign to the
environment. It is free of harmful
organic solvents or alcohol and it
is eco-friendly being performed at
low temperatures without thermal
degradation of valuable ingredients.
Hence it is very much appreciated
by flavourists and perfumers but it is
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM

16
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SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
very expensive. There is some CO2
extraction in importing countries, but
output is thought to be very small.
Other derivatives: extraction of natural
terphenyl acetate from cardamom oil
which is one of the main constituents
of cardamom.
Each client invariably has one
standard of olfactive and analytical
composition. At the source, the
different companies that transform
the cardamom into an ingredient,
know how to choose their raw material
(pods) to comply with their clients’
requirements. CO2 extraction and
the production of other derivatives,
including absolutes, is not currently
undertaken in Guatemala although
some production is undertaken in
India and some consuming countries.
USES AND PRODUCTS
Cardamom use has a very long history
being one of the world’s most ancient
spices and many historical texts refer
to its flavouring and medicinal uses.
It was used by the Egyptians as a
tooth cleaner, and by the Greeks and
Romans as a perfume. The Vikings
used it in Scandinavia over a thousand
years ago, where it is still a popular
flavouring ingredient in baked goods.
Today, the Middle East dominates
cardamom consumption, accounting
for approximately two-thirds of global
cardamom imports. These imports
are predominantly high-quality
cardamom for use in gahwa coffee – a
strong cardamom coffee, that is an
unavoidable habit of the Arab lifestyle.
Its main use is as a seasoning in coffee
and tea where it is used in its own
right. It is also used in combination
and works in a range of flavours,
predominantly natural flavours.
Globally, one estimate suggests that:
• At least 60% of cardamom is used
in flavours, predominantly
beverages, food, and snacks. As
a flavouring agent in beverages,
it is particularly used in coffee and
tea. Also, in the food industry for
flavouring curries and meat dishes,
sweets, confectioneries, in bakery
products, and as an ingredient
of curry (masala) powder. In India
it is also used as a taste enhancer in
chewing tobacco.
• 35% in fragrances: fine fragrances,
body care, home care, and candles.
Perfumers describe cardamon as
having warm, sweet, woody, spicy,
balsamic, resinous, and peppery
characteristics. It has a lot more of
these characteristics than other
spicy materials such as cinnamon,
clove bud, black pepper, and ginger.
It is used in a range of fragrances
from fine to home fragrances. In
perfumery it can only be used in
small dosages as it is very strong.
• 5% in aromatherapy: this is growing.
It has well documented health
benefits and is used in Ayurveda
and Chinese medicine as a powerful
aromatic, stimulant, carminative,
stomachic, and diuretic.
It is increasingly being used in new
products for flavouring uses as the
diagram illustrates.

WORLD 17
QUALITY AND GRADES
Cardamon Spice
Both Guatemala and India have
complex cardamom grading systems
and nomenclature. There are several
important factors influencing the
quality including the weight in grams
per litre (density), the proportion of
open pods, the proportion of thrips
and the colour. In Guatemala there
can be more than 12 different grades
of cardamom pods but this mainly
relates to cardamom’s use as a spice.
• terpineol, alpha 1-3%
• terpineol acetate, alpha 35-45%
Thus, the two main constituents
are eucalyptol, which gives the
freshness to the top notes of the
oil, and terpineol acetate, which
is a more complex aroma giving a
more aromatic profile. It is unusual
to find both these components
together. Indian oil smells more of
cineole and eucalyptus in character
than Guatemalan oil which is
higher in terpineol acetate. The
greener the pod then the higher
the eucalyptol level, as you move
towards more yellowish pods then
the terpineol acetate increases
and gives more aromatic notes.
The “large” cardamom (Amomum
and Aframomum species) has
more cineol and hence eucalyptus
characteristics. It tends to be dried
in more smoky conditions and has a
phenolic note. Since it is not included
on the FEMA GRAS list this acts as a
constraint on its use.
The different qualities depend on
the maturation grade of the pod
when harvested. The greener the
pod then the fresher, while yellow
seeds are over matured. Examples of
Guatemalan grades for conventional
cardamom:
• Jumbo green: diameter of
9 mm with an average density of
>410 gr/lt
• Large green: diameter of 8 mm with
an average density of >400 gr/lt
• Fancy green: diameter of 7 mm with
an average density of >380 gr/lt
• Small green: diameter of 5 mm with
an average density of >380 gr/lt
• MYQ (mixed yellow quality): mix
of sizes and colours with an average
density of >360 gr/lt
• Green open: mix of sizes with an
average density of >360 gr/lt
• Seeds or oro: mix of sizes with
an average > 650 gr/lt
Cardamom Oil
In Guatemala less than 5% of
cardamom production is steam
distilled to produce an essential oil.
The oil produced is a colourless to
pale yellow liquid.
• Specific Gravity (200C): (0.918-0.940)
• Refractive Index (200C): (1.460-
1.469)
• Optical Rotation (200C): (Between
+24° and + 39°)
The main chemical constituents
(determined by gas chromatography)
of Guatemalan distilled cardamom oil
are:
• a-pinene 1-2%
• eucalyptol 25-37%
• terpineol-4 0.5-1.5%
PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF CARDAMOM
VOLATILE FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES
Component Var. Malabar Var. Malabar Var. Mysore Sri Lanka
(Ceylon) (Guatemala) (Wild)
α-Pinene 1.10 0.71 1.40 13.00
Camphene 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.13
Sabinene 2.50 3.40 3.10 4.90
β-Pinene 0.20 0.34 0.26 4.90
Myrcene + terpinene 1.80 1.50 1.10 2.50
α-Phellandrene 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.42
D-Limonene 0.02 0.12 0.14 2.10
1,8-Cineole 31.0 23.4 44.0 3.30
γ-Terpinene 0.12 0.34 0.10 22.2
Linalool 2.10 4.50 3.00 3.70
Citronellal 0.01 0.04 0.06 0.13
4-Terpineol 0.14 0.28 0.87 15.3
α-Terpineol 1.40 1.90 1.50 0.86
As with other essential oils, especially
those with high and fluctuating prices,
adulteration of cardamom oil is an
issue. This is partly illustrated by
the lower prices at which some oil
is offered on the market, sometimes
designated as “commercial quality”.
Synthetic terpene acetate is one
main adulterant. Adulteration can be
minimised with greater traceability
and transparency.
PRODUCTION
World production of cardamom is
dominated by Guatemala and India.
In the mid 1970s, annual global
production was estimated at 13,000
– 14,000 MT with Guatemala (6,000
– 8,000 MT) and India (3,500 – 5,000
MT) dominating production. Other
producers included Honduras (350 –
400 MT) and Papua New Guinea.
Currently global production is in the
region of 55,000 MT with Guatemala,
the world’s largest producer
accounting for approximately 60%
of global output. It is followed by
India but climatic factors have
seen a substantial fall in recent
Indian output. It is estimated
that Guatemala’s current annual
production fluctuates around
35,000 MT.
Guatemala
Cardamom is produced as a cash
crop by 350,000 smallholder
producers in the poorest regions
of Guatemala on 63,000 ha of land.
Production is mainly concentrated
in the departments of Alta Verapaz,
Baja Verapaz, Izabal, Huehuetenango,
and Quiché, where it is often
intercropped with coffee. Cardamom
was introduced into Guatemala
in 1914 to diversify agricultural
production but it only became a
major producer and exporter from
the 1970s. The altitude, climate,
and rich soils in Guatemala were
factors in the crop’s success, leading
to it becoming the world’s largest
exporter.
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM

