We design, build and commission continuous steam sterilization systems and complete spice processing plants, and help existing factories run them better.
Trusted on sterilization projects by ofi (Olam Food Ingredients)
Electrical and mechanical engineering know-how, applied specifically to spice processing. Whether you are building a new plant or fixing an existing line, we take responsibility for the outcome.
Continuous, automated steam sterilizers built indigenously to your capacity and product mix, with the full upstream and downstream line.
Plant layout and electrification, equipment selection, budgeting, vendor management, erection and commissioning, handled end to end.
We study your current line, identify the bottlenecks and execute the fix, including support for sterilization units already installed.
A short, high-temperature, high-pressure steam treatment that kills pathogens while the product itself never reaches damaging temperatures. Total plate count (TPC) is brought below the target set by your customer or regulator, with smell, taste and appearance preserved.
A first-in, first-out conveying system gives every particle the same residence time, around one minute, at the set temperature.
Product is mixed evenly and gently during treatment, so steam reaches every surface without damaging the material.
An immediate flow of dry, cool, filtered air in a fluidized bed thermally shocks surviving microbes and stabilises the product for safe packing. Final moisture is set by the program you choose.
Hoist, feed bin, vibratory bin, controlled feeder
Pneumatic conveying, bag filter, cyclone, preheater
Steam-locked rotary valves in and out of the sterilizer
Delumper and fluidized bed dryer with chilled air
Vibrosifter screen, magnet, online metal detector
Bagging system, ready for dispatch
We work alongside your project coordinator at every stage, so decisions stay with you and accountability stays with us.
From concept to a running line.
More output, fewer stoppages, from the line you already have.
We help you decide whether to build or source, specify it correctly and get it working on your line.
Bucket elevators, screw and flat conveyors, pneumatic conveying systems
Bag filters (conventional and pleated), cyclones, rotary valves
Hammer mills, pulverizers, universal mills, pin mills, roller mills
Graders, destoners, bin vibrators, electrostatic rollers
Vibrosifters, blenders, roasters
Magnetic separators, online and offline metal detectors
Batch and continuous steam sterilizers
Steam headers, chillers, hot and cold heat exchangers
Need something not listed? If it belongs in a spice factory, we can help specify, source or build it.
His understanding, knowledge, and ability to work with spice sterilization equipment is exceptional and his insights were a valuable contribution to our local team.
Read the full reference letterSigned, on ofi letterhead
“The project was successfully completed by Subash to the satisfaction of the team.”ofi reference letter
We have delivered on site in the USA, and we take on projects wherever the plant is. This is how an overseas project runs.
We start with a video call, your plant drawings, photos and product specification, and review the line or requirement before anyone travels.
You get a clear scope, budgetary estimate and timeline, agreed with your project coordinator before you commit.
We travel to your facility for installation, refurbishment, commissioning and operator training, as we did on ofi's sterilization project in New Mexico, USA.
After handover we stay available by video call, email and WhatsApp for troubleshooting, tuning and spare parts.
Based in Kochi, India (IST, UTC+5:30). We schedule calls in your working hours, whether you are in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East or Asia.
Founder & Principal Engineering Consultant
Spicetech Solutions is an independent engineering consultancy based in Kochi, Kerala, the heart of India's spice trade. We combine hands-on plant experience with electrical and mechanical engineering to help processors meet export-grade microbial standards and run efficient, reliable lines.
Spice processing and sterilization is all we do.
Locally built systems and spares lower cost and lead time.
We select equipment for your plant, not for a catalogue.
Replacement equipment comes with a performance guarantee.
Straight answers on how it works, what it does to your product, and how a project gets started.
Spices are farm products and often carry bacteria, yeasts and moulds, including pathogens such as Salmonella. Steam sterilization exposes the product briefly to saturated steam under pressure, which kills these microbes, then cools and dries it straight away.
Done well, it brings the total plate count (TPC) down to the level your buyer or regulator requires while keeping the spice's colour, aroma and flavour.
Steam is a physical treatment that uses only water, so it leaves no chemical residue.
Ethylene oxide is not permitted for treating food in the European Union, and EtO residues have caused large recalls of spices and seeds in export markets. Irradiation is allowed in many countries, but irradiated food has to be labelled in major markets such as the EU and the US, and some buyers will not accept it. For exporters, steam is usually the treatment buyers are most comfortable with.
Any heat treatment can affect quality if it runs too long or too hot, so the process is built around short, controlled exposure. In a continuous system every particle gets the same residence time (about a minute in our reference chilli line), and flash cooling in a fluidized bed with dry, filtered air stops the heat immediately.
Temperature, time and moisture are set for each product to balance microbial reduction against quality.
Steam adds some moisture as it condenses on the product. The fluidized-bed stage after the sterilizer cools the product and dries it back down, and the final moisture is set by the drying program you choose, so the product is stable for packing.
Steam is very effective against vegetative bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli; our reference line is designed for a 5-log reduction. Heat-resistant spores are harder to kill and may need a separate treatment regime. We advise on this during design.
Chilli, whole and ground spices, seeds and herbs, in pieces up to about 10 mm. Products with very different particle sizes or oil contents may need different settings, which we work out during design.
Our reference chilli line is rated at a nominal 1,000 kg/h and uses about 400 kg/h of steam at 8 kg/cm². Every line is engineered to the client's products and target throughput, so capacity is fixed during design.
Yes. We study your existing line, recommend improvements and carry them out, including performance tuning, troubleshooting and locally built spare parts. For ofi in the USA, for example, we refurbished and improved an existing steam sterilization system on site.
Yes. We are based in Kochi, Kerala, and work wherever the plant is, including an on-site assignment at ofi's facility in New Mexico, USA.
Tell us your product, target capacity, the microbial specification you need to meet and where the plant is. We will discuss the right approach with you and, for a new line, prepare a budgetary estimate before you commit.
Share your product, target capacity and current challenge. We usually respond within one working day. We are on India time (IST, UTC+5:30) and schedule calls to suit your working hours.
