eChapters

1. Introduction

The development of food products using composite flour has increased and is attracting much attention from researchers, especially in the production of bakery products and pastries. This article focuses on the use of composite flour to produce food products, namely bread, biscuits, and pasta, with looks at on its impact, following some improvements made, on the sensory quality, rheology characteristics, and nutritional values as well as its overall acceptance. The blending of wheat flour with various sources of tubers, legumes, cereals and fruit flour in different percentages to produce variety of food products are also reported. The positive effects of the use of composite flour can be seen in the final product related to the functional and physicochemical properties and health benefits of raw blended flour along with percentage blending. Overall, composite flour is a good new approach to utilizing uncommon food products as the application of composite flour produced products with different characteristics and quality, depending on the types and percentage of wheat flour used in the formulation.

Bread has been the staple food worldwide and habit of bread is derived in part due to the convenience and wholesomeness. Wheat is a commonly used cereal for making bread as it gives the desired texture due to the presence of gluten forming proteins like gliadins and glutenins (Decock & Cappelle, 2005). In earlier times idea of composite flour in developing countries originated in order to cut down on import of wheat (as it was not grown in many countries) but in recent past refined wheat flour consumption has lead to health issues and thus in order to improve nutritional and functional properties composite flour has been the norm. Composite flour is the one obtained by mixing wheat flour with cereal and legume flours for making bread and biscuits (Dendy, 1992). However, mixing of non-wheat flours, roots and tubers, legumes or other raw materials can also be regarded as composite flour.

1. Introduction

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. Gluten is the protein component in wheat, rye and barley. In the last 10 years, cutting edge scientific developments in this disease have led to the formulation of new concepts of epidemiology, pathophysiology and clinical manifestations. At present, the only available treatment for CD is a strict gluten-free diet (GFD) (Mulder et al., 2013; Theethira and Kelly, 2014). Until recently, the geographical distribution of CD was mostly restricted to Europe and other developed countries, such as the United States, Canada and Australia. Celiac disease is not only frequent in developed countries, but it is increasingly found in areas of the developing world, such as North Africa (Malekzadeh et al., 2005), Middle East (Rostami et al., 2004) and India (Basu et al., 2014, Deora et al., 2014; Yachha and Poddar, 2007). New epidemiological studies have brought evidence that this disorder is common in many developing countries as well, showing that the ‘global village of celiac disease’ has indeed a worldwide distribution (Fasano and Catassi, 2001).

The only available treatment for celiac disease is the strict, lifelong avoidance of gluten. When gluten is removed from the diet, the small intestine will start to heal and overall health should improve (Fasano and Catassi, 2001). Traditional substitutes for gluten-containing grains have been rice, tapioca, corn, and potato. However, more nutrient-dense grains, seeds, nut flours, and legumes are being incorporated into the diet to provide an enhanced palatability, variety, and nutritional quality. These include sorghum, millet, teff, quinoa, amaranth, flax seed, and buckwheat.

1. Introduction

1.1 Engineered health rice

Rice is one of the leading food crops in the world and sustains two-third of the world’s population providing 20% of the world’s dietary energy supply. It can be polished and marketed as white rice or can be marketed with the bran layer left intact as brown rice. The dry grain can then be steamed or boiled by the consumer to rehydrate and cook it (Kato, 2006). Despite its primary importance as a staple food, rice has several disadvantages. Primarily, rice is low in protein and high in starch. The low protein levels in rice can lead to protein malnutrition in societies where rice is the primary constituent of the diet. Deficiencies in essential amino acids may also result from a diet primarily comprised of rice. For example, lysine is the essential amino acid found in the lowest quantity in rice. The human body needs lysine for proper growth and repair of tissues. It is also important in the production of various enzymes, hormones and disease-fighting antibodies (Kato, 2006). The production of broken rice is nearly 15-20% of total production of rice (Bhullar and Bhullar, 2013). The broken rice is generally used for rice flour production and Indian traditional foods such as Idli, Dosa and weaning foods etc. Ugwu et al., (2012) reported that the rice broken can be utilized for the production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate). The major value addition of broken rice is possible by reconstructing it into rice-shape and fortifying it with desired nutrients or micronutrients, which is a big challenge in terms of making the product acceptable to the consumers.

One approach to overcome the above mentioned challenges is to prepare artificial rice kernels or rice analogues by extrusion, in which the vitamins are embedded and consequently do not separate from the rice grains. This will utilize mainly the broken rice which is either discarded or sold at subsidized prices as the cattle feed. Furthermore, embedding makes extraction of the vitamin by rinsing or cooking more difficult and may provide a certain protection against oxidation, because the vitamins can be enveloped by a protective matrix (Steiger, 2010). The fortification of commercially produced staple foods allows exposed populations to benefit without making major changes to their eating habits (Kunz, 2009).The rice analogues prepared from extrusion can be used by addition of an appropriate proportion of water at a temperature ranging from 90°C-100°C, whereupon the rice product rehydrates within three minutes to obtain a product having the desired appearance and organoleptic properties to simulate natural rice grains (Harrow and Martin, 1982).

1. Introduction

1.1 Malnutrition

The term malnutrition generally refers both to under nutrition and over nutrition, but in this guide we use the term to refer solely to a deficiency of nutrition. Many factors can cause malnutrition, most of which relate to poor diet or severe and repeated infections, particularly in underprivileged populations. Inadequate diet and disease, in turn, are closely linked to the general standard of living, the environmental conditions, and whether a population is able to meet its basic needs such as food, housing and health care. Malnutrition is thus a health outcome as well as a risk factor for disease and exacerbated malnutrition, and it can increase the risk both of morbidity and mortality (Ogunrinade, 2014). A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive enough nutrients for proper function. A person cannot properly digest or absorb nutrients from the food they consume, as may occur with certain medical conditions (Medicine, 2015). Malnutrition may range from mild to severe and life-threatening. It can be a result of starvation, in which a person has an inadequate intake of calories, or it may be related to a deficiency of one particular nutrient (for example, vitamin C deficiency).

Malnutrition is estimated to contribute to more than one third of all child deaths, although it is rarely listed as the direct cause. Lack of access to highly nutritious foods, especially in the present context of rising food prices, is a common cause of malnutrition. Poor feeding practices, such as inadequate breast feeding, offering the wrong foods, and not ensuring that the child gets enough nutritious food, contributes to malnutrition (WHO, 2015).

Pooled estimates report the prevalence of malnutrition among community-dwelling older adults of 6% and among hospitalized older adults of 39%. In developed countries, treatment of malnutrition is relatively inexpensive and effective: energy and protein supplementation using commercial “sip feeds” results in both weight gain and reduced mortality (Pereira et al., 2015). In 2013, one in four children under age five worldwide had stunted growth. Between 2000 and 2013, stunting prevalence globally declined from 33 to 25 %, and the number of children affected fell from 199 million to 161 million. In 2013, about half of all stunted children lived in Asia and over one third in Africa (UNICEF, 2015). Malnutrition may be several types as follows:

1. Introduction

Extrusion is one of the most preferred ways for creating the indulgence called ready-to-eat (RTE) snack foods with diverse shapes, sizes, colours and also nutritional and functional values which appeal to the diverse group of consumer with varied choices. In this chapter ready-to-eat extruded and puffed snacks are the focus covering the technology involved, criteria for ingredient selection, design of experiment, process modelling, effects of extrusion on physical, nutritional and functional quality of the snack; a few relevant case studies are also discussed.

1.1 Market for RTE snack foods

Indian cooking and lifestyle have undergone tremendous changes in the last 15 years. There are many major factors impacting this change which include, liberalization policy, dual income, separate living of couples, innovative kitchen applications, media proliferation, etc. The cooking style and eating habits in India varies drastically from southern part to northern part of the contry. Due to lifestyle pressure nowadays people prefer easy short way of cooking food rather spending too much time on cooking. Rapid urbanisation is also one of the reasons for people to buy such products. Snack foods comprise a very large variety of items including potato chips, crackers, nuts and extruded snacks, among others (Harper, 1981). Snack food extrusion includes subjecting selected raw material to a variety of complex physical processes to yield snacks with varied shapes and textures (White, 1994).

The RTE market in India was expected to expand to reach Rs. 2,900 crore by 2015, according to an analysis done by Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG). The products may vary from noodles, pasta, masala packages, stuffed paratha, etc. and many more. There are many regional players who are making foray into ready-to-eat segment. Many national and international players like Nestle, Pepsico, ITC, Haldirams, Cavinkare, are already in Indian market with their products.

