Annex White book.pdf

A3.1 STORAGE BEFORE PACKAGINGIn Castile-La Mancha, the producers and producers-traders, store saffronfor about one year. Nowadays, effort is made to eliminate the myth of along-term conservation regarding saffron. The market trend is to purchaseand trade saffron during the same year of its production (an indispensablecondition for saffron with a designation of origin). The use of thermo-humiditymeters enables temperature and humidity control, but the mostcommon practice is to store the product in a cool and dark place.Packers- distributors in Castile-La Mancha store saffron in coolingcompartments. If no such facilities are available, saffron is stored in acool place, unexposed to light. The storage conditions are:· Temperature between 5 and 10 o C· Humidity: nowadays humidity varies between 30 – 50 %The time between storage and packaging varies and depends onthe packer. Some of them purchase the annual production and startpackaging within a short period of time, according the current marketdemands. It is very common that after purchasing the new harvest, theolder saffron is discharged due to loss of its organoleptic features.In the storage room, saffron is kept in plastic bags and in woodenor polystyrene containers.In Western Macedonia, the producers store saffron at low temperatureand in 2,5 kg containers or in 10-15 kg barrels or in plastic bags.The average storage time is one or two months. Relative humidity of saffronis about 10% while the environment humidity is at 40-60%. Storagetemperature is lower than 10 o C. The producers – traders store saffronin refrigerators in 2,5 kg containers or in 10-15 kg barrels or in plasticbags. The average storage time is up to five years. Relative humidityof each sample is about 10% while environment humidity is about 40– 60%. Storage temperature is at 4 o C.In Sardinia, (producers and producers – traders) after drying of saffron,the spice is kept in sealed tin foil or opaque glass containers inorder to avoid any exposure to light and air. Saffron is kept in such containersbefore distribution. Generally, the product is distributed within12 months after harvesting. The storage rooms have a controlled temperatureand humidity environment.In Sardinia and Western Macedonia the storage conditions appliedby the packer – distributor are the same.A3.2 PROCEDURES BEFORE PACKAGINGThe procedures that take place before packaging are manual weighingby small precision scales, cleaning, disinfection, humidity control,batch homogenization and grinding.132