Capsicum Case Study

1. INTRODUCTION
Capsicum (“Capsicum annum L.”) also known as peepers are one of the most important commercial crops in India belonging to the family Solanaceae. In India, only two spices viz. capsicum annum and capsicum frutsecens are known and most of the cultivated varieties belong to capsicum annum. It was introduced in India by the Portugese in Goa in the middle of 17th century. Capsicum is cultivated for vegetable, spice, and value-added processed products which has an important constituent of many foods, adding flavor and colour. It is also used for preparing soups, salads and stews (Anonymous, 2009).
India and China are main countries in which a large amount of capsicum is grown. Both of them, India are the largest producer, consumer
Mainly peppers are classified as red, yellow, orange, green, brown, white and purple depending on the availability of colour present. Among these green bell peppers are naturally rich in ascorbic acid and vitamin A. Green colour of capsicum is mainly due to the carotenoids pigments (Anu and Peter, 2000). The most important quality attributes in capsicum are the colour and the pungency. The pungency of capsicums is due to the compound capsaicin. Capsaicin is a lipophilic chemical which produces a burning sensation in the mouth and to prevent and treat cancer since this compound prevent carcinogens from binding with the DNA. Capsaicin is also known to block the transmission of pain from the skin to the spinal cord and treating a condition called neuralgia, pain linked with herpes zoster and postoperative amputation trauma. Capsicum promotes cardiac health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It has anti-inflammatory properties, stimulates stomach secretions and improves
After harvest capsicum are highly perishable and at ambient conditions the quality can be maintained for only a short time (3-4 days). Therefore, capsicums need to be dried quickly without impairing quality, colour and pungency and drying is the common and oldest method of food preservation to store and extend their shelf life for months or even years. Drying significantly reduces water activity, avoiding potential deterioration and contamination during long storage periods, also the food quality is preserved, the hygienic conditions are improved, so also product loss is diminished. It reduces the bulk weight and volume thus facilitates ease of packaging, transportation, and storage space requirements (Swain et al.,