eChapters

Introdction

Fruits are an important supplement to the human diet, as they provide minerals, vitamins and fiber required for maintaining good health. Fruits are also rich in phytochemicals (7, xanthophylls, polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, organic acids etc.) which possess good antioxidant properties. India’s diverse climatic conditions ensure availability of almost all the varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables. According to FAO (2021), the country ranks first in the production of bananas (26.45%), mangoes (including mangosteens and guavas) (43.80%) and papayas (39.30%). The scenario of horticulture crops in India has become very encouraging. The percentage share of horticulture output in agriculture has become 33 per cent (Anonymous 2021). India has witnessed increase in horticulture production over the last few years. Significant progress has been made in area expansion resulting in higher production. Over the last decade, the area under horticulture grew by 2.1 per cent per annum and annual production increased by 3.9 per cent. During 2020-21, the production of horticulture crops was 334.60 million tonnes from an area of 27.74 million hectares. The production of fruits has increased from 76.42 million tonnes in 2011-12 to 108.34 million tonnes in 2022-23 (Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2022). The area under cultivation of fruits stood at 7.05 million hectares. The total production of fruits in the year 2020-21 was highest in case of Andhra Pradesh (17.70 million tonnes) followed by Maharashtra (11.73 million tonnes) and Uttar Pradesh (11.23 million tonnes) (Anonymous 2021). India now is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits in the world. The country ranks at first position in the production of banana, mango, lime and lemon, papaya and okra. The area and production of fruits in India is presented in Table 1. The fruits namely banana, mango, citrus, papaya, guava, grapes, apple, pineapple and sapota account for more than 85 per cent of the total production of fruits. The other fruits which are produced in India are almond, walnut, jackfruit, bael, ber, custard apple, kiwi, passion fruit, peach, pear, plum, strawberry etc.

Horticulture crops contribute significantly for the total agricultural production and productivity. World production of fruits accounted for the total volume of 933 million tonnes (FAO, 2023). India being second largest producer for majority of fruit commodities had a production total reaching 108.34 million tonnes in 2022-2023 from an area of 7.15 million hectares. It accounts for 33 per cent to the agriculture GVA (Gross Value Added) and plays an important role in the Indian economy. India is second largest producer of majority of fruits and vegetables. Diverse agro-climatic zones in the country make it possible to grow almost all varieties of fruits in India. Produced fruits are used for domestic consumption, processing and export purposes. During 2022 23, fresh fruits exports was valued at 6219.46 crores (APEDA, 2023). The fruits grown in India includes domestic fruits and nuts along with the exotic fruits contributing for the food and nutritional security. The growth of these economically important fruits provides scope for maintaining rich germplasm, enhance bio-diversity and maintain ecological balance.

Fruits represent a vital component of global agriculture, serving as not only a significant source of essential nutrients but also a lucrative sector of the economy. However, from the moment of their inception on the tree to their arrival on consumers’ tables, fruits undergo a complex journey influenced by a myriad of factors. Among these, pre-harvest practices wield a profound impact on fruit quality, enzymatic activities, texture, ripening, and ultimately, post-harvest transportation losses. Each pre-harvest practice, from mineral nutrition to harvesting methods, plays a distinct role in shaping the biochemical composition and physical attributes of fruits, ultimately affecting their marketability and shelf life. Mineral nutrition stands as one of the foundational pillars of fruit production, with essential minerals serving as building blocks for various biochemical processes. Irrigation practices represent another critical aspect of pre-harvest management, as water availability profoundly impacts fruit development and composition. Different irrigation regimes can influence enzymatic activities, fruit texture, and the timing of ripening, necessitating strategic water management to achieve desired fruit quality while minimizing post-harvest losses. Canopy regulation, achieved through training and pruning techniques, offers growers a means to manipulate light penetration and airflow within the orchard. Moreover, the application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) emerges as a tool for fine-tuning fruit development and ripening processes. By modulating hormonal signals, PGRs can alter enzymatic activities, influence fruit texture, and mitigate transportation losses. However, judicious application is paramount to avoid adverse effects on fruit quality and safety. Harvesting decisions, including the determination of optimal maturity and the timing and method of harvest, profoundly impact fruit quality and post-harvest losses.

