Food Safety Aspect in the Use of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Cleaning Process of Coriander Seeds

Abstract

Eventhough coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is one of important spices for Indonesian traditional cuisine, it is mostly imported from others countries. One problem related to imported coriander is its appearance with dark brown color does not meet Indonesians consumers preference. To improve the appearance of imported coriander, the importers usually threat the herb by cleaning them using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Unfortunately, there is no standard to apply H2O2 as cleaning agent. This condition causes the cleaning process increases potential risk of H2O2 residual contamination on coriander seeds. This research was carried out by treatment of various doses and concentrations of H2O2, drying methods and duration of post-cleaning storage time to observe the effect of using H2O2 as cleaning agent on safety aspect. The result of parameter measured shows that H2O2 treatment did not cause a significant difference in the proximate test. The higher concentration of H2O2 treatment combined with mechanical drying resulted in brighter coriander seeds and more effective brightness achievement. Treatment of H2O2 with a higher concentration resulted in a higher residual value, while mechanical drying method resulted in a more rapid decrease in the residual value of H2O2. The residual value of H2O2 in coriander seeds decreased with longer post-cleaning storage time. All treatment variations resulted in allowable residual value that meet the EPA standard at 30 days storage after treatment.