1. Introduction

Fermented milk products such as yoghurt are produced through out world (Kurmann et al., 1992). Yoghurt can be characterized as a gel like coagulated milk product, having a smooth consistency and a pleasing flavour and is now widely consumed both by infant and adult populations. It is common that yogurt preparation involves the use of equal amounts of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB): Streptococcus thermophillus (St) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (Lb); samples prepared with these starter bacteria are labeled Lb-St (Ng et al., 2011). In the early stage of the incubation process, Lb stimulates the growth of St releasing amino acids from casein (where the most important is valine) and producing a moderate reduction in pH due essentially to St. Yoghurt has better digestibility than milk and this is related to its comparatively high content of free amino acids. Besides nutritional value, it possesses hypocholesterolaemic (Mann, 1977) and antitumour effects (Odd et al., 1983; Reddy et al., 1983).Yoghurt may be set or stirred and has a potential for being used as dietary supplement for infants. So they cross the line between dietary supplements, health foods and conventional foods with great facility. Now a days, emphasis is given on sweeteners and more natural sweeteners will be used (Hollingsworth, 2001). Natural sweeteners can be easily incorporated in yoghurt by blending cattle milk with fruit pulps like mango. The enhancement of other nutrients e. g. vitamins and minerals will be added advantage. Mango pulp which contains a high proportion of sugar, mostly monosaccharide, is easily adsorbed by the digestive systems (Celik and Bakirci, 2003).

Soybean is a comparatively inexpensive source of high quality protein. The protein and fat contents in soybean are above 40 % and 20 %, respectively. Nutritionally, soy protein is a more balanced plant protein for human consumption. Studies have indicated that consumption of soy protein decreases total serum cholesterol and minimizes risks for several cancers (Anderson et al., 1995; Messina, 1997; Zind, 1998). The positive health benefits associated with soybeans have greatly increased its consumer awareness which has created a large market for soy foods (Ohr, 2000; Liu, 2000). The problem of beany flavour in soy products can be overcome by lactic acid fermentation (Buono et al., 1990; Granata and Morr, 1996). Soy solids are not only abandoned source of protein but also have therapeutic properties against breast, prostate, colon and lung cancers due to its isoflavones like genistein and daidzein content. Fortification with soy made yoghurt beneficial in lowering cholesterol level and blood pressure and in relieving symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis.

1. Introduction

Milk and milk products constitute essential dietary components for a vast majority of the population. India with annual production of more than 135.6 million tonnes has emerged as leading milk producing nation. The per capita per day availability of milk in India is more than 290 g. Buffalo milk accounts for 57% of the total milk produced in India. Ethnic dairy products account for 90% of all dairy products consumed (Aneja et al., 2002). Many health benefits have been attributed to fermented dairy products and probiotic microorganisms (Salminen et al., 1998). The market for functional foods, nutraceuticals, wellness foods and beverages is fast growing. The harmful effects of synthetic drinks have propelled health conscious consumers to go for natural and traditional drinks. In search of better returns, the Indian dairy industry is widening its focus to include traditional milk products, and these are emerging as new profit centres for the organised sector.

Traditional dairy products have several advantages. They require low capital investment and give high profit margin. They are more appealing to the Indian palate. Dahi or curd is the most popular indigenous fermented dairy product. There are numerous references to dahi in vedic literature. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (Anon, 1976) describes dahi as a product obtained from pasteurized or boiled milk by souring (natural or otherwise), using harmless lactic acid or other bacterial cultures. Indian dahi and its western counterpart yoghurt differ considerably in terms of cultures used and their bouquet and flavour profiles (Aneja et al., 2002). The major flavor compound in dahi is diacetyl. Dahi made from buffalo milk has a firm body and white glossy appearance, with a cream layer on top. Mixed mesophilic cultures of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp diacetylactis along with Leuconostoc species are grown together for production of dahi.

1. Introduction

Now a days, foods are not intended to only satisfy hunger and to provide necessary nutrients but also to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve physical and mental well-being of the consumers (Menrad, 2003). In this regard, functional foods play an important role. The concept of functional foods which has evolved as the role of food in the maintenance of health and well-being and in the prevention of disease, has received increased scientific and commercial interest is recent past. Growth of functional foods markets include increased consumer health awareness, increased popularity of healthy foods, search for food-based drug substitutes, self-medication approach promoted by busy lifestyles and rapidly developing health conscious markets. Functional foods can be defined as foods “that can beneficially affect one or more target functions in the body, beyond adequate nutritional effect, in a way relevant to an improved state of health and wellbeing and/or reduction of risk of disease” (Stanton et al., 2005).

1. Introduction

There is a general consensus that fruit and vegetable consumption is a key factor for a balanced diet. Globally, majority of people consistently are consuming less than the daily recommended fruit and vegetable requirement. Even in developed nations e.g., Australia, Canada, Europe, UK and USA, researchers have concluded that there is large gap between actual and recommended consumption of both fruits and vegetables despite decades of concern and publicity while resultant outcomes were short-lived. In a study from 52 low and middle-income countries 77.6% of men and 78.4% of women consumed less than the minimum recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Same study reported 74% low fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in India (Hall et al., 2009). In India, recent studies on the fruit and vegetable intake amongst urban residents was reported as 265 g per day as against 400 g per dayof fruits and vegetables excluding potatoes and other starchy tubers, that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2008).

Epidemiological studies conducted in recent years have indicated a positive correlation between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Health-promoting functional characteristics of vegetables are mainly attributable to their functional bioactive constituents. These effects can be listed as antioxidant activity, cholesterol-bindingcapacity, antidiabetic activity and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Studies conducted in cell culture models and animal models have revealed that bioactive compounds of plant foods, including soybean, hawthorn fruit, tea, buckwheat, oats, onion, garlic, almond, and vegetable juice, composed of tomato watercress, parsley, carrots, celery, lettuce, beets and spinach, have cholesterol-lowering activity (El-Shatanovi et al., 2012; Vadivel et al., 2011).

1. Introduction

The demand for non-dairy based beverages in form of non-dairy milk is on rise due to several reasons. Firstly, the prevalence of lactose intolerance and milk allergy amongst a major percentage of population who cannot consume dairy milk and look for alternate source of proteins. The need for functional drinks is also a major factor which contributes to the increase in demand of milk-alternatives. It has also been reported that milk processors around the world face an uphill battle, including the dominance of private labels; consumer concerns over the presence of growth hormones in non-organic milk; fluctuations in commodity prices; supply shortages for organic milk; and growing consumer concern about the safety of animal products in general. With that long list of challenges, the market has had few growth opportunities even though consumers continue to prize milk for its nutritional benefits.

2. Need for Non-dairy Beverages

2.1 Prevalence of lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is estimated to affect 33 % of the global population, but the prevalence of the condition varies from country to country. It is also estimated that an average of 75 % of human adults have decreased intestinal lactase activity after weaning (NDDI, 2012).

1. Introduction

Fruit products have their unique identities having large content of micronutrients, polyphenols, vitamins, flavonoids and other nutritional compounds. Characteristic appearance and flavors distinguish among various fruit based products like juice, puree, jam, jelly, squash and other several varieties. Main concern of this fruit processing industry is the stability of the products throughout the post processing storage. Thermal treatment as mean of preservation of these products is the common process implemented so far. It ensures the safety of the product but lacks in retaining the nutritional intact that like of fresh fruit. Today’s consumer demand for minimally processed fruit products and “natural” fruit products tend to think of alternative thermal processing.

High pressure processing (HPP), a relatively new concept compared to conventional thermal processing, also sometimes known as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), or ultra high pressure (UHP) processing, is a non-thermal food processing method that subjects liquid or solid foods, with or without packaging, to pressures ranging between 50 and 1000 MPa. HPP has already been established itself as an alternative to thermal processing. In food processing it is of great interest due to its ability to inactivate food borne microorganisms and enzymes, at low temperature, without the need for chemical preservatives and it is less detrimental than thermal processes to low molecular weight food compounds such as flavoring agents, pigments, vitamins, etc., as covalent bonds are not affected by pressure. Pressure-treated foods have sensory properties similar to fresh products, which is a major advantage in fruit processing as it matches consumer demand for healthy, nutritious and ‘‘natural’’ products. HPP of fruit products offers the chance of producing food of high quality, greater safety and increased shelf life (Hayashi 1989; Gould 1996; Butz and Tauscher 1998).

1. Algal Biomass

Algae is defined as heterogeneous assemblage of organisms that range in size from tiny cells to giant seaweeds, thus algae mostly are photosynthetic species which include eukaryotes and prokaryotic Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and live in aquatic habitats. They are ubiquitous in nature and are found in variety of environments ranging from soil, sand, marshes, brackish water, sea and fresh water. Most of them are capable of manufacturing their own food.