Horticulture sector, comprising fruits, vegetables, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic crops, mushroom, spices and plantation crops, had witnessed phenomenal growth in production and productivity during the last two decades. Resultantly, horticulture in India is recognised as one of the fastest growing sectors in the world. The production has reached to 351.92 million tonnes in 2022-23 as compared to 231 million tonnnes in 2010. Progressive urbanization, increased spendable income and awareness for balanced and nutritious food have contributed towards increasing demand of horticulture produce. The increasing demand coupled with higher income returns per unit area has triggered this growth pattern, which has been largely possible due to policy environment to support horticulture both for research and development.

Introduction

Fresh fruit journey from the farm to the consumer’s table is an intricate process which needs a lot of attention. The way that the produce is harvested and handled is of supreme importance in relation to its quality shelf life and general market attractiveness. Improper handling practices during these critical stages can bring both quantitative and qualitative loses hence the perishable produce will lose its commercial value and appeal to the consumers (Kader, 2005). No doubt the significance of successful harvesting and post-harvest handling practices is crucial and has an impact on quality features and safety in case of fresh fruits. Poor management can cause physical assault ripening speed and more susceptibility to the growth of micro-organisms which makes the produce unsuitable for consumption or processing.

The production of fruit crops is largely dependent on the environmental conditions and nutritional status of the plants. Any alteration in the environmental conditions and nutritional status may results in different physiological disorders which affect the growth of the plants and also the quantity as well as quality of the fruits. The precise and early recognition of physiological disorders is important for the timely adaptation of remedial strategies to reduce the crop loss. Physiological disorders in fruits crops may be due to single factors or multiple factors may be involved in the appearance of physiological disorders. A sound knowledge about the cause of physiological disorder is useful to adopt suitable remedy for the disorder.

Introduction

The abnormal growth behavior or unusual external and/or internal conditions of fruits which results due to adverse environmental conditions and nutritional imbalances are considered as physiological disorders. Physiological disorder is best defined as external or internal malfunctioning resulting from improper environmental or cultural conditions before and/or after harvest. Variation from normal temperature, light, moisture, nutrient, harmful gases, insufficient supply of growth regulators, deficiencies or excesses of nutrient etc. are some of the important environmental and cultural factors of physiological disorders (Fig. 1). Physiological disorders affect the quality as well as quantity of the fruit crops. Detection of precise physiological disorders is not easy and requires a strong knowledge regarding them.

India is the second largest producer of fruits However, the export potential of fruits and vegetables is very negligible. This is because of improper knowledge to the farmer about proper post-harvest infrastructure facilities. Fruits have a high-water content ranging from 70-95 per cent. They dry quickly under any normal atmospheric condition. These causes loss of rigidity and shrinkage of the cells cause wilting and shrivelling. Appropriate packaging ensures prolonged the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by preventing moisture loss and thereby wilting. Transportation is a critical phase in the fruit supply chain that can significantly affect the quality of fruits. Several factors during transportation can lead to quality degradation such as temperature/humidity fluctuations, mechanical damage, transit time etc. To mitigate the adverse effects of transportation on fruit quality, best practices ie, real-time monitoring, temperature and humidity control, loading/unloading techniques can be employed. Quality evaluation is a critical component in the fruit industry, encompassing a range of assessments to ensure fruits meet the desired standards for consumer satisfaction, shelf life, regulatory compliance, and market competitiveness. It involves a comprehensive approach that includes physical, chemical, and sensory assessments, supported by advanced technological tools, to maintain and enhance the quality of fruits throughout the supply chain. This book chapter deals with the effective packaging, transportation, and quality evaluation of fruits, ensuring that consumers receive fresh, high-quality produce.

Introduction

India is bestowed with huge production of fruits, vegetables, cereals, millets, sugarcane along with meat production, milk production, fish production and poultry. Despite such a huge production in India, owing to perishable nature of these produce around 25-30 per cent of the produce is being lost as post harvest loss. The one important reason for this may be the production of the crops are season specific and during the peak season the production is more while demand for consumption is less. It may be possible to cut down losses to great extent, if these produces may be transported from the produce states to those who are not producing due to agro-climatic reasons. So for making transportation of the perishable a successful venture in decreasing post harvest loss, there must be proper storage facilities both at producing site as well as marketing place. The aim of the storages must be to keep the produce in saleable condition during entire storage periods. Some products are stored for short period whereas fresh fruits, vegetables require cold storage. Foods before keeping into the storage room need some pre-storage treatments for better results.