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20
WORLD
LOCATION OF CARDAMOM
PRODUCTION IN GUATEMALA
In Guatemala, cardamom production is
mainly concentrated in five departments:
HUEHUETENANGO
QUICHÉ
ALTA VERAPAZ
BAJA VERAPAZ
IZABAL
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
Annual exports of pergamino (dried
cardamom) were relatively stable,
fluctuating between 32,000 MT and
37,000 MT between 2015 and 2020. In
sharp contrast, the rise of cardamom
prices in recent years resulted in a
dramatic increase in the value of
exports, which exceeded US$ 1 billion
in 2020 – higher than the estimated
international trade in pepper.
Estimates of Guatemalan production
for the 2022-23 harvest range
between 38,000 and 40,000 MT. This
is higher than the 2020-21 crop, which
was badly impacted in November
2020 by hurricanes Eta and Iota, the
worst tropical storms in decades,
causing heavy rains, flooding, and
avalanches in the growing areas.
Unlike India, domestic consumption is
negligible and almost all cardamom
production is exported predominantly
as a dried spice. Thus, 95% of the
seeds or pods are exported as such
and only 5% used in the country to be
distilled and exported as an oil and
related products. The Middle East
is the dominant export region, with
Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the
main destinations, although other
important export markets include
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Kuwait,
Jordan, Syria, and Singapore.
After harvesting the green cardamom
pods are dehydrated and there are
some 3,500 dehydration ovens in
the growing areas. The pods need
to be dehydrated within 36 to 48
hours or they will begin to rot. Hence
a grower’s location is a key factor in
delivering them to intermediaries
and/or the ovens. There are many
thousands of intermediaries who are
usually those who have vehicles in
the communities. There can be one
or two or even more intermediaries, it
depends how far away they are from
the dehydration ovens. Once pods are
dehydrated to pergamino there are
several options prior to export. There
may be one or several intermediaries
between the oven and the final
purchaser. Sometimes there may be
no intermediaries between the ovens
and the final purchasers - who are the
exporters or the distillers.

WORLD 21
GUATEMALA CARDAMOM VALUE CHAIN
SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM ARAGON (2021)
Small
Producers
Intermediaries
(Coyotes)
Dehydration
Ovens
Intermediaries
(Coyotes)
Exporters or
Distillers
Approx 45,000
cultivated
350,000 families
producing in different
regions of Guatemala
Usually people from
the communities
which own a vehicle
Buy the green seeds
named “cereza” from
producers and bring
them to the oven,
they have 48h to
transport the green
pod
Dry the green seeds
into dried seeds
“pergamino”
Usually finance the
first intermediaries
3,500 ovens
distributed within
the cultivated area
Collect from various
ovens and sell to
exporters or distillers
Can be 1 or more
intermediaries
between ovens and
final purchaser
Exporters separate
the seeds into 12
grades
Distillers process the
dried pod to produce
oil
Can be 1 or more
intermediaries
between producers
& ovens
India
Cardamom - Elettaria cardamomum
( L.) - is native to the evergreen rain
forests of the Western Ghats in South
India and is cultivated in the states
of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Thick shady areas with loamy soil are
ideal for cultivating cardamom.
Black cardamom, also known as
brown, greater, large, longer, or Nepal
cardamom, comes from the species
Amomum subulatum and is native to
the eastern Himalayas and is mostly
cultivated in Eastern Nepal, Sikkim,
and parts of the Darjeeling district
in West Bengal, India, and southern
Bhutan. It is also produced in Sri
Lanka.
For centuries India used to be the
dominant global producer but has in
recent decades been overtaken by
Guatemala. Recently climatic factors
in India have led to a substantial fall
in Indian output. Current production
for the 2022-23 season is estimated at
15,000 - 17,000 MT but at the time of
writing, the harvesting had not been
completed.
Cardamom oil production in India is
estimated at approximately 35 - 40
MT of which a sizeable amount is
consumed domestically. Availability
of cardamom is not a constraint on
oil production – since only a small
proportion of cardamom is processed
into oil.
The diagram on page 26 (based on
Hameedu 2014) summarises the
cardamom supply chain in Kerala, the
dominant producing region. It shows
the channels through which the
cardamom passes and the key players
and activities involved. The first
column indicates the major functions
in the chain, namely production,
collection, trading, and marketing
of cardamom. The second column
indicates the key players and their
activities. Thus, following production
and harvesting of the cardamom
capsules, they are washed and dried
in curing chambers – a process taking
18 to 24 hours. The dried capsules
are then graded based on size and
colour and then moved along the
supply chain. They are transported
by road via collectors, village
traders, merchants, wholesalers, and
eventually sold in domestic or foreign
markets. The third column lists the
major players involved from farmers
through to traders, input suppliers,
exporters, and then to customers.
The final column lists the support
services that assist and facilitate
the key players in performing their
functions. These include government
institutions, non-government
organisations, auctions, farmers’
organisations, warehouses, credit,
and input suppliers. Approximately
half of Indian cardamom production
is sold through public auctions, the
remainder in the open market.
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM

22
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SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
INDIA KERALA
Map credit: Kambliyil, CC BY-SA 4.0
,
via Wikimedia Commons

24
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INDIA CARDAMOM SUPPLY CHAIN
SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM HAMEEDU (2014)
Marketing
Transfer to
foreign/domestic
market
Buyers abroad/
foreign customers/
domestic customers
Inputs/packaging
material suppliers
Transportation
Trading III
Transfer to
merchants/
wholesalers
National traders/
exporters
Farmers group
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
Trading II
Trading I
Production
Functions
Papua New Guinea
In PNG cardamom is grown by
smallholders and on estates. In small
farmers’ gardens the crop is usually
planted in monoculture on relatively
fertile soils; production technology is
simple and effective using low inputs.
The gestation period is two and a
half to three years. Mean yields have
been estimated to range from 120
to 200 kg/ha dried capsules. Mean
labour requirements were estimated
at 0.5 to one person per day per kg
of dry cardamom produced. Estate
production technology is more
advanced with fertilisers, pesticides,
and more regular maintenance. Yields
can range from 450 to 750 kg/ha or
more dry capsules.
Honduras
Cardamom was introduced into
Honduras in the late 1970s by
large estates on the border with
Guatemala. The stimulus was
the poor coffee price along with
awareness of Guatemala’s increasing
export success. It was then adopted
more widely by both estates and
smallholders at altitudes between
800 and 1,000 metres, intercropped
with coffee and often on slopes
as steep as 45°. Production is
concentrated in the mountainous
Transfer commodity
to collectors/village
traders
Plantation, harvesting,
drying and grading
Activities
Regional
traders
Village traders/
collectors
Small
growers
Major Players
north-western Departments of Copan,
Santa, Barvara, and Cortes.
Around the year 2000 annual
production was estimated at 250 -
270 MT. No direct exports have been
undertaken but rather capsules
and seeds are sold to neighbouring
Guatemala for re-export. Some
production of cardamom oil was
undertaken from the late 1980s but
is now thought to be very small or
non-existent. Several factors account
for this, namely limited availability of
seed, because of sales to Guatemala;
limited knowledge of essential oil
production, and a reluctance to invest
in further added value operations.
Tanzania
In the mid-1970s Tanzania ranked as
the world’s third-largest producer
of cardamom, accounting for an
estimated 20% of global output,
producing both green and black
cardamom. However, by 2011 this
had fallen to approximately 3%
of global volume. Cardamom is
still produced in the Usambara
Mountains in the northeast region
of Tanga, the Uluguru Mountains in
central Tanzania, and in the southern
highlands, particularly the Mbeya
region, all good natural environments
Planters
Private warehouses
State Warehouse
Corporation
Auction centre at
Spices Park
Supporters
for growing cardamom. Production
is still small, with estimated annual
production of 150 – 200 MT of dried
cardamom.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka – also known as the “Spice
Islands” - is a small producer of
cardamom and is most unlikely to
become a sizeable producer. It is
grown in the central hill country at
elevations over 600 m. There are
three varieties classified by the
shape of the inflorescence, namely
Malabar, Mysore, and Vazhukka.
While cardamom can be propagated
both through suckers and seedlings,
suckers are better and commonly
used. It starts to bear three years after
planting and the harvesting takes
place from September to January.
Capsules are picked before they
are fully ripe and clipped off using
scissors. Harvesting is done at three
to six week intervals. The capsules
are then washed to remove dirt and
borer-attacked capsules, then well
drained and dipped into a 2% solution
of sodium carbonate (washing soda)
for 10 - 15 minutes to help retain the
green colour. Drying is done in hot air
barns in which capsules are spread
on shallow wire mesh-bottomed trays
and placed on shelves in the chamber