Microalgal research is offering wide potential in food biotechnology and is gaining more attention because of presence of wide range of bioactive and nutraceutical properties and added health benefits.The increasing population is one of the major growing concerns of today’s world. To meet the nutritional requirement of the rising population, researchers are looking for optional sources for food which are easy to cultivate, cost effective and produce large amount of bioactive compounds useful to prevent major diseases. Chlorella is unicellular green alga that is a potential source of nutrients like carotenoids, minerals, vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Especially, omega-3 fatty acid and carotenoids have received considerable interests due to their roles in the prevention of chronic diseases. Lutein and zeaxanthin from Chlorella have been shown to be associated with eye health and function. Beta-carotene is known to reduce the risk of CVDs and certain cancers. Animal studies also demonstrated that Chlorella supplementation reduced the serum cholesterol levels.

Similarly, the blue green microalgae Spirulina, possesses diverse biological activities and nutritional significance. Regular consumption of Spirulina fortified food improves immune system by increasing phagocytic activity of macrophages, stimulating the production of antibodies and cytokines, increase accumulation of NK cells into tissue and activation and mobilization of T and B cells. Spirulina have also shown to perform regulatory role on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism by exhibiting glucose and lipid profile correcting activity in experimental animals and in diabetic patients. They were also found to be active against several enveloped viruses including herpes virus, cytomegalovirus, influenza virus and HIV. They are capable to inhibit carcinogenesis due to antioxidant properties.

1. Introduction

Each day, millions of people take a small bag, drop it into a cup, pour in boiling water, and add a dash of milk plus a spoonful of sugar. People start the day with it, end the day with it, and also serve it socially or in times of distress (Herath and De Silva, 2011). The reason behind its popularity is based on the fact that the combination of theanine amino acid contained in tea and melatonin and B-complex vitamins contained in milk offers superior relaxing effects. Furthermore, the harmony of tea’s sweet aroma and milk’s natural sweetness will create a healthy low calorie drink.

Tea is one of the most pleasant drinks consumed by two third of the world’s population. It is not only the most popular and one of the oldest known beverages in the world but also an antioxidative agent available in everyday life which may help to prevent a wide variety of diseases such as cancers and heart diseases (Yang and Landau, 2000; Luczaj and Skrzydlewska, 2005). Tea provides a significant source of phenolic compounds in the diet. While polyphenols have long been of interest for their contribution to the astringenttaste of teas (Ding et al., 1992), research into the health benefits of tea has been actively pursued only in more recent times (Dufresne and Farnworth, 2001; Yamamoto et al., 1997). Even though the results are mixed for the relationship between tea and health in epidemiological and clinical studies, in vitro studies point to a range of mechanisms by which tea phenolics may help to offset chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases (Kris-Etherton and Keen, 2002).

1. Introduction

A confection is sweet tasting delicacies developed using sugar and other carbohydrates with optionally selected chocolate, nuts, fruits, vegetables or gums. Depending on the formulation, the confection may vary from sugar boiled hard lozenges to gum based soft gummy toffees, from chewing gums to mouth melting chocolates. The versatile and broad variation in the product created by differentiating flavours, ingredients and processing has greatly influenced the market demand of these products. Although confection is non-essential commodity but still relished by people of all economic strata and hence creating a great market space and scope of new products.

In confectionery research and development area, current popular sector is functional confections. The sector has been on the trends radar globally, accounting for 8% of the global confectionery market, and most accepted and successful in Japan.

The nutritional richness and the high biological value of dairy milk have made it an important constituent of the balanced human diet. It is associated with better growth, improved status of some micronutrients, cognitive performance, motor development and activity. It is composed of a mixture of nutritive components as well as other bioactive factors such as biogenic amines, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), with relevant physiological benefits. The consumption of dairy milk and products exert a protective action in human health and have been confirmed in preventing several chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), some forms of cancer, obesity, immunomodulation and diabetes (Pereira, 2014). The chemical composition of bovine milk consists of 87% water, 4% to 5% lactose, 3% protein, 3% to 4% fat, 0.8% minerals, and 0.1% vitamins (Pereira, 2014).

1. Composition of Milk Fat

Bovine milk contains about 3.5 to 5% total lipid, existing as emulsified globules 2 to 4 μm in diameter and coated with a membrane, casein. The composition of milk fat is somewhat complex. Triglycerides constitute approximately 98% of milk fat, which is found in the milk globule, with the remainder being made up of di- and monoglycerides, phospholipids, cerebrosides, cholesterol, vitamins, tocopherols, carotene, and flavor components. Phospholipids are about 0.5 to 1% of total lipids, and sterols are 0.2 to 0.5%. These are mostly located in the milk fat globule membrane (Jensen et al., 1991). Cholesterol is the major sterol at 10 to 20 mg/dL.

1. Introduction

Dairy industry size and demand precede all other segments of food industry. Reporting milk production of 146.3 million tonnes in 2014-15, India is currently occupying first position in world scenario (NDDB, 2015). In spite of limited shelf-life, milk offers various opportunities of product diversification, processing optimisation and convenient packaging solutions. All categories of dairy products are unique and vary in market value. The operating margins in value-added dairy products are almost twice of liquid milk business due to reduced need of refrigeration and added shelf-life. The appeal and satiety it offers makes them ambrosia for consumers. Baked and fried dairy products (BFDP) are those class of dairy products in which main processing operation is either baking or frying. In addition to preservation of milk solids for longer time at room temperature, manufacture of baked and fried dairy products add value to milk and also provide considerable employment opportunity (Pal and Raju, 2007;Patil, 2011). The characteristic flavour and colour development of the product rely on this unit operation or cooking method and it cannot be replaced. The unique difference in baked and fried dairy products is that in baking dough is prepared and for frying batter is prepared which vary significantly in characteristics (Table 1). The quality of the finished product greatly depends on how the dough or batter is handled.

1. Introduction

Storage is an important part of any food grain processing chain. Storage of raw and processed food grain has been used by humans since time immemorial as a prerequisite for insuring food security due to off time availability, and for holding seed grain for long periods (Pande and Mishra, 2012). After harvesting grains may be required to be stored for long periods before these are marketed or used as food or seed. The grain storage is mainly carried out for three purposes viz (i) to retain a supply of food (ii) to service a trading system and (iii) to retain seed for planting the following season (Hall, 1980). Storage is, therefore, carried out by the producer, trader, processor, and the exporter and at all these levels the methods adopted affect the quality of food stuffs. The length of time grains can be safely stored will depend on the condition it was harvested and the type of storage facility being utilized. Grain storage and handling is a major concern for food grain growers and processers worldwide (Mohan et al., 2011; Pande and Mishra, 2012). Depending upon the condition and uses food grains may be stored in different storage structures using traditional or modern storage methods. Different storage structures are used by farmers with the traditional names like Gumma, Oliya and Jute bag. Caswell (1973) recorded 50 to 60% of insect damage on food grain after six months of traditional storage. A typical range of storage methods encountered in tropics and subtropics region is given in Table 1.

1. Introduction

Antioxidants are considered an important class of nutraceuticals which are associated with health improving properties. Antioxidants are compounds which when present in foods at concentrations lower than an oxidizable substrate, markedly delay or prevent the oxidation of substrate (Halliwell, 1999). They are increasingly applied in food systems to retard the oxidation process, particularly in lipid containing foods (Droge, 2002; Lee et al., 2004). The commercially available solutions to counter food oxidation are predominated by synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), among others, which are increasingly rejected by consumers and legitimized by regulators due to long term health implications (Park et al., 2001). As a consequence, the development and utilization of natural antioxidants as alternatives to synthetic ones have attracted global interest among researchers.

The use of spices and herbs in foods was known since ancient times to modify or to improve the flavor. However, the antioxidant properties of only some of the spices have been recognized. Different spices and their extracts such as turmeric, ginger, fennel, rosemary, and sage, among others, are reported to possess very high antioxidant properties, owing to the content of biologically active compounds, which enables their food application (Madhavi et al., 1996). Exploitation of natural antioxidants in consumer goods is increasingly accepted and will gain momentum due to the rise of green consumerism. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to provide an insight into natural antioxidants and colors. Beginning with the source distribution of natural antioxidants, followed by review of extraction methods for their isolation from plant based matrices and bio-preservative properties in vegetable oils to delay rancidity. Lastly, a thorough collection of literature pertaining natural colors has been presented to potentiate the application of clean label ingredients in food systems. The application of natural antioxidants and colors in food products can vouch the food safety with value addition in terms of their nutraceutical properties.

1. Introduction

India is a land of large varieties of fruits and vegetables due to its vast soil and climatic diversity. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, with an annual production of fruits 45.5 Million tonnes and vegetables 90.8 Million tonnes. It contributes 10.23% and 14.45% of the total world production of fruits and vegetables (F&V) respectively (NHB, 2010). Though fruits and vegetables are grown only on 7–8% of gross cultivated area, these contribute more than 18.8% of the gross value of agricultural output and 52% export earnings from total agricultural produce. These have a high export potential of 20-30 times more foreign exchange per unit area than cereals due to higher yields and higher price available in the international market (Sen et al., 2012). According to estimates, the per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables in India is only around 46g and 130g which are far below the stipulation of a minimum of 92g and 300g respectively as recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Nutrition. The low availability is mainly due to considerably high post-harvest losses. About 15-20% of the fruits and vegetables are wasted every year in the country, due to poor post-harvest management and lack of infrastructural facilities for processing and storage, amounting to a revenue loss of over Rs. 625 billion.