Introduction

Agricultural production is necessary to fulfil nutritional requirements for human populations and global food security. The agricultural sector also forms the economic backbone of many low-income countries in which millions of farmers are employed (Anushka et al, 2022). However, managing agricultural production to achieve multiple objectives of providing food, supporting livelihoods and protecting biodiversity and forests is a challenge especially in tropical, low-income countries (Anushka et al, 2022). Usually, the growth in global agricultural production is largely driven by commercial and export oriented commodities. One such agricultural commodity that has high global demand is cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.). Cashew is presently cultivated in 33 countries including India in the world. Global land area for cashew cultivation between 1980 and 2018 has seen an eleven-fold increase from 526,250 ha to 5,972,724 ha (Anushka et al, 2022).

Coconut, arecanut and palmyrah, which hold significant cultural and historical importance in India, have been the primary focus of cultivation efforts. Cocoa, a relatively recent addition to India, serves as a companion crop to coconut and arecanut, contributing to the economic well-being of farmers nationwide. However, the current situation emphasizes the crucial role of value addition and product diversification in stabilizing prices. Despite the initial stages of value addition in India’s palm crops, recent innovations and established value chains have the potential to empower farmers as entrepreneurs, thereby augmenting their income. Moreover, the value-added products from these palms have enormous export potential. This chapter explores the advancements in value-added products and the diversification of coconut, arecanut, palmyrah, and cocoa, providing insights into opportunities for cottage or small-scale industries.

Oil palm is a major source of edible oil globally and plays a crucial role in meeting the dietary needs of millions of people. India has been focusing on expanding oil palm cultivation to reduce its dependence on imported edible oils. Oil palm can yield high oil compared to other vegetable oils. Palm oil production rate depends on post-harvest handling, and milling and extraction processes. After harvesting, some quality changes occur in oil palm fresh fruit bunches which leads to reduce the oil quantity and quality. With proper handling of post-harvest bunches and adapting best extraction methods can increase the oil yield and quality. Palm oil alone has the potential to make India sustainable in edible oil production.

Introduction

Oil palm (Elaesis guineensis Jacq.) originated in the tropical rain forest of western Africa and is now being cultivated in more than 45 countries around the world especially tropical regions i.e., Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria, Columbia, and Ghana. This crop was introduced in India during the early 1990s, to meet the demand and to attain sustainable edible oil production in India due to its high oil-yielding capacity compared to other vegetable oil crops. It produces two distinct oils, i.e., palm oil and palm kernel oil. Palm oil is derived from fleshy mesocarp of the fruit and palm kernel oil obtained from the kernel of stony seed.

Concept: Operations conducted before and after harvest are essential components of the system for producing high-quality seeds. If enough care is not taken in the initial stage, there most likely won’t be any resources left to get high-quality seed. Like this, carefully produced, high-quality seed may lose a significant percentage of its worth if post-harvest management protocols are not adhered to. Its quality is highly correlated with soundness, fullness, and homogeneity of physical characteristics (size, shape, density, colour, and appendages), in addition to mechanical planting’s simplicity and improved crop establishment. Improving the seed that has been gathered and getting it ready for secure storage till needed are accomplished through the effective and efficient process of seed processing. To increase the quality of the seed lot, the goal of seed processing must be to optimize the physical properties of the seed and the constituents of the harvested seed mass. The three main steps in seed processing are conditioning, grading, and applying protectants or enriching with nutrients. These steps are completed in compliance with established protocols and standards (McDonald and Copeland 1997; Agrawal 1996; Jorgensen and Stevens, 2004). The distinct qualities of the crops and the surroundings are taken into consideration while adjusting the machines and operations.

Concept: The preservation of viable seeds from the moment of collecting until they are needed for sowing is known as storage. Every year, a significant quantity of seeds loses their usefulness due to incorrect storage. Seeds need to be preserved and stored dry. As was previously mentioned, seed moisture content and storage temperature have the biggest effects on how long seeds last. The three main environmental elements that impact seed deterioration and loss of viability are moisture, temperature, and oxygen percentage. For over 90% of species, reducing seed moisture content (MC) to certain thresholds consistently lengthens the seed’s lifespan (Roberts 1973). These species are categorized as “orthodox” in terms of the conditions in which they should store seeds; under suitable dry, cool conditions, they typically maintain viability and germinability even after extended periods of storage. Ellis and Roberts’ improved viability equations have addressed the quantitative impacts of both drying and cooling for orthodox seeds. The life of the seed is often doubled for every 1% drop in seed moisture (when seed MC fluctuates between 5 and 14%) and every 5 oC drop in storage temperature (between 0 oC and 50 oC) (Harrington 1972). Low seed MC and low temperature are hence fundamentals of traditional seed storage. Careful regulation of these two factors is necessary to achieve optimal storage life. But most seed produced annually just has to be kept from harvest until the following planting season. Depending on the type of seed, it may or may not need to be stored at temperatures and relative humidity above room temperature. Regardless of any modifications made for unique uses, the local climate storage facility needs to have a few essential components (Barre, 1954; Wheeler and Hill, 1957).

