Scientific sustainability report — Rajwadi Garam Masala Powder (functional unit: 1 kg finished product)

1. Executive summary

Using conservative, literature-based assumptions for farm production, processing (drying + grinding), packaging and road transport, the estimated cradle-to-distribution greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions for 1 kg of Rajwadi Garam Masala Powder are ≈ 3.095 kg CO₂-eq per kg under the stated assumptions. This is an order-of-magnitude, transparent estimate that you can refine with site-specific data. smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com+4static-cdn.publive.online+4ScienceDirect+4

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2. Product & system boundary

• Product: Rajwadi Garam Masala Powder — a blend typically containing cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, and sometimes others. (Exact composition affects upstream emissions because of differences in yield and input intensity.)

• Functional unit: 1 kg retail-ready powder.

• System boundary: cradle → distribution: agriculture (production of component spices) → drying/cleaning → grinding/blending → primary packaging → road transport to distribution center. (Excludes retail use, consumer transport, and end-of-life disposal of packaging beyond embodied impacts.)

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3. Key data sources & parameter choices (load-bearing)

• Grid electricity emission factor (India, recent CEA baseline): 0.716 kg CO₂ / kWh (used for mill electricity). static-cdn.publive.online

• Grinding energy (representative range for fine powder milling): literature shows a broad range; we use 0.25 kWh per kg for mixed-spice industrial grinding (a moderate value consistent with milling literature which shows values from ~0.09 to ~0.31 kWh/kg depending on fineness & equipment). ScienceDirect+1

• Drying energy (industrial/assisted drying; moderate assumption): 0.80 kWh per kg (spice drying energy varies widely — solar tunnel and hybrid dryers show much higher or lower specific energy depending on design; we choose a moderate industrial assisted dryer value). worldresearchersassociations.com+1

• Packaging: single-layer polyethylene pouch of 30 g plastic per kg product (0.03 kg plastic/kg). Use embodied emission 2.0 kg CO₂e per kg plastic (conservative, within typical LDPE/PE cradle-to-gate ranges). America's Plastic Makers+1

• Road freight emission factor (India): 0.33 kg CO₂ per tonne-km (representative value used in India freight methodologies / default tables). We assume total road distance (farm→mill + mill→distribution) = 250 km. smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com+1

Notes: Where product-specific LCA data are unavailable we use conservative, documented values. You can replace any number below with measured values for an updated result.

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4. Inventory assumptions (1 kg basis)

1. Agriculture / upstream (field stage): 2.20 kg CO₂e per kg finished masala powder — this lumps fertilizer, field diesel, soil N₂O, harvesting, primary handling and the aggregated contribution of multiple spices (cardamom, cinnamon etc. tend to have somewhat higher upstream intensity than simple cereal crops). This is an assumption for a mixed spice blend and should be replaced with crop-specific data where available.

2. Grinding (size reduction & blending): 0.25 kWh/kg.

3. Drying (if required after cleaning/conditioning): 0.80 kWh/kg.

4. Electricity EF: 0.716 kg CO₂/kWh (India grid baseline). static-cdn.publive.online

5. Packaging: 0.03 kg PE pouch × 2.0 kg CO₂e/kg plastic = packaging embodied CO₂. America's Plastic Makers

6. Transport: 250 km total, road emission factor 0.33 kgCO₂/t-km. smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com

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5. Step-by-step GHG calculation (digit-by-digit arithmetic)

Notation: All arithmetic shown; round final line to 3 decimal places.

5.1 Electricity-related processing emissions

• Grinding energy × grid EF =
  0.25 kWh/kg × 0.716 kgCO₂/kWh
  = 0.25 × 0.716 kg CO₂/kg
  Calculation: 0.25 × 0.716 = (0.25 × 0.700) + (0.25 × 0.016) = 0.175 + 0.004 = 0.179 kg CO₂e/kg. ScienceDirect+1

• Drying energy × grid EF =
  0.80 kWh/kg × 0.716 kgCO₂/kWh
  = 0.80 × 0.716 kg CO₂/kg
  Calculation: 0.80 × 0.716 = (0.8 × 0.700) + (0.8 × 0.016) = 0.56 + 0.0128 = 0.5728 kg CO₂e/kg. worldresearchersassociations.com+1

5.2 Packaging emissions

• Packaging mass × plastic EF =
  0.03 kg plastic/kg × 2.0 kgCO₂/kg plastic
  = 0.03 × 2.0 = 0.06 kg CO₂e/kg. America's Plastic Makers

5.3 Transport emissions (road)

• Use EF per tonne-km = 0.33 kg CO₂ / t-km. For 1 kg product = 0.001 t. Distance = 250 km.
  Road emissions = 0.33 (kgCO₂/t-km) × 0.001 (t) × 250 (km)
  = 0.33 × 0.001 × 250 = 0.33 × 0.25 = 0.0825 kg CO₂e/kg. smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com

5.4 Agriculture / upstream

• Assumed total farm stage (fertiliser, diesel, soil N₂O, primary handling across spice components): 2.20 kg CO₂e/kg. (See note in Section 4.)