The sensorial, nutritional, and organoleptic quality of fresh produce starts deteriorating after harvest as a result of soon after harvest the altered plant metabolism and microbial growth. The quality deterioration is the result of produce respiration and transpiration, senescence, ripening-associated processes, wound-initiated reactions, development of postharvest disorders, microbial proliferation leading to postharvest quality loss. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the respiration and ripening processes and the physiological and biochemical changes during ripening. The best way to reduce respiratory metabolism is to reduce the storage temperature. All biological processes proceed more slowly at lower temperature (Yahia, 2007). In general, O₂ levels must be reduced to less than 10 % to see a reduction in the rate of respiration. Respiration rate is temperature dependent; so, as the temperature reduces the amount of oxygen required also drops. Therefore, oxygen levels must be substantially reduced at low temperature for it to affect the rate of respiration. It must however, be ensured that O₂ levels do not fall below extinction point as anaerobic respiration and decay may occur. Tolerance to low O₂ varies between species and cultivars and is also time dependent. Commodities may be able to tolerate low O₂ for short periods of time. Low O₂ can also be tolerated when CO₂ is low.

1. Introduction

Product development is a basic activity in the food industry. Each company has a product mix, often including hundreds of products, which are constantly evolving - old products dying, products reaching maturity, products contributing to rapid growth and new products being introduced.

In the food industry, just as any other industry, product and process development is considered a vital part – indeed the lifeblood – of smart business strategy. Failure to develop new and improved products relegates firms to competing solely on price which favours the players with access to the lowest cost inputs (land, labour etc). Product and process development (commonly referred to as product development) is systematic, commercially oriented research to develop products and processes satisfying a known or suspected consumer need. Product development is a method of industrial research in its own right. There are essentially four basic stages in the model product development process.

1. Introduction

Foods are complex biologically and chemically active systems that require close monitoring of their manufacturing, distribution and storage conditions in order to maintain their nutritive value, safety and sensory qualities by suitable chemical. The determination of trace impurities in food system presents considerable difficulties owing to complexity as it contains thousands of major and minor compounds (Nilufer and Boyacio, 2002). The choice of the method of analysis depends on the sample, the analyte to be assayed, accuracy, limit of detection, cost and time to complete the analysis (Aboul- Eneim et al., 2000). The chemical methods employed for food analysis and quality control are generally time consuming and require tedious or destructive sample preparation. For development of the new detection method, emphasis should be on development of simplified, cost-effective and efficient procedures that complies with the legislative requirements (Stroka and Anklem, 2002; Enker, 2003).

The molecular spectroscopy is a fast, accurate, easy and non-destructive technique that can be used as a replacement of time-consuming methods. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has proved to be a powerful analytical tool used in the agricultural, nutritional, petrochemical, textile and pharmaceutical industries (McGlone and others, 2002; Esteban-Diez and others, 2004). Infra red spectroscopy is based on the absorption of infra red light by the substance to be measured. This absorption excites molecular vibrations and rotations, which have frequencies that are the same as those in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (Pande and Mishra, 2015). This application uses a fiber optic coupled FT-NIR system operating in the 10,000 – 4,000 cm^-1 region in reflectance mode. It involves the analysis and quantification of molecular responses to introduced signals of known energy or frequency. All molecules (e.g. water, glucose, protein) have a definite amount of energy. When alternate energy (e.g. infrared radiation) is introduced, an energy exchange occurs between the introduced energy and the energy contained within the molecule. This is expressed as absorbance (energy is absorbed resulting in a loss of introduced energy), attenuated (energy is scattered resulting in a loss of introduced energy) or emitted (energy is released resulting in a gain on the introduced energy). As individual molecules and molecular groups (e.g. alcohols, nucleic acids, proteins, sugars and fats) have definite energy, by applying external energy of a known amount/type, one can structurally identify, quantify and even determine the natural state of these molecules within complex samples and mixtures.

1. The Aflatoxin Molecule

Aflatoxins are chemically difuro-coumarin derivatives. Presently, 18 different types of aflatoxins have been identified with aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁, G₂, M₁ and M₂ being the most common. Of these Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and G₁ occur most frequently, with AFB₁ being the most potent. Physicochemical and biochemical characteristics of the AFB₁ molecule reveal two important sites for toxicological activity (Heathcote and Hibbert, 1978). The first site is the double bond in position 8,9 of the furofuran ring (Figure 1). The interactions of aflatoxin, DNA and proteins, which occur at this site alter the normal biochemical functions of these macromolecules and leads to deleterious effects at the cellular level.Monteiro et al. (1966) studied the in vitro interaction of groundnut proteins namely arachin and conarachins with AFB₁ molecule. The second reactive group is the lactone ring in the coumarin moiety (Lee et al., 1981). The lactone ring is easily hydrolyzed and is therefore vulnerable to degradation.

Importance of Foods

The word “instant” has been used in widely different types of premixes to specify the products either as ready-to-eat food or semi processed foods. The instant premixes available in Indian market were classified as Indian products and Westernized or sophisticated products. The instant mixes included under Indian market products are spice mixes, snack mixes and desert and sweet meat mixes. The Westernized products (instant mixes) contained soup mixes, beverage mixes, desert mixes and soft drink mixes.

Convenience foods are gaining popularity in recent years as they are very easy to handle, require minimum storage space and are attractive. Convenience foods have emerged as a new set of products in the international market. Most of the traditional foods that are commercially available in our country are being prepared / processed by cottage industries and by some of the multinational companies. The various types of convenience foods/ instant mixes that are presently being processed, marketed and consumed all over the country. Supplementation with protein-rich sources and preparation of acceptable ready-to-eat snack foods would not only correct its nutritional inadequacies, but would also provide a variety.

Instant mixes were high in nutritive value especially needed for armed forces, light in weight, easy to carry and prepare. Rapid industrialization and urbanization and changes in eating habits of Indian people led to very high demand for ready-to-use snack foods. The convenience instant foods are meeting the urgent and exigency situations of offering hospitality to unexpected guests.

Changing life styles and values are at the root of considerable changes in eating habits over the last few years. Hand-in-hand with a strong demand for fast and take away foods, there has been a marked upturn in popularity for convenience foods in India. The major reasons for this trend are: the decline of the family meal time, growth in disposal incomes (only in cases of city dwellers), the desire for more leisure time and demand for “foreign” or “sophisticated” dishes inspired by the media and increased travel.

Importance of Traditional Foods

Traditional convenience food, or tertiary processed food, is commercially prepared food designed for ease of consumption. Products designated as convenience foods are often prepared food stuffs that can be sold as hot, ready-to-eat dishes; as room-temperature, shelf-stable products; or as refrigerated or frozen products that require minimal preparation (typically just heating).

These products are often sold in portion controlled, single serve packaging designed for portability for “on-the-go” eating. Convenience food can include products such as candy; beverages such as soft drinks, juices and milk; fast food; nuts, fruits and vegetables in fresh or preserved states; processed meats and cheeses; and canned products such as soups and pasta dishes.

Traditional Foods

Preparation of Vadagam and Appalam

Vadagam is a traditional product mostly prepared from rice flour and also sago. It is an deep fat fried product and consumed as a side dish in the meals. Papad also known as appalam or papadam in South India, is essentially a thin wafer like product, usually circular in shape rolled from a dough made out of pulse, cereals, edible vegetable oil, alkaline and mucilaginous additives. It is normally consumed in toasted or fried form. In India, papad has been associated and deeply entwined with social customs/ rituals and has been developed into culinary art.

Importance of Fruits and Vegetables in Human Life

Fruit is the edible, and more or less juicy, product of a tree or plant and consist of the matured ovary including its seeds and adjacent parts. Usually fruits are sweet, with a wide range of flavours, colours and textures.

Composition

Fruits are very poor source of protein and fat. Avocado is the exception containing 28% fat. Fruits contain high amount of moisture hence they are highly perishable. They are also good source of fiber. Fruits are not very good sources of calories. Fruits like bananas give fairly good amount of calories. Ripe fruit contains a higher percentage of sugar than unripe fruit does and the sugar is chief in the form of sucrose, fructose and glucose. Generally fruits are poor source of iron, Mangoes are excellent source of carotenes. Oranges are fairly good source of beta carotene. Guavas are the best source of vitamin C. Citrus fruits are good source of vitamin C. Cashew fruits are inexpensive and rich in vitamin C, although there is variation of vitamin content from fruit to fruit most fruits in the raw state contain some ascorbic acid. If fruits are bruised, peeled, cooked or exposed to air, large amounts of the vitamin may be oxidized. Apples are not only expensive; they contribute little to the nutritive value. They give fiber to the diet.

