eChapters

Physico-chemical and microbiological quality of meat and aquatic food and food products gives its overall safety and quality status as a food. The physico-chemical and microbiological qualities of raw material have great importance on the product development. It also affects the shelf life of the raw material as well as final product.

Fresh meat is a type of meat which has not been subjected to any processing whereas raw meat is a fresh meat which has undergone freezing. The qualities of fresh meat are important as far as merchandiser, purchaser and consumers are concerned and it is also important for adaptability in further processing. The important quality parameters of fresh meat are:

Introduction

India is having very rich sources of inland water bodies in the form of river, lakes and reservoirs. The reservoirs are constructed by impounding the river system. The reservoirs are constructed for effective utilisation of water for irrigation, power generation and flood control. Reservoir fishery in India is also important from socio-economic point of view as it has the potential of providing employment to about two million people, Kaushal and Sharma (2001). Total area under the reservoirs in India is 3:1 million ha and it is expected to double by 2020. This includes 19,000 small reservoirs with a total water surface area of 14,85,557 ha and about 180 medium and 56 large reservoirs of 5,27,541 and 11,40, 268 ha area respectively.

The Maharashtra is endowed with an area of 1,79,430 ha under reservoir and the Maharashtra produces 516 tonnes of fish through reservoirs. The state fisheries corporation was operating in 6,272 ha of reservoirs and marketing the catches.

Physicochemical parameters of meat
1. Moisture, ash and fat content
• Meat samples are dried at 105 °C for 24 h for determining the moisture content and for ash content analysis, samples are burned at 525 °C
• Fat determination is done by acidic hydrolysis of the sample
• Sample is boiled initially and then cooled and later, it is filtered, washed and dried
• Thereafter, petroleum ether is used to extract the fat
• Ether is evaporated and the remnant is dried and weighed
2. Protein content
• Often, protein in meat sample is estimated using Kjeldahl method
• The protein content is determined by multiplying the nitrogen content in the meat sample by an appropriate conversion factor
• Strong acid is used to digest the meat sample and the released nitrogen is measured by proper titration technique
• Then, the protein quantity of the sample is determined from the nitrogen concentration of the meat
• Kjeldahl method does not determine the protein content in straightway manner; a conversion factor (F) is required to convert the nitrogen content to protein content
• Usually, a conversion factor of 6.25 (corresponding to 0.16 g nitrogen/g of protein) is used for several food samples

The physio-chemical properties of ice cream strongly influence its processing behaviour, texture, stability, and consumer acceptance. This chapter examines ice cream as a complex multiphase system and discusses important properties including overrun, density, viscosity, freezing behaviour, hardness, scoopability, meltdown, and fat destabilization. It explains how formulation and processing conditions influence these properties and how they relate to sensory quality. The chapter also considers quality-control tests used in industrial ice cream plants and identifies defects associated with physio-chemical imbalance. Understanding these relationships enables manufacturers to establish suitable product targets, diagnose quality problems, optimize formulations, and maintain consistency across different ice cream products.

Introduction

In the past few decades, persistent change in climatic variables coupled with global warming lead to the genesis of climatic stress. Currently climatic stress is considered as the most serious ultimatum to livestock’s growth, development, production and reproduction in tropics and subtropics including India. Livestock’s in tropical countries are most commonly affected by the menace of climatic stress. It has been shown that, climatic stress upsets animal’s body homeostasis resulting in grievous decline in livestock’s production and productivity across the world. In general, livestock adapt to the climatic insults via behavioural, physiological, biochemical, metabolic, endocrine and molecular responses. Despite of these thermal adaptation mechanisms, livestock’s witnesses the perils of climatic stress thereby incur major loss in their production and productivity. Therefore, in this changing climatic scenario, it is imperative to rigorously understand and explore the precise mechanism of thermal adaptation to generate climate resilient species which could upsurge the socio-economic status of the farmers as well as the country.

Selye, H (1936), the pioneer in stress physiology, defined stressors as noxious stimuli that increase adrenocorticotropic hormone and clubbed these stimuli under the term stress. Rivier and Rivest (1991) and Chrousos and Gold (1992) defined stress as “a state of disharmony, or threatened homeostasis.” Stress challenges homeostasis, but does not disrupt it, in an adapting organism. McEwen (2000) defined stress as a “real or interpreted threat to physiological or psychological integrity that results in physiological and/or behavioral responses.” The following are the various stressors:

Phytobiotics are plant derivatives such as herbs, plant extracts or spices and have a wide range of activities such as stimulation of feed intake, growth and endogenous secretions in the gut. They act as immunomodulators resulting in decreased mortality and also have coccidiostatic, anti microbial, anthelminthic and anti-inf lammatory activities. Phytobiotics also possess hepatoprotective and hepatogenic properties, which tone up liver resulting in increased nutrient utilization and better performance. Herbs like Achyranthes aspera (Prickly Chaff Flower, Devil’s Horsewhip, Apamarga), Andrographis paniculata (Green chirayta, King of bitters, Kalamegha), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Boerhaavia diffusa (Spreading Hogweed, Punarnava), Eclipta alba (False Daisy, Bhringaraj), Ichnocarpus frutescens (Black creeper, Utpalagopa), Terminalia chebula (Black myrobalan, Haritaki). These herbs have hepatostimulant, hepato-protective, immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities (Sadekar et al., 1998; Manu and Kuttan, 2009; Michels et al., 2011, Dash et al., 2007). Further, they optimize digestion and metabolism resulting in better protein utilization, improved mucosal function and reduced cost of metabolic deamination. Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11, 12-didehydro-andrographolide isolated from Andrographis paniculata inhibits free radical activities and lipid peroxidation. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation in meat prevents free radical production thereby preserving meat composition, colour and improvement in shelf life. In addition, it has been studied that a herb Terminalia chebula helps to reduce stress (Selvakumar et al., 2007).

Abstract

Upcoming era of functional foods has led food scientists and food processors to deeply understand the role of phytochemicals in promoting human health. Phytochemicals are the secondary metabolites produced by plants and are commonly found in our daily food. Natural food products seem to be good substitute for pharmaceutical supplements to improve health status of people. Therefore, consumer's interest is growing in the food items naturally containing phytochemicals, each having there own functional and health aspects. Most discussed phytochemicals in the present paper are carotenoids such as lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein and, polyphenols such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins and isoflavones. Major dietary source for carotenoids include orange and yellow fruits and vegetables as well as green leafy vegetables whereas polyphenols are found abundantly in green tea, wine, berries, cocoa, broccoli. Carotenoids can also be used as colorants in foods during processing. The role of polyphenols as an antioxidant is well characterized because of there ability to scavenge free radicals or bind pro-oxidant metal ions by means of their hydroxyl group. Carotenoids also play an important role in protection against photooxidative processes by acting as singlet molecular oxygen as well as peroxyl radical scavengers, thus acting as potent antioxidant. Apart from antioxidative properties multitude of health benefits are associated with carotenoids and polyphenols such as reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, certain cancers such as prostate, lung and colon, prevention of cardiovascular disease and enhancing immunity towards infection. Hence, continuous developments are being made to combine phytochemicals to avoid improper combinations that may nullify the effect of supplements and cause lower absorbance.

Introduction

Meat has become an integral part of human food to meet the essential nutrients, like proteins. For a balanced diet, a good biological availability of meat is preferred in the modern day era. The per capita consumption of meat in India is only 14g per day as against the actual requirement of 125g. Non availability of quality meat and its exorbitant prices have restricted meat consumption. Increasing the meat production through intensive rearing of various meat animals will help to meet the ever growing demand of a balanced human diet. In the modern era and educational status social taboos are also getting relegated with need of quality proteins.

The very important role of pigs in human life is control of environmental pollution by scavenging the biological waste. Pig converts biological waste material to quality proteins in the form of pork. Pigs have a rapid growth rate, high reproductive efficacy, require comparatively less space, and can be reared on small scale in backyards or as commercial units.

The vast livestock population requires proper harvesting of animal by-products to generate income to the farmers and to provide the employment to marginally educated masses. The density of livestock in our country demands atleast one animal by-product processing plant in each fifty kilometer range. Proper utilization of animal by-products will also serve in reduction of environmental pollution through slaughter house. Ultimately image of the meat industry can be enhanced by proper utilization of animal by-products. The proper disposal of animal slaughter house and by-products waste is further necessary to reduce the environmental pollution and to enhancement the livelihood of neighourers.

Given our substantial livestock population, it is essential to efficiently process animal by-products to enhance economic gains and generate employment opportunities for individuals with limited educational backgrounds. To effectively manage the high density of livestock, it is advisable to establish animal by-product processing facilities at intervals of every 50 kilometers. Additionally, situating these facilities in proximity to abattoirs can contribute to the reduction of pollution. Furthermore, the waste generated from both abattoirs and processing plants can be utilized to produce biogas, offering mutual benefits.
Incorporating by-product utilization facilities is a critical component of modern abattoirs. This approach not only boosts profits for producers but also mitigates environmental pollution resulting from improper waste management. In nations such as India, where there is a scarcity of modern abattoirs and many operate using outdated practices, it becomes particularly vital to establish facilities dedicated to the management of deceased animals and slaughterhouse waste. Some developing countries have even resorted to employing mobile units to effectively manage dead and fallen animals.
While it is frequently asserted that every part of an animal, with the exception of its last cry, holds value when utilized appropriately, the actual utility of byproducts is contingent upon various factors, including the size of the abattoir (the number of animals processed daily), the availability of raw materials, the current applications of by-products, and their significance.
A standard by-product utilization facility encompasses various components such as rendering plants, hide/skin storage, and casing processing units. These facilities gather raw by-products and transport them to different processing centers located away from the slaughterhouse. For example, glands may be directed to the pharmaceutical sector, skins to tanning operations, fat to soap production, and bones to gelatine extraction. When designing such a facility, it is crucial to consider the availability and quantity of raw materials to ensure efficient functioning and comprehensive utilization of by-products.