WORLD 25
at 45 - 50°C. The drying process takes
place over 35 – 40 hours in curing
chambers with trays interchanged
every 10 – 12 hours. After drying, the
capsules are rubbed on wire mesh to
remove stalks and then winnowed.
The final product is stored away from
strong sunlight in black polythene
sacks to preserve the colour. The
dried yield is around 60 kg/ha but
can be as high as 250 kg /ha under
good management. The cardamom is
graded into five categories according
to the SLS 166:7980 standards.
Production in the early 2000s ranged
between 60 – 70 MT per year.
PRICES
For a variety of reasons cardamom
prices fluctuate widely and when
prices are low smallholders tend to
neglect harvesting and decrease
plantings, leading to lower production.
In periods of higher prices, the
opposite is true. The 2019-20 harvest
began in October and thanks to
favourable weather and higher yields
a good crop was anticipated leading
to a price decrease. However, the
impact of COVID-19 and climatic
factors could limit this downward
price pressure, as could a projected
decrease in 2022-23 production.
As regards cardamom oil prices, for
several years, until late 2018, the oil
price remained relatively stable at
around US$ 200/kg. During late 2018
and until recently, supply issues,
particularly in India, led to a three-fold
increase in oil prices.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
IMPACT
Guatemala
In Guatemala cardamom is produced
as a cash crop by 350,000 smallholder
producers in some of the poorest
regions of the country producing
cardamom on plots of 0.5 to 1 ha
covering an estimated surface area
of 45,000 ha. Guatemala is one
of the countries with the largest
indigenous populations on the
American continent and up to six
different indigenous communities
work in cardamom production.
Moreover, since cardamom is not
consumed locally it represents a vital
cash crop to these growers as well as
others in the value chain. As in India,
approximately half the labour force
is female, who dominate harvesting
while the men are working on planting
and crop maintenance.
Alongside the hundreds of thousands
of growers there are many other
stakeholders in the cardamom value
chain moving the green cardamom
from the field to the final consumer.
These include numerous small and
wholesale intermediaries, oven
operators, wholesale distributors, raw
material and other input suppliers,
transport operatives, processors,
traders, exporters, and retailers.
As production volumes increased
from the 1970s so exports began to
have greater economic importance.
INDIA: CARDAMOM AREA (HA) & PRODUCTION (TONNES)
Along with coffee, sugar, and
bananas, cardamom has now
become one of Guatemala’s largest
agricultural exports. There has been a
sizeable upward trend in cardamom’s
foreign exchange earnings but with
substantial annual fluctuations. Thus,
the value of cardamom pod exports
increased five-fold between 2016 and
2020. Values rose from US$229 m in
2016; US$367 m. in 2017; US$434 m in
2018; US$648 m 2019; and US$1,134
m in 2020, reflecting the rapid rise
in cardamom prices in recent years.
Export earnings are likely to decline
in the early 2020s.
In addition, cardamom generates
environmental benefits since it is one
of the best land uses, including the
protection and conservation of the
local biodiversity if the crop is not
produced in full sun exposure.
India
More than 50,000 people are
involved in the cardamom industry
in India. The Spices Board of India
has produced detailed data on
cardamom production, producers,
area, and exports. The table below
shows that almost 70,000 ha are
devoted to small cardamom in India,
although there is some intercropping.
Production has shown wide annual
fluctuations, peaking recently in
2020/21 at approximately 22,250 MT
for small cardamom and 8,800 MT for
larger cardamom, according to Spice
Board data.
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20* 2020-21*
Area Production Area Production Area Production Area Production Area Production
Cardamom 69,357 17,990 69,330 20,650 69,132 12,940 69,994 11,235 69,190 22,520
(Small)
Cardamom 26,617 5,572 26,617 5,906 42,826 8,669 44,082 8,530 44,701 8,803
(Large)
*Figures subject to revision. Source: Spices Board India
Some 60% of growers are over 40
years old and 60% have had secondary
education and above, while 14% have
had no formal education. Some 77%
of farms are below 2 ha, 19% range
between 2 - 4 ha with 4% above 5 ha.
Just over 80% is monocrop, while 39%
had annual production below 3 MT,
57% of producers ranged between 3 –
6 MT and 4% of producers had annual
production above 6 MT. One quarter
of producers had yields less than 0.5
MT, 62% had yields of 0.5 – 1.0 MT and
only 13% had yields of 1.0 - 1.5 MT.
Field survey data are also collected
on cardamom production and
assembling costs, which totalled an
estimated 941 Rp (US$ 12.5) per kg.
This can be broken down into:
1. Farmer/grower costs estimated at
775 Rp/kg, of which labour
accounts for 500 Rp/kg, processing
costs 125 Rp/kg and other input
costs at 100 Rp/kg. The average

26
WORLD
price is 830 Rp/kg.
2. Local trader and wholesaler
assembling costs add a further 47
Rp/kg and 37 Rp/kg respectively.
Cardamom cultivation not only has a
great impact by providing employment
and income-earning opportunities but
also the plantations attract tourists
and can give further earnings to
the growers. In addition, cardamom
exports make a considerable
contribution to Indian export earnings,
although as the table illustrates, both
the volume and value of exports have
shown wide annual fluctuation.
INDIA: CARDAMOM EXPORTS 2016-17 TO 2020-21
SOURCE: SPICES BOARD OF INDIA
(Quantity: Tonnes & Value Rupees. Millions)
2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20* 2020-21*
QTY VALUE QTY VALUE QTY VALUE QTY VALUE QTY VALUE
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM
Cardamom 3,850 4,215 5,680 6,090.8 2,850 3,562.5 1,850 4,253.7 6,500 11,067.5
(Small)
Cardamom 780 826.5 760 564.66 860 610.6 1,310 709 1,325 912.6
(Large)
CHALLENGES AND
SUSTAINABILITY
The F&F sector is making serious
efforts to implement sustainable
practices when sourcing natural
ingredients – and cardamom is no
exception. In Guatemala and India
efforts are being made to implement
sustainable and traceability practices
to try to ensure a fair and transparent
relationship with the producers
alongside efforts to protect the
environment and its biodiversity.
The cardamom sector faces many
challenges which vary between the
two major producing countries. The
challenges include:
• Price volatility – cardamom is sold
predominantly as a spice which
limits the ability to limit price
fluctuations.
• Dependence on many
intermediaries, particularly in
Guatemala, leading to a long value
chain and substantially reducing
transparency and traceability.
• Issues of low production yields and
quality in part due to diseases such
as thrips which lower the quality of
the seeds.
• Use of forbidden chemicals
leading to pesticide residues on the
cardamom pods.
• Location of dehydration ovens
– often a long distance from
cooperatives.
• End use companies are increasingly
requiring traceability for their
ingredients. The long supply
chain in Guatemala involving many
intermediaries (“coyotes”) makes
implementing increasing client
demands for traceability more
difficult. There are often many
intermediaries both for green and
dried cardamom, making it difficult
to track the product, especially
when dealing with very small lots of
a few kgs. In addition, intermediaries
are often reluctant to divulge their
sources. To try to overcome this
some companies try to incorporate
intermediaries in their supply chain
to facilitate greater traceability and
transparency.
Other actions being adopted in an
effort to overcome these challenges
include:
• Giving technical assistance
at source to facilitate better
practices and higher yields, along
with improved quality and fewer
pesticides.
• Integrating intermediaries as
part of the value chain, thus raising
transparency, and helping to
integrate the local actors and make
monitoring and traceability easier to
establish.
• Introduction of efficient ovens
operated directly by grower
cooperatives or the establishment
of ovens in distant regions close
to producers so that there are
fewer intermediaries involved. This
keeps the value of drying within
local communities and helps
strengthen the cooperatives and
cardamom production.
• Price volatility can be limited by
being within proximity of
producers and the implementation
of sustainable value chains.
• Most cardamom is grown under
some form of cover but if grown
under full exposure to the sun
there can be issues of deforestation
and biodiversity. In some areas of
Guatemala trees are being added
over the production site to
encourage forestation and
biodiversity.
• Most Guatemalan cardamom
production is integrated into the
forest and the day-to-day living of
the people as well as protecting the
biodiversity.
• Following processing the waste
products are utilised for a variety of
purposes including sources of
energy for the boilers and as
manure.
Pests and diseases
In both Guatemala and India pests
and diseases are a major problem
for cardamom. In Guatemala thrips
(Liothrips vaneeckei, Frankliniella
occidentales, Thrips palmi) damage
around 20% of the total harvest. Thrips
stop the seed maturing and damage
the husks, producing small pods
which are difficult to sell in the spice
market.