Introduction

The tropical root and tuber crops are comprised of crops covering several genera. They are staple foods in many parts of the tropics, being the source of most of the daily carbohydrate intake for large populations. These carbohydrates are mostly starches found in storage organs, which may be enlarged roots, corms, rhizomes, or tubers. Many root and tuber crops are grown as traditional foods or are adapted to unique ecosystems and are of little importance to world food production. Others such as cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and white-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) are known worldwide. Several of these crops have been termed under-exploited and deserving of considerably more research input

Potato and Banana chips: Potato chips are one of the popular snack foods consumed throughout the country. Chips are mostly prepared by small scale artisans / confectioners, and sold in plastic film or paper packs. Recently, however some of the companies have installed plants having relatively large capacities and have started marketing chips in attractive packs. The fat content generally ranges between 25-40% and moisture content between 2-4%. Potatoes having high total solids, low reducing sugars and low amylase activity are most suitable for chips manufacture.

Banana chips are prepared from varieties rich in starch having very low levels of soluble sugars and polyphenol - oxidase activity. These are mostly processed and marketed in Southern States especially in Kerala. Previously, the chips were fried in coconut oil, but now other vegetable oils are also used in their processing. Relatively, banana chips are harder in texture than potato chips.

Tamarind (Tamarindus Indica)

Introduction

The fruit of tamarind a pod 5 to 15 cm long, 3 to 10 seeds surrounded with edible pulp which is principal souring agent for sauces, chutney, in beverages and in general cooking. Pulp is carminative, laxative, given as infusion in biliousness and febrile conditions. It is also used in dyring and tanning and for polishing and cleaning metal ware. The tartaric acid is extracted from unripe fruits. The polysaccharide (jellose) is extracted from seeds, which is used as a sizing material in the cotton and jute industries. Besides, polyose obtained from the seed is good substitute for fruit pectin in the preparation of jam, jelly or marmalade. The bark and leaves are used for tanning. Tamarind balls are prepared after taking out seeds from the fruit. Tamarind paste and tamarind juice concentrate are the other commercial products.

The fruits, flattish, bean-like, irregulary curved and bulged pods, are born in great abundance along the new branches and usually vary from 2 to 7 in long and from 3/4 to 1 1/4 in (2-3.2 cm) in diameter. Exceptionally large tamarinds have been found on individual trees. The pods may be cinnamon-brown or grayish-brown externally and, at first, are tender-skinned with green, highly acid flesh and soft, whitish, under-developed seeds. As they mature, the pods fill out somewhat and the juicy, acidulous pulp turns brown or reddish-brown.

Importance

The dairy products, which have originated in India, are called indigenous dairy products. The products can be broadly classified in to khoa based and channa based. The importance of the dairy products were known to Indians since time immemorial or it could be roughly estimated to be around five thousand years ago and the development could be considered as an art.

Importance of Food Additives

Food additives are chemicals, biochemical ingredients etc., which are added to food products for their technological benefits. These benefits may be to preserve the quality of food, to maintain and improve its appeal, to ensure its nutritional value and to provide innovations in new products with consumer appeal and satisfaction. Additives are also added to maintain uniform quality and to enhance quality parameters such as flavour, colour, texture etc. in large-scale production. They and their by-products ultimately become part of the food that is consumed and so they must be safe.

Additives may be direct additives, which are added deliberately to improve its sensory quality, nutritive value, stability, ease in processing and retention of quality during handling and retailing. There are also indirect additives, which are not added intentionally but get included into foods incidentally during handling, processing and packaging.

There are some guiding principles for the use of food additives. They should be justified for their technological effectiveness and purpose. They should be safe for use. There should be maximum adequate levels, absolutely necessary levels of usage and ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) properly evaluated while considering its safety and permitted usage levels in foods. They should not be added with the intention of misleading consumers about quality. They should also not significantly affect adversely the nutritional quality of food products.

Definition

Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Food packaging is packaging for food. It requires protection, tampering resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs. It also shows the product that is labeled to show any nutrition information on the food being consumed

Packaging may be defined as co-ordinated system of preparing foods for transport, distribution, storage, retailing and their use. It is also a means of ensuring safe delivery of goods to the consumer in sound condition without affecting adversely the quality of the product packed in it at a reasonable cost. Packaging thus has as “techno-economic function” aimed at maintaining the quality of food stuff packed, with a view to retain the quality for a reasonable period.

Packaging plays a vital and dominant role in marketing, in maintaining quality and in preserving the food.

Consequent to the increase in the consumer awareness of the healthy hazards, which may be posed by different types of packaging material. It becomes inevitable for the packers to use better quality, hygienic packaging material which could retain the quality of the product for a longer time without posing any health hazard. The choice of a suitable packaging becomes all the more necessary for a number of factors like physico-chemical characters and acceptability of the commodities packed in any packaging material. Apart from this the package should be of the right shape and size and must attract the consumer's eye which could offer an absolute confidence regarding the wholesomeness of the products pack in it.

Importance of Food Storage

Food storage is both a traditional domestic skill and is important industrially. Food is stored by almost every human society and by many animals. Storing of food has several main purposes:

•Storage of harvested and processed plant and animal food products for distribution to consumers

•Enabling a better balanced diet throughout the year

•Reducing kitchen waste by preserving unused or uneaten food for later use

•Preserving pantry food, such as spices or dry ingredients like rice and flour, for eventual use in cooking

•Preparedness for catastrophes, emergencies and periods of food scarcity or famine

•Religious reasons (Example: LDS Church leaders instruct church members to store food)

•Protection from animals or theft

Purpose of Law

The Food Laws or Regulations are made in order to protect people consuming these foods from undue risks, which may arise from processing, transport, retailing and consumption of food products which may undergo contamination, spoilage, inclusion of harmful chemicals/microbes or at harmful levels. Besides safety, consumers are also protected by these laws with respect to quality, quantity and substance that the food products are supposed to represent. Finally, laws also aim to protect the consumers from Nutrition and Health considerations with special consideration being given to vulnerable group such as infants, pregnant women etc.

Food additives are chemical substances added to foods to improve flavour, texture, colour, appearance and consistency or as preservatives during manufacturing or processing. Herbs, spices, hops, salt, yeast, water, air and protein hydrolysates are excluded from this definition.

In many countries, the use of food additives is regulated, and food additives must be declared on food labels by using their chemical names or numbers. the use of any new additive in a particular food, they ensure that:

Introduction of Food Industry

India is one of the major food producers in the world. The food sector contributes to about 28% of India's GDP. India stands at 1st position in the world for production of cereals, milk, livestock, banana and Mango, 2nd in producing fruits and vegetables and ranks amongst top 5 in producing rice, wheat, groundnut, tea, coffee, tobacco, spices, sugar and oilseeds. India's share in global production of fruits is 10% and vegetables are 13.7%. The current consumption of fruits and vegetables is approx Rs.2 lakh crores at current prices with an estimated growth rate of 11% per annum. The growth rate is higher than cereals and milk and comparable to meet consumption

Status of Food Processing Industry

The food processing industry in India is still in a sorry state. The rural population comprising 70% including small cities, consume less than 10% of the processed foods and vegetables, whereas 60% of the processed food is consumed in four major metropolitan cities and 30% in the state capitals and big cities. Another fact is that 40% of the processed food and vegetables produced in the country in terms of value are bought by institutional buyers like Hotels, Restaurants and Defense etc. The highest growth in domestic market has been in fruit drinks, tomato ketch up and Jams.

There is another fact that India is the largest milk producer in the world, however, organized industry accounts for less than 15% of the milk produce in India. It is estimated that there may be a total production of 1100 million tons of production of food products mainly food grains, oilseeds, sugarcane and fruits/vegetables during 2011-12 and leaving marketable surplus of 870 million tons.

Food is basic to human being and agriculture is the catalyst between the two which is basically supported by natural resources. The human being is entirely dependant on food and food is fully dependent on agriculture and humanity. Eventhough food, agriculture and humanity have their own entity; they are inseparable for the survival and existence of each other. Hence, the three pillars of food, agriculture and humanity forming a triangle symbolize the roots of human civilization.

I find myself fortunate to have the opportunihj to live and experience the working life of the farmers and the farming in Kansas (USA), Nigeria (Africa), Saudi Arabia and Yemen (Middle East), Italy (Europe) and India, Myanmar and Thailand (Asia). It zvas fiirther strengthened by visits to farmers in another about 100 countries. Day after day and month after month and even years, it made me to realize that community culture, language and farming in each state, country and continent are different from each other but some things are common and that they are all doing farming, they are growing food and they all doing for the livelihood of their families, neighbors and communities near and far (Nath, 2011).