Objectives of Seed Grading

Minimization of heterogeneity to the lowest level and enhancement of the homogeneity to the highest level in the seed lots received by the processing unit.

Principle

Separation of seed lots based on differences in the physical properties of the seeds.

Post harvest activities include threshing/ seed extraction, drying, pre-cleaning and conditioning, cleaning, fine-cleaning or grading, seed treatment, weighing and bagging/ packaging, sealing and labelling, storing, and transportation for marketing. Except for transportation and marketing, all these activities collectively known as seed processing. However, for most of the crop, threshing or seed extraction, basic cleaning even drying is done in the farm itself and in the processing unit, the threshed seed is received.

The objective of the seed processing is to prepare the harvested seed in such a way that seed of highest purity and quality would be available for marketing, also for planting. The cleaning and the grading are the foremost activity of the seed processing. The seed, which is received in the processing unit, contains many undesirable particles, which as such cannot be used for marketing, hence cleaning and grading become necessary.

Objective of Seed Storage

The primary goal of seed programs, which include storage, is to maintain the high standards of the seed from harvest until the crop is sown in the following or future seasons. Additionally, seeds are kept in storage for longer periods of time for a variety of reasons, including protection against crop failures during emergencies or natural disasters, maintaining active genetic stocks for breeding, germplasm preservation for long-term use, stock preservation for the domestic and international seed trade in response to market demands, and parental line seed preservation for the transnational seed industry during one or more growing seasons. The seeds of most major agricultural species can be classified as either orthodox or desiccation tolerant. A drop in storage temperature and relative humidity, commonly referred to as seed moisture content, shortens their shelf life. Seeds deteriorate even in dry storage because of alterations caused by pests and pathogens as well as physiological deterioration. This is accurate, even though the amount of time seeds takes to germinate and stay viable varies according to the makeup of the different plant species. A good seed program handles the seed with care, regulates the store’s temperature and relative humidity (or seed moisture in the case of hermetically sealed containers), and adheres to good sanitation practices to preserve the high planting value of the seed in terms of purity, germination, vigour, and seed health.

Concept: It’s a natural process that modifies the cytology, physiology, biochemistry, and physical characteristics of seeds. These modifications lower viability and ultimately result in the seed’s death. A decline in the proportion of germination indicates degradation, and weak seedlings are produced by seeds that do germinate. The factors that impact the ability of seed to be stored include the seed’s quality at the time of storage, its pre-storage history (environmental factors during pre- and post-harvest stages), its moisture content or ambient relative humidity, the temperature of the storage environment, the amount of time the seed is stored, and biotic agents. Seed will inevitably get damaged when being stored (Balesevic-Tubic et al., 2005). The quality of the seed at the time of storage, its pre-storage history (environmental factors during pre and post-harvest stages), its moisture content or ambient relative humidity, the temperature of the storage environment, the length of time the seed is stored, and biotic agents are factors that affect the seed’s ability to be stored. Different physical changes can happen to seed during storage because of factors like temperature, moisture content, and length of storage. The viability and vigor of the seeds may be impacted by these modifications.

Concept: Reduction of seed moisture content to the acceptable levels for enhancement of storability and longevity is known as seed drying.

The moisture content of seed is negatively related to its storability. As the moisture content of seed increases, its storability decreases. Adequate drying of seed prolongs viability for reasonably long periods without cold storage. The process of drying begins with physiological maturity till storage/packaging of seeds to avoid deterioration. The seed is hygroscopic in nature therefore it adjusts its moisture content in equilibrium to the existing environment.

Seed Drying

Seed drying is the process in which an environment with low humidity is created to remove moisture from the seed up to the desired level without any damage to its viability and physical appearance. This seed is stored at low moisture content under the low relative humidity to enhance its longevity. The initiation of seed moisture content and the desired level are what dictate the amount of the drying process, and these elements are determined by the following

• Type of seed: This will consider the longevity behaviour, seed content, and seed structure (i.e., how well the species stores energy).

