2015-03-04
Sri Lanka is the largest producer of Pure Cinnamon in the world accounting for 70% of the global production. The Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zelanicum) referred to as "sweet cinnamon" and "true cinnamon" is considered superior to the variety known as Cassia in the global market.
Since Sri Lanka is the birthplace of true cinnamon, all the customs, traditions, culture and technology associated with cinnamon are well integrated as a heritage to the socio economy of our nation. The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has taken steps to obtain GI protection for Ceylon Cinnamon ensuring its unique characteristics such as quality, colour, flavor and aroma associated with the geographical origin.
Sri Lanka commands more than 85% of the world market share for real Cinnamon. Ceylon "true Cinnamon" is now being exported to the world market under the National Brand name 'Pure Ceylon Cinnamon' owned by the EDB. The trademark has been registered in the main Cinnamon export markets such as the EU, USA, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. Sri Lankan exporters who are authorized to export value added Cinnamon products using PCC logo on their products could be viewed from the following link.
http://pureceyloncinnamon.srilankabusiness.com/portfolio.php
The commercial products of Cinnamon are quills, quillings, featherings, chips, cut pieces, powder, Cinnamon bark oil, Cinnamon leaf oil and Cinnamon extracts. The main export product is Cinnamon quills and the traditional processing method of Cinnamon quills, unique to Sri Lanka is connected to the superiority in the flavour quality of the product.
Cinnamon leaf oil rich in eugenol, is a very valuable product used in the pharmacological field and the toothpaste industry. Cinnamon bark oil rich in Cinnamaldehyde plays a vital role in the pharmacological and perfumery industry. Sri Lanka is the dominating supplier of Cinnamon bark oil to the world market.
Appearing in the April 2013 issue of the prestigious Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (JAFC), published by the American Chemical Society, the study by researchers at the University of Mississippi analyzing levels of the banned toxic chemical coumarin in Cinnamon products affirms the superiority of Ceylon Cinnamon, AKA True Cinnamon, as compared to more widely used cinnamon substitutes.
High levels of coumarin, a chemical that naturally occurs in cinnamon, is toxic to the liver, acts as an anticoagulant, and is known to cause cancer in rodents. According to the researchers, experiments conducted using a variety of popular cinnamon flavored food and cinnamon food supplements found Ceylon Cinnamon to contain insignificant traces of coumarin whereas barks from cassia, imported from China, Vietnam and Indonesia and sold as cinnamon in the US, had substantial amounts of the toxic chemical.
Results of a scientific research study released in the US and publicized by news media worldwide has proved the superiority of Ceylon Cinnamon among its substitutes in the global market.