The foundation of agriculture is laid on available natural resources e.g. land, water, sunlight, air, plant, animal and human beings. The human beings, being the leader to manage the resources have contributed to redefine agricultural science and promote and develop technology. This has led to augment agriculture and its science and technology. At the end, the human efforts have brought about changes and improved agriculture production at the cost of excessive use of natural resources, knowing well that without natural resources, without good soil and water hardly anything will survive.

Presently world produces enough to feed the present human population, but it is not available to millions of people. It is not the lack of availability of food but is the unequal distribution and lack of entitlement which are causing hunger and malnutrition in millions of population.

1. INTRODUCTION

It is hard to conceive which came first on earth, human being or food. If the human was born first, he or she needed food immediately to survive. Thereafter, the human beings continued to need food and continued to eat food throughout his or her life. Hence, the relationship between human being and food is permanent and the requirement of food for the human being to be alive is everlasting. Further, sources of food may survive in nature without human intervention but human being can not remain alive without food. This clearly signifies the permanent bondage of human being and food which is inseparable under any circumstances. ‘Thus, should we state that every human being necessarily needs food and should have right to food as soon as born.

In order to further strengthen this view, the governance which rules human beings should also be protective and enact laws to ensure food to each human being born in respective countries.

2. BACKGROUND

•   “Hunger is exclusion”, wrote de Castro (1963) a Brazilian anti-hunger advocate. “Exclusion from the land, from jobs, wages, income, life and citizenship. When a person gets to the point of not having anything to eat, it is because all the rest has been denied. This is a modern form of exile. It is death in life”.

•   Simply by being born, everyone has the right to food. A person doesn’t have to do anything to “deserve” it; the right to food is a birthright. But this does not entitle a person to sit back and ask for free food. People are responsible for doing all they can to realize their own right to food. Governments that are parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are responsible for ensuring that all those living within their borders have the means to do so, (FAO, 2007).

•   Broadly speaking, governments should create peaceful, stable, free and prosperous environments in which people can feed themselves in dignity. Even without a legal obligation to do so, countries have a moral obligation to ensure freedom from hunger (FAO, 2007).

1. INTRODUCTION

The paradigm of world’s livelihood is built on the basic foundation of natural resources which includes humans, plants, animals, soils and minerals, water and air. But the very livelihood of these resources are at stake because they are strongly linked and dependant on each other. And to add, the material resource namely ‘economy’ has invaded the tranquil habitat and life of the community of natural resources. Thus the present crisis is challenging livelihood of each of these natural resources whether it is human, plant or water or earth and the element of economy is interfering with the natural recourse of human depending on water and soil; and human, plant, animal together are depending on soil, water and air. But when the livelihood of soil, water and air is at stake how human, plant and animal can survive; hence the design of livelihood of world has the essential ingredients of all natural resources.

We humans are selfish and concerned about our livelihood security only and try to over-exploit other natural resources and assumed themselves as the master of all natural resources. Practically, there is war going on between and among natural resources. The world could be better if each natural resource has its own right with prospects to safeguard its livelihood and all resources together with better livelihood could offer the lively world.

2. UTILIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

We should underscore that none of the natural resources are in ‘plenty’ and that we should ‘economize’ on each natural resource to build together the world’s livelihood. The food security of humans can not be attained without plants and plant security can nor be achieved without soil and water and it is impossible to keep secured soil and water without economics of management.

In short, the livelihood security of humans is entirely dependant on all other natural resources coupled with the material resource economy. It is incumbent on us to initiate appropriate steps from gross root to policy levels to make the world better.

SYNOPSIS

Until recently, agriculture was primarily valued for producing staple cereals. Today, there is increasing recognition that agriculture has an important role to play in improving nutrition, human health and environmental health. Helping agriculture successfully forge links with nutrition and health can enable the research, development and policy communities to more effectively address the looming challenges of hunger, malnutrition and agriculture-associated diseases. Already, there is growing momentum around the world to bring these sectors together to improve food and nutrition security of the world’s poorest people.

Keywords : Food security, nutrition, health, agriculture.

1. INTRODUCTION

During the past fifty years, the world has made substantial progress in improving the food security of millions of people. Using science and technology, agricultural extension and appropriate policies and incentives complemented with infrastructure, farmers, researchers and policymakers have worked together to increase the global production of cereals, cutting the proportion of hungry people from approximately one-third to one-sixth of the world population (Spielman and Pandya- Lorch 2010). Yet more needs to be done. Nearly one billion people still suffer from hunger. Micronutrient deficiencies affect billions more today and potentially in the long-term. Malnourishment in children’s first two years of life, for example, causes largely irreversible damage, impeding their physical growth and intellectual development, increasing their susceptibility to diseases such as diabetes and cancer and even drastically reducing their incomes as adults. Undernourished women are more likely to give birth to smaller babies, thereby creating an inter- generational trap of under nutrition and poverty.

While agriculture has traditionally been put to work to raise the productivity and production of staple crops, there is increasing recognition that agriculture is also key to improving nutrition security, individual health and environmental health. This nuanced understanding has come just in time, considering the looming challenges of hunger, malnutrition, climate change and its link to energy and resource scarcity and urbanization. Placing agriculture in this larger context may enable the global community to better address and cope with these challenges, whilst meeting the food and nutrition security needs of the world’s most vulnerable people.

This paper will briefly review the evolving role of agriculture in meeting food and nutrition security. It will identify emerging challenges, describe promising developments and highlight opportunities for leveraging agriculture-nutrition-health links to overcome challenges.

1. INTRODUCTION

India is principally an agricultural country with seventy per cent of its population living in villages and fifty nine per cent of the total work force dependent on agriculture for its daily bread. Almost 20% of the gross GDP is contributed by agriculture. A steep surge in production since late 1960s has made country self-reliant in food grain production with buffer stocks full to the brim. Since independence, 0.66% growth/ year in gross agricultural area combined with 2.67%/year increases in food grain production led to a net increase in per capita food grain availability from 395 g/ day to 475 g/ day. An outstanding achievement, as it happened despite an unabated population build up at a rate of 2.15 %/ year or 13 million more mouths to be fed every year. Not only in food grain production, the country has made revolutionary progress in milk, fish, eggs, fruits and vegetable production also (NAAS, 2004).

Needless to say that the economic growth of our country depends largely on the prosperity of the agriculture. The agricultural sector acts as a bulwark in maintaining food security as well as national security. The first and the foremost role of agricultural is its promotion of economic progress in the country by enlarging the savings of the rural sector and making them available for the development of industries. Gandhiji, the father of the nation called “Agriculture as the soul of India”. Also, agriculture has been termed as “The mother of all industries and the maintainer of human life standing at the need of all sciences and arts, indeed, at the head of civilization and progress”. The significance of agriculture in India arises also from the fact that the development in agriculture is an essential condition for the development of the national economy. Thus any change in the agriculture sector- positive or negative- has a multiplier effect on the entire economy (Rekha & Rangappa, 2010).

Over 70 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi made the following observations while addressing youth who wanted to serve rural India:

‘The fact is that the villagers have lost all hope. They suspect that every stranger’s hand is at their throats and that he goes to them only to exploit them. The divorce between intellect and labour has paralyzed our agriculture. The worker should enter a village full of love and hope, feeling sure that where men and women labour unintelligently and remain unemployed half the year around, he working all the year round and combining labour with intelligence cannot fail to win the confidence of the villagers’.

This message is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago. Integrating brain and brawn in farm enterprises should hence be the purpose of agricultural education. (ICAR, 1997)

SYNOPSIS

This millennium has brought about serious challenges as well as excellent opportunities for the betterment of humanity. The migration of rural population to urban areas is one of the major challenges foreseen. It is expected that much of the population growth is expected to take place in the cities of the developing world. By 2020, about 52 percent of the developing world’s population will be living in urban areas (IFPRI, 1999). The agricultural areas around cities offer great promise to urban and peri-urban agriculture.

The interventions on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) suggested and initiative undertaken by FAO is timely and valuable in the interest of the teeming population demanding for both nutrition and health. The International Conference on Vegetables (ICV-2002) held during 2002 has emphasized the importance of vegetables; FAO International Workshop on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture for Asian Countries organized during 2005 had amply emphasized the important role of horticulture; and the International Conference on Horticulture (ICH-2009) held during 2009, has amply illustrated the importance of horticultural crops particularly vegetables in UPA for the benefit of urban population.

The urbanization process is a reality that drives people to go and live in the cities. It is very pronounced in Latin America where already 85% of the population lives in cities; in Asia the average is reaching 60% whereas in Africa the phenomenon has started later and has now reached 35%. Besides the increased demand for food, there has been a rapid increase of poverty, unemployment, hunger and malnutrition in the Urban and Peri-urban environment around the world that are of great concern to central and municipal authorities.