Concept of Delinting

Cotton seed clumps because of linters getting trapped on them after ginning. Gin-run seeds have very low flowability and do not singulate, making cleaning, upgrading, and precise metering in planting operations challenging or impossible. To singulate the seed and increase flowability, a variety of techniques have been and are employed. Most of the techniques entail removing the tags and linters entirely or partially, although other coating techniques have also been attempted with mixed results, both financially and technically (Mezynski, 1966; Webber and Boykin, 1907).

Methods of Delinting

1. Mechanical Delinting

Mechanical delinting is the usual technique used to improve the flowability of cotton seed. As previously indicated, mechanical delinting basically involves resharpening with finer, closer-spaced saws to remove part of the commercially valuable linters.

During processing seeds are cleaned, dried, and graded which are then treated with specific fungicide and insecticide. Seed at this stage is at best quality, which are then packaged into various packaging materials in a specific weight. Packaging or bagging of processed and treated seed is a requisite for easy handling of the bulk seed. Seed packaging can be defined as filling with seed, weighing and sealing the container whereas seed package as storage container where the seeds are kept for marketing or shipping or till the next sowing time.

The Packaging of Seed Involves

1. Filling bags/ containers of uniform size with seeds of known weight.

2. Providing leaflets inside the package with information about any specific cultural practices needed.

3. Attaching labels or certification tags having information regarding all the quality parameters.

4. Temper-proof sealing of the bag.

5. Storage or transportation of the bags.

Objective

Vegetable seed separation requires specialized training. A little carelessness during the seed extraction process can seriously harm the plant’s viability and vigor in addition to its outward look. Inadequate extraction methods can also result in in-situ germination. The seed can be separated by the following methods.

1. Manual Method

(a) Maceration e.g., watermelon,

(b) Crushing e.g., brinjal,

(c) Scraping e.g., cucumber

(d) Separated e.g., muskmelon,

(e) Scooping e.g., pumpkins and

(f) Extraction e.g., squashes.

Concept: Seed blending is the process of merging two or more types of the same species, for as Kentucky bluegrass cultivars Merion, Baron, and Park. Contrarily, seed mixing refers to the blending of two or more species, however every species may have more than one variation represented, such as Jamestown and Cascade chewing fescue combined with Merion and Fylking Kentucky bluegrass. Seed is typically distributed in blends, primarily Kentucky bluegrass blends, for sod growing purposes. For home lawns, parks, and other utility areas where upkeep levels would not be adequate to maintain pure Kentucky bluegrass turf, mixes of different grasses are typically employed. Naturally, when it comes to pure seed quality, no blend of grass seeds is superior to the individual ingredients. Every time a new blend needs to be made; extreme caution must be taken to ensure that the mixing equipment can be completely cleaned to prevent any contamination from unwanted species—bent grasses are perhaps the most challenging to deal with.

Pre-Treatment Before Sowing

The natural conditions necessary for seeds to germinate are increased by pre sowing seed treatment. Many plants and trees’ seeds require a specific amount of time to mature in their immature portions and to overcome dormancy, which is the absence of certain elements that impede germination, so that the seeds can sprout. Depending on the type of seed, different environmental factors promote different levels of germination. For example, some seeds need to be kept in a very damp, cold environment, while others need to be kept in a dry, hot environment. Different techniques are employed to support seed survival and speed up germination, depending on the size of the lot, the species, the local conditions, and the availability of pertinent tools and facilities. Many species’ seeds don’t germinate successfully unless they are exposed to specific circumstances. Dormancy is the state in which seeds do not germinate unless certain circumstances are met. Conditions in the natural world could include being near fire or being eaten by animals.

Concept: A few of the numerous environmental elements that affect seed quality maintenance are moisture, temperature, humidity, and storage conditions. When some seedborne diseases or pests like insects are taken into consideration, seed quality can still be negatively impacted. Applying one or more pesticides to seed is the most economical and efficient way to keep pests away and improve seed quality.

Because pesticides are harmful, handling treated seeds after application requires additional caution and safety measures.

Definition of Treated Seed

The definition of “treated” is “application of a pesticide or subject seed to a process intended to reduce, control, or repel insects, disease organisms, or other pests which attack the seed or seedlings.”

Stored grain pests are one of the major constraints in obtaining quality seeds. They cause substantial yield loss in storage conditions affecting both the quality and quantity of the produce. Apart from causing direct loss to the grains, they also make them unfit for consumption through their excreta, scales and wings resulting in development of unpleasant odour (Upadhyay and Ahmad, 2011). They also act as a source of medium for growth of fungi or bacteria (Daglish et al., 2018). The method of infestation of stored gain pests is different from the insect pests infesting crops under field condition. Generally, the infestation of storage pests starts after harvesting. It has been reported that in India, there is a loss of about 14 million tons worth Rs. 7000 crores due to the infestation by different storage pests (Chaubey, 2022). The post-harvest loss in terms of quantity and quality by different storage insect-pests accounts for about 10-30 per cent (Rajasri and Kavitha, 2015; Yaseen et al., 2019).

