IFEATWORLD December 2022

CIT-22-xxxxx-08-IFEAT_PrintAd_001.pdf 1 8/10/22 2:11 PM 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K

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 


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 


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 


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 


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 


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 

WORLD 


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 


• Small green: diameter of 5 mm with 


• 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. 


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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 


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. 


22 

WORLD 


INDIA KERALA 

Map credit: Kambliyil, CC BY-SA 4.0 

, 

via Wikimedia Commons

24 

WORLD 

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 


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. 


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 


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 


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 

Registered in England & Wales with liability limited by guarantee 

under Company no. 01369368. © IFEAT. All rights reserved. 

No part of this publication may be copied, stored, published or in 

any way reproduced without the prior written consent of IFEAT. 

Companies are reminded that the IFEAT logo can only be used 

(on websites and email signatures) by fully paid-up IFEAT Members. 

A Fitzpatrick Design 

IFEATWORLD is printed by the Pureprint Group 

on sustainably sourced paper certified by FSC ® 

and Carbon Balanced with the World Land Trust

IFEATWORLD December 2022

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