UPA can contribute to feeding the urban population, generate income and employment and thereby reduce poverty. In reality many countries have already UPA related activities going on in areas of horticulture including vegetables, dairy production, small livestock, aquaculture and forestry. However, it has been realized that very few countries had actually investigated the real opportunities and constraints linked to the urban agriculture sector.

Keywords : Urban Agriculture, Urban Food, Peri-urban Agriculture, UPA.

During the last 50 years or so, the world has witnessed tremendous changes in terms of population exodus, accessibility to food, advancement in agricultural science and technology, increased food production, efforts in mitigating food and nutrition security, natural and human made disasters and developmental efforts in handling and containing national and global issues. Inspite of these efforts, the challenges which have cropped up are plenty and at the same time creating avenues of opportunities to address those challenges in the interest of humanity. The world is large, countries are many, agro- climatic regions vary significantly, socio-economic conditions are distinct and the national, regional and global issues vary greatly. For ease of presentation and convenience of illustration, common issues only will be dealt in this chapter. Keeping in view the theme of this book, the following topics/issues will be discussed which pose challenges for the living humanity and for future generation within next 50 years. The views are limited to developmental, planning and implementation processes only in order for governments and others to consider overcoming these challenges.

With the advent of modern crop varieties, better irrigation facilities and greater use of fertilizers and other inputs country has changed within the last 50 years from a region of food scarcity to a region of food sufficiency. The greenrevolutiontechnologiesinvolvinggreateruseofsynthetic agro-chemicals such as frrertilizers and pesticides with adoption of nutrient- responsive, high yielding varieties of crops have boosted the production per unit area under different crops and cropping systems. However, this increase in production has slowed down and in some cases there are indications of decline in growth of productivity and production (Table 1). These production scenarios may be envisaged as corresponding decrease in soil organic matter and continuous increase in multi nutrient deficiency (Dwivedi et al., 2006). If such situation is allowed to continue for another few decades, there are chances that todays’ productive land may become unproductive. The declines in yield and production fatigue have been noticed in various cropping systems of different agro-eco region (Gill and Singh, 2009). Farmers’ participatory surveys conducted in Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region indicates that farmers’have resorted higher doses ofnutrients each year to obtain the same yield as obtained in previous year (Dwivedi et al., 2001). The probable reasons behind these are continuous mining of nutrients, inadequate use of organic sources, imbalance fertilization and decline of soil organic matter.

Rice-wheat (RW) is the major cropping system occupying about 10.5 mha in the IGP of India. It contributes more than 60% of the foodgrains to the central pool. With shrinking land resources and burgeoning population, the RW system will be under pressure to produce more grain output per unit area in the coming decades. Meeting this challenging task requires sustainable management of soil, water and plant nutrient resources. High yields of the irrigated RW system result in production of huge quantities of crop residues. Total production of crop residues in Punjab is about 47.2 mt which includes paddy straw, wheat straw, cotton sticks, sugarcane leaves, maize stalk, and other oilseeds and pulse residues (Beri and Gupta, 2003). Wheat and rice straw constitutes more than 70% ofthe crop residues produced in the country. Paddy straw alone constitutes more than 50%. Cotton and sunflower residues are generally used as fuel. Sugarcane trash (leaves) is generally burnt in-situ or used as fuel after collection from the field. Increasing constraints of labour and time have led to the adoption ofmechanized farming in the highly intensive RW cropping system. Approximately 91% ofthe total rice area is mechanically harvested, while 82% of the total wheat area is mechanically harvested. Traditionally, wheat and paddy straws have been removed from the fields for use as cattle feed and for several other purposes such as livestock bedding, thatching material , for houses, and fuel. While more than 80% ofwheat residue is collected by the farmers after combine harvesting and often fed to animals, paddy straw is considered poor feed for animals due to its high silica content.

Substantial loss ofplant nutrients (especially N and S) and organic carbon occurs during burning of crop residues, with important implications to soil health. About 40% of the N, 60-85% of the K, 30-35% of the P, and 40-50% of the S absorbed by rice remains in the vegetative parts at maturity. One tonne of paddy straw contains approximately 6-7 kg of N, 1.0-1.7 kg of P₂O₅ and 14-25 kg K₂O. Apart from huge loss of precious plant nutrients, burning of crop residues depletes soil health. Air pollution from stubble burning also impacts human and animal health both medically, and by traumatic road accidents due to restricted visibility. In view ofthe serious problems associated with the residue burning, new ways are being sought to efficiently utilize the huge amount of surplus residues produced in the country.

All the states have some area under irrigation. Thus the term ‘irrigated ecosystem’is rather loosely defined, and the states having distinctly large net irrigated area may constitute this ecosystem. Two such areas can be easily carved out i.e., Indo-Gangetic Plain region representing five states namely Punjab, Haryana, U.P., Bihar and West Bengal, and coastal areas of two southern states i.e., A.P and Tamil Nadu. About 56% of the net irrigated area of the country exists in these states, and the cropping intensity is also much higher (144%) as against national average of 132%. With demographic viewpoint also, these areas are densely populated. Of late agriculture in this ecosystem has become unsustainable owing to over-exploitation of natural resources. Studies have conclusively established the superiority and worth of integrated nutrient management in restoration of soil health and sustenance of crop productivity and profits.

The basic concept underlying the principles of integrated nutrient management (INM) is the maintenance, and possibly improvement, of soil fertility for sustaining crop productivity on long-term basis. This may be achieved through combined use of all possible sources of nutrients and their scientific management for optimum growth, yield and quality of different crops and cropping systems. INM is not a new concept, but an age-old practice. Its importance was, however, not realized earlier due to low nutrient turn over in soil-plant system and almost all the nutrient needs were met through organic sources, which supplied secondary and micronutrients also besides major nutrients. INM has now assumed great significance mainly because of two reasons. First, the need for continued increase in agricultural production based on increase in per hectare yields requires growing application of nutrients, and the present level of fertiliser production in india is not enough to meet the total plant nutrient requirement. Second, the results of a large number of experiments on manures and fertilisers conducted in india and other countries reveal that neither the chemical fertilisers alone nor the organic sources exclusively can achieve the production sustainability under intensive cropping systems (Hegde and Dwivedi, 1993). Even the so called balanced use of chemical fertilisers would not be able to sustain high productivity due to emergence ofthe deficiencyofone ormore ofthe secondaryandmicronutrients (Swarup and Wanjari, 2000). The interactive advantages of combining organic and inorganic sources of nutrients in INM have proved superior to the use of its each component separately. The advantages of INM can be broadly enumerated as following:

Limited availability of additional land for crop production, along with declining yield growth for major food crops, have heightened concerns about agriculture’s ability to feed a world population expected to exceed 7.5 billion by the year 2020. Decreasing soil fertility has also raised concerns about the sustainability of agricultural production at current levels. Future strategies for increasing agricultural productivity will have to focus on using available nutrient resources more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably than in the past. Management of the nutrients needed for proper plant growth, together with effective crop, water, soil, and land management, will be critical for sustaining agriculture over the long term. Plants, like all other living things, need food for their growth and development. Growth is the function of various factors like light, carbon dioxide gas, water and mineral nutrients. Plants require 16 essential elements. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are derived from the atmosphere and soil water. The remaining 13 essential elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum, and chlorine) are supplied either from soil minerals and soil organic matter or by organic or inorganic fertilizers. For plants to utilize these nutrients efficiently, light, heat, and water must be adequately supplied. Cultural practices and control of diseases and insects also play important roles in crop production. Each type of plant is unique and has an optimum nutrient range as well as a minimum requirement level. Below this minimum level, plants start to show nutrient deficiency symptoms. Excessive nutrient uptake can also cause poor growth because of toxicity. Therefore, the proper amount of application and the placement of nutrients are important.