5.5 Total (sum everything)

Now sum each component:

• Agriculture = 2.2000 kg

• Grinding = 0.1790 kg

• Drying = 0.5728 kg

• Packaging = 0.0600 kg

• Transport = 0.0825 kg

Add stepwise (digit-by-digit):

1. 2.2000 + 0.1790 = 2.3790

2. 2.3790 + 0.5728 = 2.9518

3. 2.9518 + 0.0600 = 3.0118

4. 3.0118 + 0.0825 = 3.0943 kg CO₂e/kg

Rounded to three decimal places: 3.094 kg CO₂-eq per kg Rajwadi Garam Masala Powder. (If you prefer 2 significant figures, report ≈ 3.09 kg CO₂e/kg.)

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6. Sensitivity & uncertainty (brief)

• Largest uncertainty: the agriculture upstream figure (2.20 kg CO₂e/kg). Crop-specific fertilizer use, yield (kg/ha), irrigation (blue water/N₂O pathway) and prevalence of input-intensive spices (e.g., cardamom, mace/nutmeg) can change this number by ±50% or more. Using 1.2 kg CO₂e/kg vs 2.8 kg CO₂e/kg shifts total footprint substantially.

• Drying method: switching from an electric dryer (0.8 kWh/kg) to hygienic solar tunnel drying or sun drying can reduce drying emissions toward zero, dropping total footprint by ~0.57 kg CO₂e/kg in our calculation. Recent solar/hybrid dryers show a wide range of specific energy — verify local technology. worldresearchersassociations.com+1

• Electricity carbon intensity: using a renewable electricity source at the mill (onsite solar or green tariff) would drive processing emissions (grinding+drying) toward zero (−0.7518 kg CO₂e/kg in this case). CEA grid EF is region/time dependent. static-cdn.publive.online

• Packaging: switching to lighter pouches or higher recycled content reduces packaging impact linearly; switching to recyclable mono-material laminates may improve end-of-life outcomes.

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7. Other sustainability indicators (qualitative)

• Water footprint: depends on origin crops. Many spice crops have lower blue-water intensity than cereals, but irrigation and post-harvest washing can add notable blue water use; collect crop-level water data for precision.

• Pesticide & residue risk: spice crops sometimes face post-harvest pest challenges and pesticide use — good agricultural practices (GAP) and residue monitoring lower health & market risks.

• Food safety & losses: poor drying or storage (moisture, mould, aflatoxin) increases waste and raises per-kg footprint; better drying+storage reduces both safety risks and footprint. worldresearchersassociations.com

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8. Practical mitigation actions (priority list)

1. Use hygienic solar tunnel or hybrid drying where climate allows — sharply reduces drying energy footprint. worldresearchersassociations.com

2. Procure higher-yielding, lower-input spice sources or incentivize growers for improved nutrient management to reduce per-kg upstream emissions.

3. Install onsite solar at the mill or buy green electricity to reduce processing (grinding+drying) emissions. static-cdn.publive.online

4. Lightweight / high-PCR packaging: reduce gram weight and increase recycled content; perform packaging LCA to avoid trade-offs. America's Plastic Makers

5. Logistics optimization: maximize truck fill, consolidate loads, and favor rail where possible for long distances (rail t-km emissions typically much lower). Use route planning to reduce empty backhauls. smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com

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9. How to make this a defensible LCA (next steps)

To convert this estimate into a formal LCA product footprint:

1. Collect actual farm inputs per ingredient: kg N, P, K per ha; yields (kg/ha); irrigation water source and volume; and pesticide use.

2. Measure plant electricity consumption for grinding and drying (kWh per kg) from utility bills or submetering.

3. Record actual packaging mass & supplier EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) for the laminate.

4. Use an LCA tool (e.g., openLCA, SimaPro, GaBi) and follow ISO 14040/44 and GHG Protocol Product Standard for allocation, temporal boundaries and reporting. static-cdn.publive.online+1

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10. Selected references (sources used for key numbers)

1. CEA — CO₂ Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector (User Guide, recent version). — India grid emission factor used (0.716 kgCO₂/kWh). static-cdn.publive.online

2. Blanc, N. et al. (2020) — Evolution of grinding energy and particle size during dry fine grinding — literature on energy dependence of fine grinding (used to anchor grinding kWh/kg). ScienceDirect

3. Ragul Kumar et al. / Solar tunnel & hybrid dryer studies — specific energy examples and comparisons for spice/chilli/turmeric drying (used to inform drying kWh/kg and solar dryer potential). worldresearchersassociations.com+1

4. Resin & polyethylene LCI / reports — observed cradle-to-gate emissions for PE resins and packaging (used for packaging embodied emission). America's Plastic Makers+1

5. Smart Freight Centre / India default GHG emission values & TERI methodology — road freight emission factors and methodologies for India (used for 0.33 kgCO₂/t-km assumption). smart-freight-centre-media.s3.amazonaws.com+1

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11. Quick conclusions

• Under conservative, documented assumptions, Rajwadi Garam Masala Powder ≈ 3.09 kg CO₂-eq per kg (cradle → distribution). static-cdn.publive.online+1

• Greatest opportunities to reduce footprint: lower upstream inputs & losses, switch to low-energy drying (solar/hybrid), use renewable electricity for processing, and optimize packaging & logistics. worldresearchersassociations.com+2America's Plastic Makers+2