Introduction

Spectacular accomplishment in every sector has enabled India to be amongtop achieving nations. However, every section of the society is not benefited by these achievements and problem of malnutrition still remains unresolved. Malnutrition is a common problem faced by underdeveloped and developing countries suchas Philippines, Nepal, Sudan,Tanzaniaand Indiasincelongback. Malnutrition includes undernutrition(wasting,stunting,underweight),inadequate vitamins or minerals as well as overweight, obesity and resulting diet-related non communicable diseases(NCDs). As per the latest report of World Health Organization, 52 million children under 5 years of ageare wasted, 17 million are severely wasted and 155 million are stunted, while 41 million are overweight or obese (WHO, 2018). More than 50% women of marriage age are suffering from anemia. If women are malnourished at the time of pregnancyand delivery, the babybornface theproblems such asphysical retardation,sensitive tocommon infections, reduced cognitive abilities, reducedmental development, etc. As per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, starting from the date of conceiving a child, the first 1000 days are a critical window from nutrition point ofview.Unfortunately, inseveral regions of developingcountries includingIndia, neither the mother nor the babyis provided with the right quantity and qualityof food during this window period. Therefore, it is important for the policymakers to identifymalnutrition at an earlystage for timelyplanningand implementation of various intervention strategies at the community, village, and district level. NitiAyog, Government of India (GoI) (previously known as Planning Commission), in an effort to eliminate malnutrition,regularlyplans several short and longtermnutritionalprogrammesand policies.In thischapter,we willdiscuss some of these policies launched since independence and their impact in combatingmalnutrition.

An ice cream plant is a highly interconnected operation in which quality, food safety, productivity, maintenance, cost, cold-chain performance, and business results influence one another. This chapter presents plant audits as management tools rather than simple compliance exercises. It provides a structured monthly audit system covering raw materials, production, quality assurance, hygiene, maintenance, productivity, cost control, warehouse operations, cold chain, documentation, and KPI performance. Department-wise scoring enables management to compare performance, identify weaknesses, prioritize corrective actions, and track improvement. The chapter also discusses common audit mistakes and best practices. A disciplined audit system strengthens accountability, reduces losses, improves operational control, and supports continuous improvement.

Introduction

Vast proportions of the population of the world are dependent on plants as their principal source of food either directly or indirectly. Recent decades have also seen increased numbers of people turning to alternative medical therapy based upon traditional folk medicine or food as a form of medicine. These alternative therapies emphasise the importance of a ‘good diet’ in maintaining and restoring health. Under these circumstances, vast majority of population may see diet therapy, dietary supplements and non-invasive alternative therapies as a safer, less technological and more natural way of maintaining health and treating and preventing individuals from illness. These alternatives may be seen as empowering the consumer and shifting the locus of control away from the medical establishment. This chapter covers many crucial topics to understand the chemistry and bioactivity of the active compounds of plant origin. It also aims to cover the latest research on the bioactive compounds.

Introduction

Tissue culture refers to the technique of growing cells, tissues, or organs under controlled, artificial conditions. This allows propagation of tissues from a small sample of cells/tissues under sterile conditions. Plant tissue culture is widely used for various purposes, including the production of disease-free plants, rapid multiplication of plants with desirable traits, genetic modification, conservation of rare or endangered species, etc. Tissue culture is a valuable technique because it enables consistent and large-scale production of plants, ensures genetic uniformity, and allows manipulation of plant biology at cellular level. In this chapter, we will discuss about the major types of tissue culture techniques and their advantages, disadvantages, as well as applications in brief.

Different Types of Tissue Culture

Callus culture involves induction and growing of unorganized, undifferentiated cell masses from an explant on a nutrient/culture medium. The part of plant used to induce callus is called explant which can be tissue, organ or part of a plant.

Organ culture is used to maintain or grow an entire organ or a part of organ in vitro. It preserves the structure and function of the organ for studies or transplantation.

Embryo culture involves isolating and growing embryos from seeds or ovules in a nutrient medium. It is used to bypass seed dormancy or rescue embryos from hybrid crosses that may not develop naturally.

Cell suspension culture involves growing dispersed cells or small cell clusters in a liquid medium under continuous shaking. This is used for large-scale production of cells, secondary metabolites, and studying cell biology..

