Abstract:
The growing global demand for high-quality cinnamon emphasizes the importance of
maintaining strict hygiene standards during its processing. This study evaluated the
postharvest practices and hygienic conditions of the cinnamon processing centers in
Matara, a key cinnamon-producing district of Sri Lanka. A total of 50 cinnamon
processors were randomly selected. Data were collected through a survey using a
pre-tested questionnaire, key informant interviews, and secondary sources.
Physicochemical parameters and microbial quality were assessed in the laboratory to
evaluate the quality of processed cinnamon obtained from the surveyed processing
centers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one sample t-test and one
way ANOVA. The postharvest practices of the processing centers included; field
harvesting, scrapping, rubbing, peeling, drying and grading. Among the processing
centers, 78% had dusty environments and only 30% were equipped with proper
sanitary facilities. Just 4% of processing centers had drying racks. Only 10% of
centers cleaned their storage areas daily, while 16% neglected the building
maintenance. Among the processing centers, only 12% organized their buildings
according to processing steps, while in 58% of cases, processing areas were not
adequately separated, increasing the risk of cross-contamination. Accordingly, 36%
of centers lacked proper dining areas, forcing workers to eat within the processing
areas. All the samples collected from the processing centers had significantly higher
(p>0.05) water activity (WA) and insect counts (IC) than the control samples and the
reference values (WA 0.55-0.70, IC 0). Further, the diameter of cinnamon quills was
significantly higher (p>0.05) than the control sample (12.39 mm). The L*, a*, and b*
values for color of the cinnamon collected from processing centers were 43.7, 12.5,
and 20.5 respectively. Total plate count and yeast and mold count were significantly
higher (p>0.05) than in the control sample (0 CFU mL-1). In conclusion, the samples
collected complied only to few good manufacturing practice requirements related to
hygiene.