Sustainable agriculture warrants a wise management of natural resources and inputs to satisfy human needs in the fast changing scenario while maintaining, if not improving, the quality of environment. Soil as a natural resource is facing more and more serious degradation threats under modern agriculture. Incidence and expansion of multi-nutrient deficiencies in Indian soils owing to inadequate and unbalanced nutrient input through fertilizers is considered one of the major reasons for decline in factor productivity of crops. The problem of soil fertility depletion is spectacular across the soil types and agro-climatic zones, but it is more acute in intensively cropped areas, where annual nutrient removal by the crops often far exceeds replenishments. Recent diagnostic surveys indicate that in several high productivity areas of irrigated ecosystems like, Trans-and Upper Gangetic Plain zones, farmers are resorting to even excessive use of fertilizers, especially N, to maintain the yields at levels attained previously with lower fertilizer application rates. With an unabated deterioration in soil health in general, and soil fertility in particular, and a mounting pressure on finite land resources due to increase in population, the interest in soil fertility and soil health has revived due to several reasons:

Stagnation in growth rates of production and productivity of staple foodgrains - threat to food security

Decline in factor productivity, thus increasing cost of production

Nutrient withdrawals in excess of replenishment

Low nutritional value of food and feed grown on nutrient-starved soils - threat to nutritional security

Poor quality of produce fetching low price - threat to economic security

Post independence era brought about a radical change in agricultural scenario which improved economy and living standard of Indian farmers to a great extent. Green revolution, (field crops) during early sixties followed by white revolution (milk) and thereafter yellow (oilseeds) and blue (fish) revolutions made the country not only self sufficient in most of the food commodities but also exporter in many. Several calamities including droughts, floods, and ill effects of national and international conflicts faced by the, people of the country during post independence era could not affect the economy and stability of the country much because of rich agricultural heritage. As usual, the rapid and rather un-planned development creates several problems and this was true in our conditions too. Loss ofindigenous land races, depletion of soil nutrients and water resources, creation of salinity and water logging, resurgence of pest and diseases, declining factor productivity and farm profits and increased environmental (air, water & soil) pollution are among such problems have great concern to agricultural scientists and planners in coming future. The situation further aggravated because of industry oriented government policies and globalization which supported growth of industries and trades rather than agriculture and hence the growth rate in these sectors was considerably high. This fact is more visible by the figures on relative contribution of different sectors in the national GDP during last sixty years (Table 1). At the time of independence of the country more than 75% people were depend on agriculture related occupations which came down to mere 67.4% in 2009-10. Similar is the case of total contribution of agriculture in national GDP which decreased from 57% in 1951-52 to as low as 14.6% in 2009-10. Besides government policies, major factor identified responsible for degradation of resources, stability in production and decreased factor productivity is chemical based farming and that too in imbalanced and improper methods of application practiced by the farmers for getting more andinore production and profits per unit area per unit time The solution of this lies in the increased use of organic sources of nutrients in proper ratio along with chemical fertilizers - IPNS (Integrated Plant Nutrient System). Livelihood of marginal and small land holders who represent a large section (more than 86%) of farming community and remained deprived of advancements in the, field of agriculture has been the main agenda of the Indian Government in Xlth, five year plan and to continue in Xllth plan too. To ensure livelihood improvement with focus on small and marginal farmers Integrated Farming System (IFS) has been proved to be an effective approach. Accordingly, the Project Directorate of Cropping Systems Research renamed as Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research with AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems Research and Network Project on Organic Farming mandated with farming systems perspectives. Since, integrated farming system is a holistic approach wherein all the wastes and residues are recycled within the system and nothing go waste. Output of one enterprise is used as input for the others. This way, farming becomes more economic and environmentally safe.

Food security, nutritional security, sustainability and profitability are the main foci ofpresent agricultural scenario in India. In the absence of additional land for bringing under plough vertical growth in agriculture through intensive cropping and enhanced productivity becomes inevitable. Intensification of agriculture to meet the growing needs of the burgeoning population has brought with it numerous productivity related constraints. It has triggered multiple nutrient deficiencies in soil and this has raised doubts on the soils capacity to sustain anticipated production levels. One of the key inputs in enhancing and maintaining the productivity ofintensified agricultural systems is chemical fertilizer which provides nutrients in readily available form. But long term experiments on various cropping systems at various agroecological regions and soil types revealed that continuous use of chemical fertilizers in unbalanced and indiscriminate manner deteriorates the soil health and leads to deleterious effect on long term soil fertility and yield sustainability. Apart from the soil productivity issue, the use of chemical fertilizer is also becoming more and more costly due to scarcity during peak demand. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers is not only costly but they pollute the production environment (Singh et al., 2005; Dwivedi et al., 2003).

In the coming decades, a major issue in designing sustainable agriculture system will be the management and rational use of organic inputs such as animal manure, green manure, crop residues and biofertilizers etc. (Powlson, 1994). Long term studies indicated that current fertilizer recommendations are inadequate for maintaining yields (Bhandari et al., 2000; Singh and Mishra, 2010; Tiwari et al., 2006). It is, therefore, to sustain high crop yield without deterioration of soil fertility it is important to apply required amount of plant nutrients through fertilizers in combination with organic sources, crop residues, biofertilizers etc.

Rice-wheat is a dominant cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains covering approximately an area of 10.5 million ha. Modern agricultural production practices have emphasized the widespread use of fertilizers as a source of nutrients. The continuous use of high levels of chemical fertilizers over a prolonged period, decline in area under legumes and reduction in the use of organic manures has resulted in soil degradation and environmental pollution. It is estimated that the gap between nutrient removal by crops and addition through fertilizers in India will remain at level of 8-10 million tones per annum. Such negative nutrient balances are depleting the soils of their nutrient reserves resulting in acute deficiencies of nutrients. Integrated plant nutrient supply (IPNS) is an important component of sustainable agricultural intensification. The goal of integrated nutrient management (INM) is to integrate the use of all natural and man-made sources of plant nutrients, so as to increase crop productivity in an efficient and environmentally benign manner, without diminishing the capacity of the soil to be productive for present and future generations. The INM is made up of components which possess great diversity in terms of chemical and physical properties, nutrient release efficiencies, positional availability, crop specificity, and farmers’ acceptability. Since organic manures cannot meet the total nutrient needs of modern agriculture, integrated use of nutrients from fertilizers and organic resources seems to be a need of the time. For INM to make desirable progress and find wide acceptance, nutrient supply packages for important agroecological environments need to be developed. These should be technically sound, practically feasible, economically attractive and socially acceptable. Integrated plant nutrient systems can ensure long-term sustainability of agricultural growth through improvement in soil health and will significantly reduce the needs for chemical fertilizers. The complementary use of chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers may increase the efficiency of chemical fertilizers in order to maintain a high level of crop productivity. Because of low primary nutrient content and thus the need for large applications per unit area, farmers and policy makers are often reluctant to adopt and promote the use of organic fertilizers. The different components of INM possess great diversity in terms of chemical and physical properties and nutrient release patterns.

Oilseeds serve as rich source of food, feed, energy, employment and commerce. The productivity of oilseeds in India (1006 kg ha^-1 during 200809) is very low when compared with the world productivity (1878 kg ha^-1 during 2008). The oilseeds production in the country often sufers from a high degree of variation in annual production owing to their predominant cultivation under low and uncertain rainfall situations which is further handicapped by input starved conditions with poor crop management. Nutrient and water are the key inputs for crop production. Improving efficiency and factor productivity under complexities of diminishing quality resources and increasing ecoawareness are critical for sustainable oilseeds production.

The vegetable oils consumption in the country is steadily rising and has sharply increased in the last couple of years touching around 14.1 kg head^-1 year^-1 during 2009-10. As per DAC-Rabo Bank, India’s per capita consumption is likely to reach at least 16.38 kg year^-1 by2020 and for a projected population of 1331 million, vegetable oil requirement will be 21.8 million tonnes. This is equivalent to about 66 million tonnes of oilseeds assuming that there is no change in the proportion of different oilseeds produced in the country in the next ten years. Assuming about 20% of vegetable oils contribution from sources like ricebran, cotton seed, coconut, oilpalm, etc., still the country needs to produce about 55 million tonnes of oilseeds by 2020. Considering that the oilseeds production during 2008-09 was just 27.56 million tonnes, the country needs to double oilseeds production in next 10 years requiring a growth rate in excess of 6%

The population of India is estimated to touch 1.4 billion by the year, 2025, which will need at least 300 million tonnes of food grain. This necessitates the production of additional food grain from the same land without loosing the production potential of the soil. This, in turn, requires extensive research to provide a scientific basis for enhancing and sustaining food production as well as soil productivity with minimum environmental degradation. In order to attain this it is essential that the amount of nutrients removed from the soil should be replenished through judicious use of fertilizers and manures. This needs a more comprehensive approach for fertilizer use, incorporating components like soil test, field research and economic evaluation ofthe results. Soil testing is one of the best scientific means for quick and reliable determination of soil fertility status. Soil test crop response study in the field provides soil test calibration between the level of soil nutrients as determined in the laboratory and the crop response to fertilizers as observed in the field for predicting the fertilizer requirements of the crop.

Objectives of soil testing.

Soil testing provides a sound information about the suitability, fertility and productivity of the soil. This enables the farmers to make the most profitable use of some of the costly inputs in farming. However, lack of information among the farmers about soil testing and their importance in management of resources necessitates that the work of soil testing should be taken extensively. Soil testing is a useful tool for making fertilizer recommendations for various crops and cropping sequences as well as reclamation of problem soils. Thus the major objective of soil testing are to identify the type of soil related problems like salinity, alkalinity, and acidity and to suggest appropriate reclamation/amelioration measures and to evaluate the fertility status in terms of available nutrients for making soil test based fertilizer recommendations.