Everything about the millennium spice ginger and "ginger extract"

1.Ginger: Back then, I was the "gold", not the supporting role

Ginger, the underground rhizome of a perennial herb (Zingiber officinale), has a mottled and sturdy appearance and has a pungent and warm nature. It can keep out the cold, accelerate blood circulation and sweat, and stimulate gastric juice secretion, promote body digestion, and has the effect of strengthening the body.

Thousands of years ago, ginger was discovered and used by the ancients. It is said that its origin is in Southeast Asia and gradually spread to all parts of the world with the migration of humans. However, at the beginning, people mainly used it to treat diseases. Ancient India likened ginger to "a wonderful medicine given by God" and used it as a wind-repellent medicine for elephantiasis, gout, indigestion, etc. Of course, it is well known that in contemporary India, ginger is still one of the indispensable seasonings in local cuisine.

In China, ginger also has a long history of Chinese medicinal materials. According to archaeological evidence, ginger has a history of more than 5,000 years in China. The Shennong Herbal Classic records that ginger can warm the middle and dispel cold, remove dampness and resolve phlegm, stop vomiting and stop diarrhea ("warm the middle and stop bleeding, sweat, and expel wind and dampness"). The Annotations to the Analects of Confucius describes it as "connecting with the gods and removing filth and evil", and the Compendium of Materia Medica introduces ginger as "spicy but not meaty, removing evil and warding off evil... can be a vegetable, can be mixed, can be a fruit, can be a medicine". In modern times, ginger is also used for seasoning and is listed as one of the "thirteen spices".

In Japan, ginger is used to make ginger tea, ginger wine and other drinks, and is also added to various dishes to improve the taste and nutritional value of food. Around the 13th century AD, ginger was introduced to Europe by Arabs. Due to the limitations of the planting environment, ginger became an expensive spice comparable to gold and became a noble imported product on the Western table. Ginger in the Middle Ages was also widely used in the medical field and was regarded as an important medicinal material for treating various diseases. At the same time, ginger is also used to make various desserts such as cakes and biscuits, becoming an important part of European baking culture. In general, ginger has played an important role in human history. From ancient times to modern times, ginger has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, food, beverages and other fields, becoming an indispensable part of people's lives. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, people's understanding and application of ginger are also constantly expanding and updating.

2.Global trade and industrialization of ginger

Asia is the region with the largest ginger planting area in the world, led by China and India, and the planting area of ​​the two countries accounts for more than 60% of the world. In the world ginger trade, the export volume of China, India and Thailand accounts for as high as 58%. As European countries gradually begin to recognize the multiple values ​​of ginger, production and import and export volumes have shown a significant upward trend. European countries represented by the Netherlands and Germany have become an important part of the ginger trade system.

Firmenich has launched a global consumer insight quantitative research program "Emotion360™". In related research, ginger has a strong emotional resonance and can evoke people's associations with emotions such as power, security, trust, practicality, vitality and rejuvenation. The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has accelerated the popularity and spread of ginger in a sense. Therefore, it is not surprising that ginger and grapefruit were selected as the "Flavor of the Year" by Firmenich in 2021. According to the report "Ginger Market: Global Industry Trends, Shares, Size, Growth, Opportunities and Forecasts 2022-2027" released by the international market consulting group imarc, it is expected to grow to US$4.3 billion by 2027 (US$2.7 billion in 2021), with an average annual growth rate of 8.2%. Today, ginger has a variety of basic applications around the world. In India, "Katlu" candied candies made from a mixture of ginger, resin, nuts and sugar are very popular. In the West, ginger is used to make sweets, such as the well-known ginger beer and Christmas souvenir gingerbread.

In China, we often see ginger oil, ginger powder, ginger essential oil, ginger tea, pickled ginger, ginger wine, ginger syrup and ginger cakes. Thanks to China's many excellent ginger varieties, such as Shandong meat ginger, Sichuan bamboo root ginger, Anhui Tongling white ginger, Longhui County tiger claw ginger and Taiwan fat ginger, they provide a rich treasure trove of raw materials for the development of industrialized ginger food and ginger raw materials and auxiliary materials.

3.What new stories are there about ginger extracts

Data shows that the market growth rate of ginger extract is showing a considerable trend. According to Market Research Future, the global ginger extract market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.1% and reach US$1.332 billion by 2025. Among them, the food and beverage sector is expected to reach US$632.3 million by the end of 2025. At present, ginger extract is widely used in the food and beverage industry, including carbonated soft drinks, beer mixes, energy drinks, distilled beverages, tea beverages, baked products, syrups, candies and ice cream.

As for the ginger-flavored finished products related to the consumer end, the more common flavor combinations are pure ginger flavor, ginger lemon, ginger grapefruit, ginger honey and ginger peach, etc., and other flavor combinations are less common. There is a platform that studies the flavor combination of ginger and believes that ginger and eggs, ginger and rhubarb, ginger and mint may be a good combination. Ginger has a special flavor and is very plastic. Whether it is product category or flavor development, the innovation of ginger concept products has a lot of room for development.

On the other hand, Japan, as one of the important markets for functional foods in the world, represents the vane of global functional raw materials and application innovation in terms of product innovation. For example, in early 2023, Indena Japan launched a new raw material called "MITIDOR®︎", which is a compound of standardized ginger and Acmela extract. Ginger extract contains 2.4-3.9% of standardized gingerol and total gingerol, while Acmela extract contains 0.3-0.6% of standardized spilanthol. The recommended daily intake is 350 mg twice a day.

Studies have shown that this raw material can control the oxidative reaction that causes inflammation, thereby affecting joint pain. The specific mechanism of action includes direct and indirect effects. The direct effect is produced by interaction with the receptor CB2, while the indirect effect is involved in the physiological pain process by acting on the FAAH enzyme. These research results show that the MITIDOR®︎ raw material is expected to become a new choice for applications related to relieving joint pain.

In Canada, the local government also issued natural health product registration licenses to concentrated turmeric extract Curcugen and ginger extract Ginfort at the end of 2022.

It is reported that Curcugen is a 100% natural water-dispersible curcumin that blends proprietary turmeric oleoresin extract and fresh turmeric rhizome extract. Clinical studies have shown that Curcugen has a positive effect in helping post-exercise recovery, promoting digestion, improving mood and relieving joint discomfort. Currently, Curcugen is undergoing a clinical study to evaluate its role in fatigue, cognitive performance and mood. The ingredient has obtained the US Self-Affirmed GRAS status in March 2021 and can be added to food and beverage products such as yogurt, nutrition bars and smoothies, with an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 210mg/person/day. Earlier in 2022, Curcugen was also recognized as a food supplement ingredient by several European countries, allowing standardized use at the most common clinical dose of 500mg/day.

In the future, as people's demand for healthy diet continues to increase and ginger extract processing technology continues to improve and enhance, I believe its application in the food field will become more and more extensive.