A Review of Hygienization Methods of Herbal Raw Materials

This article reviews various decontamination methods of herbal raw materials in Poland. These are the physical and chemical treatments of plant raw materials that remove mineral and microbiological impurities to ensure food safety. There is increasing use of herbal raw materials, and it is important to understand various methods that can be used for hygienization. Techniques used ensure the removal of mechanical impurities and elimination of microorganisms in a plant material. Depending on the method of choice, certain microorganisms are removed to a varying degree, and at the same time, there is a partial loss of the health-promoting properties of the plants subjected to the hygienization. Therefore, there is need to decide on optimal methods for hygienization of herbs that both reduce microbial contamination to the maximum extent and minimize the decrease in valuable ingredients contained in the herbs. Ozonization of plant raw materials is an effective method of removing microbiological contamination from most herbs. A good solution is also to use hybrid methods. In our literature review, ozone is very often mentioned as an effective disinfectant for herbs and spices. However, there is no information about the effect of ozone use on the substances contained in herbs and spices.