Hello Meena,
If you are distilling aromatic herbs and spices by steam distillation which have pleasant flavor like cardamom,cinnamon,peppermint,vanilla etc generally have un- objectionable odours then it may not be a concern inside the factory premises. However if solvent-extracted it will be of concern, as solvents can cause health problems and are inflammable.
There are no studies on long term exposure of these oils of adverse health effects on humans.Hence safety precautions to be taken particularly for the persons working in this essential oil plant and also install devices/barriers to limit exposure to employees of nearby confectionary plant by taking the help of environmental scientist/specialist.
Many essential oils are used as food additives and many are used in aromatherapy but are used in small amounts and for limited period of time.
cardamom /cinnamon are basically used in mouth freshners and spiced teas .
Similarly Menthol and peppermint are used in breath mints. However Menthol crystals has very strong odor and to dissolve in peppermint oil in it is mixed in a seperate room with computer controlled machine for use in breathmints as human beings can tolerate odors upto a certain threshold limit.
Some of the most beneficial oils can prove harmful under certain conditions. Concentrated oils are very strong, and just because a product is natural doesn't mean that it's harmless. Inappropriate use can often lead to adverse and damaging side effects.
Studies show odor strongly affects individual behavior. (Both good and bad)
Smell amplifies taste
Stimulating the sense of smell to buy products is not a new concept for those in the food industry. Bakers and Patisseries have been using these techniques for many years. They understand that smell amplifies taste and the use of these smells can attract an otherwise reluctant customer. Studies show the sense of smell is the most powerful stimulus known and often provoke a strong emotional response meaning customers are more likely spend on impulse.
When the aroma of baked bread was released in a US supermarket, sales in the bakery section increased threefold.
Once consumers smell a product, they are more likely to buy it because aroma triggers an emotional reaction - a frame of mind more conducive to spending, say experts like coffee aroma from coffee roasting outside coffee making factories. bakery aroma outside bakeries.
Odors emitted from food processing plants are becoming more of a concern as food plants and residential areas grow closer in proximity. The objectionable odours in the food industry are generally a result of the physical processing of foods in which biological or chemical reactions form volatile organic compounds (VOC). These reactions are often precipitated by such processes as heating, drying, or smoking of foods. Odour thresholds are subjective among neighbours of processing plants and for this reason standard methods have been approved for testing odours.
Most odourous compounds emitted from food plants are not a public health concern but can be considered a public nuisance and, therefore, are subject to local governmental regulations.
Recent example-
California town sues Sriracha hot sauce maker over chili odors
A small Southern California city has sued the makers of the popular Sriracha-brand hot pepper sauce, saying tear-inducing odors emanating from its chili processing plant in town are creating a public nuisance, that cause eye and throat irritation and headaches.
Read more at-
http://www.torontosu...ver-chili-odors