WORLD 27
The use of insecticides among a
few producers around Guatemala
and India has resulted in traces of
chemicals in the final product, but also
the interruption of the reproduction
cycles of pollinating insects. However,
given the extent of the cardamom
production, most batches are
compliant with pesticide limits, even if
it is better to test systematically.
Training needs to be implemented
at the source, including regulation of
shade, pruning, cleaning of the crop
and the use of biological controllers
to regulate the management of the
thrips in a more agro-ecological way.
However, in India pesticide residue is a
major problem and limits the meeting
of the regulatory requirements. The
regulations are becoming more
demanding with reduced levels of
PPM (parts per million) requirements.
CONCLUSIONS
Cardamom is the black seed
contained in the capsular green
fruit of the plant E. cardamomum,
known as small cardamom. It is one
of the world’s most valuable spices
with recent annual export value in
excess of US$ 1.0 billion. Production
is dominated by two countries,
Guatemala and India, although
several other tropical countries
produce both small cardamom and
the larger cardamom (from Amomum
and Aframomum species). Over
the past few decades, the trend in
production is upwards and current
annual production of small cardamom
exceeds 55,000 MT, with Guatemala
accounting for approximately 60%.
Almost all Guatemala production
is exported, but India consumes a
sizable proportion domestically.
Cardamom is used in both flavours
(c. 60%), especially beverages, and
fragrances (c. 30%) with small but
growing quantities in aromatherapy.
It is primarily consumed as a spice,
while cardamom oil output is small.
Estimated annual oil production in
Guatemala is between 30 - 35 MT and
in India production is around 35 - 40
MT. There is negligible distillation
in cardamom importing countries.
Small quantities of expensive CO2
extract are also produced. The crop
is produced by smallholders on small
plots of land ranging from 0.5 ha to 5
ha. The crop is vital to the livelihoods
of many hundreds of thousands
of people: there are an estimated
350,000 smallholder producers of
cardamom in Guatemala and some
50,000 in India. In addition, there
are many thousands working in the
cardamom supply chains: collectors,
traders, warehouse keepers, distillers,
input and packaging suppliers,
farmers’ groups, transport agents,
auctioneers, exporters etc.
The cardamom sectors in both
Guatemala and India face many
challenges: price volatility, pests
and diseases, pesticide residues,
long supply chains, issues relating to
quality and yields. In both countries
considerable efforts are being made
to overcome these challenges,
including technical support and
processing improvements. In
addition, efforts continue to protect
the environment and its biodiversity
including implementing sustainable
and traceability practices to try
to ensure a fair and transparent
relationship with the producers,
many tens of thousands of whom are
dependent on cardamom for their
livelihoods.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aragon, Elisa (2021) Guatemala
Cardamom Session, presentation
at IFEAT Online Conference 9-10
November 2021.
Bernard P. Champon Sr. (2001) The
Essential Oil Industries of Honduras
and Haiti Paper presented at the IFEAT
2001 International Conference ‘The
Essential Oils of South and Central
America’; Buenos Aires, Argentina;
11-15 Nov. 2001. Pages 91-99 in the
Conference Proceedings.
Distillers United website
http://www.distillersunited.com/
forums/questions-answers/
fractional-distillation/whatprocess-fractional-distillationcedarwood-oil
Dr. M. Shahul Hameedu Supply Chain
Analysis of Cardamom in Kerala
International Journal of Scientific and
Research Publications, Volume 4,
Issue 3, March 2014 1 ISSN
2250-3153. www.ijsrp.org
J.W. Purseglove et al (1981) Spices
Chap 10 Cardamom pp. 581 – 643.
Rajamannar, Mithun Chakravarthy
(2021) Cardamom in India,
presentation at IFEAT Online
Conference 9-10 November 2021.
Spices Board of India, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry http://www.
indianspices.com/
Sri Lanka Ministry of Development of
Minor Crops and Export Promotion
http://www.dea.gov.lk/cardamom/
Vettorazzi, Cesar (2001) The Essential
Oils Industry of Guatemala Paper
presented at the IFEAT 2001
International Conference ‘The
Essential Oils of South and Central
America’; Buenos Aires, Argentina;
11-15 Nov. 2001. Pages 86–90 in the
Conference Proceedings.
1 This article is based partly on
the Cardamom Session held at
IFEAT’s Online Conference 9th
- 10th November 2021. Alongside
presentations from Elisa
Aragon and Mithun Chakravarthy
Rajamannar, the two other
presenters, Jill Costa and John
Wright, discussed the fragrance
and flavour aspects of cardamom
respectively.
2 Elisa Aragon, CEO, Nelixia,
Guatemala
3 Peter Greenhalgh, IFEAT
Consultant
4 Mithun Chakravarthy Rajamannar,
Director, Cardamom Products P.
Ltd., India
SOCIO–ECONOMIC REPORT ON CARDAMOM

Rosa damascena
The family-owned flavor and fragrance ingredient source since 1949.
+1 973 748 8980 • www.berjeinc.com