Plasma Activated Water (PAW) is an emerging technology that combines the reactive properties of plasma with water to create an effective medium for food preservation and decontamination. This chapter explains the principles of PAW generation and examines different generation systems, including atmospheric pressure plasma jets, corona discharge and dielectric barrier discharge. It explores applications of PAW in reducing post-harvest losses, extending the shelf life of highly perishable foods, supporting edible-coating formation, controlling undesirable enzyme activity and improving food safety. The chapter emphasizes the potential of PAW as a sustainable processing approach while discussing treatment conditions, food-matrix interactions, technological limitations and opportunities for future development in food preservation.

PEG Estimation
Introduction
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used as a marker for the estimation of rumen water volume and ruminant digestion studies (Hyden and Ekman, 1953). Long back, Hyden (1955) developed a turbidimetric method which is described below :

Principle
When trichloroacetic acid is added to a solution of PEG, a turbidity is produced, which can be measured photo-electrically. The intensity of the cloud, which consists of finely divided oily droplets, is increased in the presence of barium ions. Protein and sulphate must be completely removed from the sample before the addition of the trichloroacetic acid reagent. Sulphate is precipitated with barium chloride and the proteins are removed essentially according to Samogyi (1945). The method has been developed for determination of PEG in ruminal and abomasal fluids, but it has been tried with other biological materials too.

Polysaccharides comprise several monosaccharide units (more than ten) linked by glycosidic bonds; therefore, they are high molecular weight carbohydrates. They are also called polyanhydrides of simple sugars. The most common monosaccharide unit of polysaccharides is D-glucose. The polysaccharides may differ in their monosaccharide units, molecular weight, chain nature, glycosidic bond types (alpha, beta), and linkages (1-2, 1-3, 1-4, or 1-6). They are tasteless, colorless, amorphous powders that are a little water-soluble. Some may form colloidal solutions. The polysaccharides provide structural stability (structural polysaccharides) to cells, prevent cells and tissues from drying out due to their water-binding properties, and reserve food for the future. Reserved polymeric carbohydrates are osmotically less active and can be stored in large quantities within the cell.
The right and left end of polysaccharides, respectively, are called the reducing and non-reducing ends. Based on the functional aspects, they are grouped in two ways.
• The first way depends on its digestibility—1. Nutrient polysaccharides are (digestible) starch, dextrin, and glycogen, and 2. Structural polysaccharides are (indigestible), chitin and cellulose.
• The second way, depending upon the constituent monosaccharide units, they are 1. Homoglycans (same units), and 2. Heteroglycans (different units).

Post-mortem (PM) examination
The core objective of post-mortem examination is to identify and eradicate defects and contaminations and thus, confirming that only meat suitable for ingestion are allowed to be passed
Facilities for post-mortem inspection
• Normal infrastructure amenities which delivers comfortable working environment and assist in presenting the carcases and its offals for PM examination
• Every inspection place on the dressing over-head line must have lights of -- 540 lux (50 foot-candle) intensity light which does not alter the normal colours
• Adequate facility for sanitising the hands, equipments and aprons should be provided
• To sterilise the knives, cleavers and saws–a water bath operating at 82 ºC
• Head, viscera and carcase are the three major inspection parts
• On moving rails, viscera from a particular animal should move little ahead of its carcase so that any abnormality in viscera could be conveyed to the carcase examiner well in time
• For precise recognition of carcases and its correlated viscera from an animal, the lines conveying the carcases and viscera should move in synchronized way
• When a carcase is declared unfit for human consumption, all its the related parts such as head, viscera, blood and hide must be collected and disposed off
• Every inspection point must have a easily accessible overhead rail line stop button

Post-mortem glycolysis (anaerobic glycolysis)
• Post-mortem glycolysis is the basic function of muscle
• Irreversible anaerobic glycolysis starts after the animal has died and oxygen supply to the muscles is cut
• The various biochemical steps that occur in living animals for the conversion of glycogen into lactic acid when the oxygen supply is insufficient, are basically similar in slaughtered animal also
• After slaughter, during anaerobic glycolysis in normal animals (not in the animals that are exhausted, excited or excessively exercised just prior to slaughter), the glycogen reserve of the muscle decreases appreciably resulting in the lactic acid production which will proceed to a pH level at which the enzymes involved in glycolysis become inactivated
• In classic mammalian muscles this pH will be near to 5.4–5.5 (called Ultimate pH)
• Muscle having almost 600 mg glycogen/100 g muscle at the time of slaughter will reach this pH
• A protein called glycogenin is responsible for starting the glycogenesis (glycogen synthesis) in muscle and it binds with eight glucose molecules to produce a glycosyl-protein (Fig. 12.1)
• Glycosyl-protein is used as primer by the enzyme proglycogen synthase and thus, proglycogen is formed
• This proglycogen is converted into bigger macromolecule by the macroglycogen synthase and its branching enzyme