Chilli processing plants in Mahbubabad extract oleoresin exporting to 85 countries: KTR

HYDERABAD: The chilli processing units set up at Mahbubabad have indeed made mark by producing half of the global market share in producing plant-based oleoresins.

Sharing the success story of industrialisation in rural Telangana, Industries Minister K T Rama Rao took to Twitter early on Sunday morning and expressed his pleasure over the fact that 85 percent of Oleoresin extracted from the two plants is exported.

Mahbubabad in one of the highest chilli producing districts in Telangana with an annual production of approximately 1.5 lakh metric tonnes (about 25 percent of the total Telangana's production). Telangana produced 6.51 lakh metric tonnes of red chillies in 2021-22 and stood first in the country in chilli production.

The chilli varieties of of ‘Teja’, Wonder Hot, ‘US341’ fetched very good prices at Enumamula agricultural market yard in old Warangal district, which is the hot bed of chilli production.

Some chilli varieties fetched prices ranging between Rs.25,000 and a whopping Rs.90,000 in Enumamula market.

KTR said: “Further, the quality of the chilli produced in the district is globally accepted as that of top standard.

“To support the chilli farmers, we have facilitated, through speedy land allotment and incentives, setting up of two large chilli processing plants in Mahbubabad district with a total capacity to process one lakh metric tonnes of chillis per annum.”

These two industrial units extract oleoresin and exports from these units are shipped all over the world to more than 85 countries.

“These companies collectively produce more than 50 percent of global market share for plant-based oleoresins,” the minister pointed out.

Oleoresins are used in manufacturing of perfumes, medicines, tear-gas, soaps, cosmetics, colouring agents for foods.

What are oleoresins?

Scientific researches have extensively studied the extraction process and uses of the oleoresins. One study by Darrel R Suderman on “Batters and Breadings in Food Processing”, a volume in American Associate of Cereal Chemists International, has explained the process of oleoresin extraction.

It says, “Oleoresins are resin-like viscous materials obtained when a spice is extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent. The solvent is removed by vacuum distillation and reused. Oleoresins are 5–20 times stronger in flavor than their corresponding spices and are weaker than the corresponding essential oils.

Oleoresins’ advantages over their corresponding spices are similar to those of essential oils. During extraction of oleoresins, fewer low flavor notes are destroyed than during steam distillation of the essential oils.”