WORLD 29
IFEAT IS BUILDING A
POWERFUL NETWORK
OF EXPERTISE: THE
IFEAT PANEL OF
EXPERTS
Alongside the Executive Committee,
IFEAT is building a unique network
of pro bono experts from all regions
of the world to form the IFEAT Panel
of Experts. These individuals have
committed their careers to being
actively engaged in the essential oils
(EO) and associated natural complex
substance (NCS) industries, especially
in relation to their application in the
areas of flavours, fragrance, food and
feed, cosmetics, and aromatherapy.
Each expert also has decades of
experience in the F&F industry.
IFEAT IS AT THE CENTRE
OF A HUGE NETWORK
COVERING MOST F&F
INGREDIENTS
IFEAT has a large reach in terms
of people and activities related to
the world of flavour and fragrance
ingredients - in particular ingredients
derived from nature.
CAREFULLY
BROADENING IFEAT
PANEL OF EXPERTS
IFEAT is about passion, commitment
and results, and regularly engages
its team of international experts
to accomplish projects that are
beneficial to our industry.
CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE PANEL OF EXPERTS
(in alphabetical order):
If you have a profound attachment
with our industry, along with at
least 20 years of expertise, and the
desire to work on a pro bono basis
with a team of like-minded experts
from IFEAT, then we welcome you
to contact us for further discussion.
Hopefully you will meet the necessary
criteria to join our select IFEAT
Panel of Experts. IFEAT screens all
candidates according to requirements
through a thorough process which
has the merit to be very selective and
based on evolving needs.
For more information, please contact:
secretariat@ifeat.org
IFEAT PANEL OF EXPERTS
Dr. Ahmed Ali Dr. Wladyslaw S. Brud Mr. Francis Chagnaud Dr. Christopher Choi Prof. Dr. Agnieszka
Ludwiczuk
Mr. Ramkumar Menon Ms. Dorene Petersen Mr. Stephen Pisano Mr. Ravi Sanganeria Prof. Dr. Krzysztof
Śmigielski
Prof. Dr. Daniel Strub Mr. Robert Tisserand Mrs. Winnie Yeung

30
WORLD
MY FAVOURITE
LEMON
FROM THE GROUND
TO THE TABLE
BY JOHN L. CAVALLO, PH.D.
CITROMAX GROUP
MY FAVOURITE • LEMON
INTRODUCTION
If you enjoy the crisp refreshing taste
of a cold lemonade beverage, or
the refreshing taste of carbonated
water with a wedge of a crisp citrus
fruit added, or that twist of lemon in
the martini you enjoy before dinner,
then you are probably a consumer
who loves the refreshing taste that
lemon has to offer. Whether it is a
wedge of the fresh fruit added to your
favourite drink, its juice squeezed
and added on top of your favourite
food as a complement to enhance
the taste, its pulp or rind used in a
cooking or baking recipe, lemon offers
a universally accepted great taste that
is loved worldwide.
As a dedicated consumer of
lemons, I appreciate not only the
great refreshing taste of lemon, but
also how the farming, harvesting,
and processing of lemons helps to
support and provide a livelihood for
the thousands of workers involved in
making lemons available within the
marketplace.
The lemon (Citrus limon) grows on
flowering trees and is a member of
the Rutaceae family, with possible
origin and native to Northern India,
Asia, Northern Myanmar, and China.
Citrus plants constitute the main
source of essential oils used in foods
and beverages throughout the world.
The use of lemon dates to early times
when the plant was first cultivated in
middle eastern gardens as flowering
fruit-bearing trees, to a point in time
when one realised its juice could also
be enjoyed, and in the 18th century,
lemonade was introduced to the
Americas as a refreshing medicinal
drink believed to have many health
benefits. The tart, crisp, refreshing
taste of lemon is the result of the 5 -
7% lemon juice content present in the
fresh fruit and its citric acid content
which provides a natural low pH of
about 2.1 – 2.3. The combination of
the high aroma of lemon and its tart
taste produces the mouthwatering
effect one senses when the fresh fruit
is squeezed and its juice consumed.
LEMON USAGE
When one evaluates the use of
lemons, whether it be fresh fruit
or use of its by-products, it is fair
to say, “there is very little waste”.
Lemons have a variety of uses, but it
is mainly the lemon oil and juice that
find a home in food and beverage
applications. Except for Sfusato

WORLD 31
(Peretto) lemons grown in the Amalfi
region of Italy, lemons are rarely eaten
solely as a fresh fruit. Amalfi lemons
are unique and have an ellipticalelongated
shape and are light-yellow
in colour. The Amalfi lemon is highly
aromatic and high in essential oil and
terpenes. Its pulp is juicy, moderately
acidic, contains few seeds, is
somewhat large in size, and is rich in
vitamin C. The sweet-tasting Peretto
lemon is sometimes cut up, topped
with olive oil and salt, and eaten as a
nice refreshing salad. On a trip to the
Italian coast area a few years ago, I
was surprised when offered a lemon
salad dish. Frankly, I had never heard
of this before and was pleasantly
surprised when the dish was brought
out with the sliced lemons beautifully
presented on a white and yellow
platter. The combination of the lemon
juice and olive oil was simply an
amazing taste.
At home, the most common use for
lemons is to squeeze the fruit for
its juice content providing a highly
aromatic fresh scent, or a tart taste,
to a food or beverage. The pleasant
aroma of lemon provides all those
who happen to smell this refreshing
aroma a sense of refreshment and
cleanliness.
Lemon juice was once used to treat
scurvy prior to the identification of
vitamin C as a common cure for the
disease. Due to its ability to build
collagen, it has been in use for many
years for health improvement. It
has also been used as a traditional
treatment for blood pressure
control and for the common cold,
and coughs. In today’s market,
lemon juice finds a new use when
paired with sugar, or non-calorific
sweeteners, in the preparation
of lemonade, as well as for other
consumer goods products ranging
from soft drinks, sport and energy
drinks, flavoured iced teas, and in
both high and low alcohol cocktails.
Lemon simply adds the refreshing
taste loved by consumers.
In other parts of the world, lemon
juice is used as a food preservative,
specifically for foods that have a
tendency for short-term oxidation/
browning. In such cases, lemon juice
is sprinkled onto the food to prevent
enzymatic oxidation. Currently lemon
juice can also be used in the canning
industry to add flavour and to reduce
browning. Due to the high citric acid
content of lemon juice, it has also
been shown to extend the freshness
of baked goods and its possibility
to function as a replacement for
conventional citric acid has been
evaluated. Although the replacement
of conventional citric acid may be a
long-term wish, it is well known that
short-term shelf-life benefits can be
observed for certain fresh fruits and
vegetables with the addition of lemon
juice. Nevertheless, lemon juice alone
is not sufficient to provide extended
protection. In today’s market, “natural”
food options are a key consumer
driver, and it is a valuable initiative to
look for wholesome food ingredient
alternatives.
From a health standpoint, citric acid
is an important acid that is beneficial
due to its antioxidant properties
and offers protection against “free
radicals” along with improving heart
and skin health. Citric acid has also
been associated with improving other
important biological activities. In
addition, citric acid can help people
with low urinary citrate, as citrate can
help inhibit kidney stone formation by
preventing crystallisation of calcium
and oxalate, common to most kidney
stones. People with low urinary citric
acid are encouraged to consume
lemon juice and/or lemonade drinks.
LEMON OIL AND
BY-PRODUCTS
If you have ever cut into or “zested”
a lemon, you may have seen a small
amount of oil spray out from the
peel, or you may have felt a slight oily
feeling on your hands. In its simplest
term, this is an example of “cold
pressed” lemon oil. Cold pressed
lemon oil has a very different colour,
aroma, and taste profile than lemon
oil which is “distilled” from the peel.
Cold pressed lemon oil has many food
and beverage applications, ranging
from additives to soft drinks, alcoholic
beverages (limoncello, a traditional
Italian liqueur), ingredients for
fragrance formulations, and skincare
applications. More recently, lemon oil
has been used as an aroma enhancer
for aromatherapy applications.
MY FAVOURITE • LEMON

