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National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR,

THIRUVANANTHAPURM 695 019

WHITE PEPPER

White pepper is obtained byremoving the outer skin, namelypericarp and outer portion of themesocarp of the ripe or maturedgreen berries or dried black pepper(Piper nigrumL.). The white pepperberries are light yellow greyish incolour; nearly globular in shape;around 5mm or less in diameter;smooth; striated with small

protuberance at the base.

CLEAN PRODUCTION OF WHITEPEPPER- A SUCCESSFUL BIOPROCESS

The hard outer skin is loosened in 2to 4 days using the general purpose

leach-bed anaerobic digestionprocess developed by NIIST-CSIR.The in-situ microbial production ofhydrolytic enzymes is responsible forthe degradation of the skin.

During the process pectin, theintercellular cementing substancepresent in the pulpy uppermesocarpic area of pepper skin isdegraded and breaks apart from thecore. The pectin degradation iseffected through release ofpectinases by the bacteria grown inthe anaerobic system. The best

operational conditions for biologicalskin removal through the anaerobicprocess are in temperature between30 to 37 C and neutral pH.

This pectin fermentation begins fromthe day one and completes on 2ndor3rd in green pepper and 4th day inblack pepper.

In the process of white pepperpreparation volatile fatty acids (VFA)

are generated from the degradationof pectin. This VFA is notaccumulated in the system becauseof the growth of methanogens thatconvert the short chain fatty acids

Current status

There are chemical, biological and

physical methods for the conversion

of pepper into white pepper. Natural

retting can be used to remove the

skin, but requires long time (7-15

days) steeping the pepper in stagnant

or running waters. Major limitations

of this retting process include quality

deterioration of the product.

WHITE PEPPER PRODUCTION FROM GREEN AND BLACK

PEPPER (Pepper nigrumL.)

Scope of White Pepper

India is the 4th

largest pepper

producer in the world, production of

67,000 metric tons in 2008. Annual

white pepper contribution in India is

less than 250 metric tones against the

world demand of more than 1,50,000

metric tones. Indonesia is the largest

white pepper producing country,

converts about 50 % of its pepper towhite. Malaysia and Brazil convert

about 10 % and 5% of their pepper to

white respectively.

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