32
WORLD
Whether the lemon oil is delivered
through atomisers or candles, the
aroma is pleasant and relaxing.
Lemon oil is rich in very important
natural organic compounds
providing high biological activity.
The oil contains many phenolic
compounds and other flavonoids
providing many health benefits. The
oil is rich in D-limonene, β-pinene
and γ-terpinene, materials with
therapeutic functionality, such as
anti-inflammatory, pain relief, memory
enhancement, reducing bacteria
and virus propagation, antioxidant
properties, disease prevention, stress
relief, and a host of other benefits.
The actual lemon peel is an
ingredient that finds its home in
a specialised industry dedicated
to pectin extraction. Pectin is an
ingredient used in the manufacture of
candies, desserts, and certain types
of mouthfeel enhanced beverages
popular in certain markets around
the world. The lemon pulp is another
important ingredient used in certain
beverages where opaqueness and
enhanced mouthfeel is desired.
LEMON OIL
COMPOSITION –
FROM ORGANOLEPTIC
TO HEALTH
The composition of lemon oil has
been thoroughly studied and reported
on for many years. The excellent
work carried out by past and present
researchers has led to the thorough
elucidation on the critically important
aroma chemicals found in lemon
oil that provide lemon oil with its
characteristic taste and aroma
attributes. The simplest segmentation
of the components found in lemon
oil can be divided into volatile and
non-volatile components. Some of
the volatile components are the main
constituents of lemon aroma and
taste. The volatile components are
mostly related to the “top notes” of
lemon oil, the high aroma contributing
attributes one quickly perceives
when you smell and/or taste lemon
oil. The non-volatile materials can
be classified as those components
contributing to the “back-end” notes
that provide lemon oil with its deep
taste characteristics and mouthfeel
enhancement properties, the
attributes consumers perceive upon
tasting or smelling the oil.
Lastly, one may consider and
highlight the healthy aspects and
ingredients present in lemon. In this
MY FAVOURITE • LEMON

WORLD 33
case, the juice, peel, pulp cells, and
fruit are a class of compounds which
includes flavonoids, plant metabolites
containing phenolic structures, which
are naturally occurring materials
normally found in plant tissue in
the form of sugar conjugates. The
flavonoid glycosides are found in
lemon at a significant level and
include flavonones, such as hesperidin,
naringin, and eriocitrin; flavones, such
as diosmetin, luteolin, apigenin; and
flavonols, such as quercertin. These
nutraceutical ingredients have great
value in the supplement industry.
Recent studies have shown their
health benefits for lowering the risk
of cancer, inflammation reduction,
and protection against other chronic
diseases.
With the well accepted taste and
aroma of lemon and the powerful
natural aroma chemicals and
antioxidants present, it’s no wonder
that foods and beverages containing
lemon are enjoyed around the world
not only for their great taste, but also
for the many potential health benefits.
Lemon is enjoyed worldwide as both
a healthy natural product and as a
mainstream therapeutic remedy. A
significant portion of these “illnessfighters”
have been identified,
isolated, and evaluated from both the
volatile and non-volatile fractions of
lemon oil and there is no doubt that
additional research on these natural
materials will continue in the future.
It is clear to see that lemons are
a fruit recognised and enjoyed by
worldwide consumers. Whether
lemons are used for the oil from their
peel in the preparation of beverages,
flavourings, cosmetic applications,
or its holistic use in aromatherapy, its
juice in the preparation of beverages
or its use as a condiment for foods,
the use of its peel constituents in food
applications, or the enjoyment of the
fresh fruit, lemons bring pleasure to
the consumer.
When one thinks of lemons,
one usually thinks of freshness,
wholesomeness, refreshing, and
clean tasting. It’s a taste and aroma
recognised from childhood and not
forgotten.
Lemon, the fruit loved by consumers
from the ground up!
For more information on lemon see
IFEAT Socio-Economic Report on
Lemon, IFEATWORLD 2021
September 2021 pp. 14-30
MY FAVOURITE • LEMON
LEMON, THE FRUIT GLOBALLY
ENJOYED BRINGS A SMILE TO
THE FACE OF CLAIRE LIN,
GENERAL MANAGER, CITROMAX
INGREDIENTS (SHANGHAI), CO., LTD.
during a visit to our lemon orchards
in Tucuman, Argentina.

34
WORLD
IN THE NEWS
VALUING OUR ‘SCENTS’
OF IDENTITY
UK-WIDE SURVEY GIVES UNIQUE INSIGHTS
INTO UK’S SENSE OF SMELL
The International Fragrance Association UK (IFRA UK) has
undertaken a recent YouGov survey to take an in-depth look
at the UK’s sense of smell and how much we value it.
The survey showed that less than one percent of UK adults
will acknowledge having no sense of smell, with women
more likely than men to say their sense of smell is excellent.
It also revealed that over half of UK adults (55%) say they
notice the smell of things five or more times a day and
almost two thirds (64%) say they can imagine particular
smells well, such as cut grass, fresh laundry, and fried
onions. Almost half the population (49%) notice the scents
of friends or relatives, and over two thirds (71%) of the
population notice the smell of places they visit regularly,
such as museums, holiday spots or churches.
The survey revealed that for 60% of UK adults the main
feeling evoked by their sense of smell is nostalgia. Much
of that sense of comfort and sentimentality is connected
to food - almost a third of UK adults (32%) appreciate their
sense of smell because it helps sharpen their appetite. When
asked what childhood smells they remember, responses
included ‘freshly mown grass’; ‘cakes baking’; ‘the smell
of rain’; ‘melting Tarmac’; ‘Sunday roast cooking’ and even
‘school dinners!’ When asked what smells they no longer
encounter and miss, many responses were linked to food and
home comforts, including ‘grandparents cooking’; ‘grandma’s
kitchen’; ‘my mum’s face cream’ and ‘grandad’s shed’.
The YouGov survey was conducted on behalf of the
International Fragrance Association UK (IFRA UK).

WORLD 35
CALL FOR SUBMISSION
OF PAPERS
BERLIN
CONFERENCE DATES
IFEAT is inviting submissions for speakers and workshop/
masterclass leaders for the Berlin Conference which
will take place from 8th to 12th October 2023 at the
InterContinental Hotel.
The speaker programme will once again run during each
of the four mornings from Monday to Thursday between
9:00 am and 12 noon.
The theme for Berlin in 2023 is Trade. Tradition. Modern
Spirit.
Some of the things we want to discuss are old trade
channels in contrast with the new silk road, traditional
products but with new applications. For example,
historical rose oil but evaluated with modern analytical
methods, and of course much more.
Of specific interest are topics or new developments
regarding:
• Aromatic agricultural practice: developments and
challenges, past, present, future; organic farming with a
focus on organic production, pesticides, and markets.
• Essential oils: developments, emerging markets,
production and fields of application.
• Legislative and regulatory developments; e.g. newest
developments in the implementation of the EU Green
Deal, Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) and
Farm to Fork Strategy.
• Sustainability initiatives, best practices and lessons
learnt.
• Aroma chemicals and developments/aspects of the
German F&F industry, as well as natural chemicals in
Europe.
• Biotech developments and issues.
• Aromatherapy and science.
• Crop/market reports.
For more information and to download the Call for Papers
form for submission, please visit the page on the IFEAT
website at: https://bit.ly/3zJ3NJG
Unfortunately the timing of the 2023 Anuga Trade Fair
clashes with our own 2023 Berlin Conference.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to postpone
the Berlin Conference planned for 2020 and had to
reschedule it again in 2021. However, the chosen venue
only had availability from 8th to 12th October 2023 and
we had no choice but to take these dates due to our
financial commitment as otherwise we stood to lose
the large deposits we had invested in securing the
venue for the event.
For each Conference, IFEAT chooses the dates carefully
and endeavours to schedule them so they do not
coincide with religious holidays, larger industry events,
and other important dates.
Unfortunately, the dates we had to take for the 2023
Conference do coincide with the Anuga Trade Fair,
therefore the situation is beyond our control.
We hope you will still be able to join us in Berlin!
IFEAT 2023 BERLIN CONFERENCE

NEW IFEAT MEMBERS
Below is a list of new IFEAT Members
who had joined by 1st December 2022
Ascent Finechem Pvt. Ltd.
Prem Nagar Industrial Estate, Kanth Road, Moradabad, UP, 244001, India
Contact: Ms Anmol Jain
Email: anmol@ascentfinechem.com
Web: www.ascentfinechem.com
Ascent Finechem is an Indian manufacturer and exporter of fine and specialty
chemicals, specialising in para anisic aldehyde and derivatives.
Chemsynergy
1100 Burloak Drive, Suite 101, Burlington ON, L7L 6B2, Canada
Contact: Ms Allison Pearce
Email: allison@chemsynergyinc.com
Web: www.chemsynergyinc.com
Chemsynergy Inc. is a chemical distribution company that strives to deliver quality
products at competitive prices while providing outstanding customer service.
Fontaine Group/Creed
20 Farringdon Street, London, EC4A 4AB, UK
Contact: Ms Roser Ruiz
Email: roser.ruiz@fragrances-production.fr
Contact: Ms Vincyane Monnerot
Email: Vincyane.Monnerot@fontainegroup.com
Web: www.creedfragrance.com
A fragrance company using the finest raw materials to produce niche perfumes.
The company was established in 1760 in London by Creed’s family and the business
passed from fathers to sons. Currently the company belongs to BlackRock group
and sells its fragrances to 90 countries.
Orlife Global İç Ve Diş Ticaret Anonim Şirketi
Halil Rifat Paşa Mah. Nazli Sokak Birinci Apt. No: 1-5 Kat: 2,
Ofis: 18 P.k.: 34384 Şişli/istanbul, Turkey
Contact: Mr. B. Zafer Özgünay
Email: zaferozgunay@orlifeglobal.com
Web: https://www.orlifeglobal.com/en
Orlife Global is a strong and reliable company in the essential and fixed oil sector,
which was established with domestic capital. The company has adopted the
principle of “quality first” at the beginning of its journey and continues on its way
without compromising this principle.
Younis Aroma
Airport Road, Bosaso, Puntland, State of Somalia
Contact: Dr. Mohamed Abdinasir Hagi
Email: info@younisaroma.com
hagi@younisaroma.com
Web: https://younisaroma.com
Younis Aroma is proud to offer its customers pure essential oils, sourced straight
from the Puntland, the natural habitat historically known as the “Land of Aroma”,
where frankincense and other related rare species grow.
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF
ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMA TRADES LIMITED
IFEAT c/o TC Group, Level 1, Devonshire House,
One Mayfair Place, London W1J 8AJ
T: +44 (0) 1707 245862 | E: secretariat@ifeat.org
www.ifeat.org | www.facebook.com/IFEAT.ORG
Editorial & Advertising enquiries: Tina Hotchin. E: ifeatworld@ifeat.org
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