Sanitation

Sanitation and maintaining good hygiene conditions are the important aspect of seed storage in storage godowns. Maintenance of good hygiene conditions will maintain the quality of produce in the long run (Mahapatra et al., 2014) and these practices should not be overlooked. The threshing floors should be cleaned properly before the operation so that there is no mixing of seeds or any insect-pests or pathogens. Harvesting and threshing should be followed by cleanliness of godowns to protect the seeds from the harmful pest and pathogens (Upadhyay and Ahmad, 2011). The storage godowns should be well lighted and the area should be preferably sunny, free from weeds and mostly situated at elevated areas. Damp areas should not be selected for building storage godowns as it will affect the moisture per cent of seeds thereby enabling easy growth of insect-pests and diseases (Parimala et al., 2013). Before bringing the new produce to the storage godowns, they should be cleaned properly. The cracks and crevices of storage godowns if any should be sealed ahead and the walls of the godowns should be whitewashed (Hazam and Kumar, 2022). The new seed lots should not be mixed with the older lots. The floors should be disinfected, and it should be cleaned regularly.

Millets are a type of minor cereals found in the Poaceae family. Millets are often described as “Nutri-Cereals” since they contain more nutrients than commonly produced main cereals. They are an important part of human’s diet in the world. These are foods with a high nutritional content, gluten-free and have nutraceutical qualities. The adequate amount of protein (essential amino acid), micronutrients and phytochemicals are found in millets. The phytochemicals found in millet grains enhance human health by lowering cholesterol and phytates in the body. Millets are full of antioxidants, minerals including dietary fibre, iron, calcium and magnesium that are vital for battling a variety of diseases. These are beneficial to include in our daily diet because the grain is healthy and nutritious. They decrease blood pressure, prevent cancer and lessen the chance of tumour growth. The rich nutrient content in millet has many health advantages such as cancer, obesity, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal issues, migraines and asthma. People utilise millet-based products to fight a variety of nutritional deficiencies and diseases.

Millets which are also known as “Shree Anna” are a type of grass with small seeds that belongs to the Poaceae family and are widely grown throughout the world. Millets have high levels of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that why they are known to be climate-change-resilient crops. Proteins are essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize and are used as a nitrogen source during embryo development following germination. Millets are high in dietary fibre and are important staple crop in many parts of the world. They are versatile grains that can be used to make a variety of food products, including millet flour. Millets are good for cardiac health, weight management, antioxidant activity, and may have anti-cancerous properties. They are nutrient- dense, provide sustained energy, and contain antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids. Millets are considered safe and have a variety of health benefits. Surprisingly, millets perform major non-millet cereals in terms of nutrition. They are particularly high in dietary fibres, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and polyphenols, all of which have broad-spectrum positive effects on human health.

Minor millets, that belong to members of the cereal grass family, are advantageous in areas where large crops like Bread wheat, Rice paddy, and maize are relatively ineffective because they have a wide range of genetic diversity and thrive in marginal environments. The varied soil types, temperatures, heat and light cycles, and rainfall patterns across India all support the cultivation of minor millets. Finger millet, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and many more types of minor millet are used in agriculture. The majority of those who depend on these millets for sustenance and income are small-scale indigenous farmers and dwellers of rainfed areas, mainly among impoverished tribal populations numbering in the millions. Coarse cereals,now a days known as Nutri cereals or nutraceutical flora and are no longer known as coarse cereals as a potential global answer to malnutrition and unrecognized hunger. Minor millets have long been an essential component of Indian tribal societies’ agricultural systems and practices. They have used little millets for both famine prevention and ethnomedicine since the beginning of time. This chapter focuses on how little millet could help people have access to food and nutrition security while reducing hunger and malnutrition.

Millions of people worldwide suffer from food insecurity and malnutrition, which are exacerbated by issues including pollution, overcrowding, climate change, and economic hardship. These problems highlight the necessity of changing food systems for better immunity and health since they lead to both undernutrition and overnutrition. Essential carbs, fiber, fats, and important micronutrients including iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, and magnesium are all found in nutrient-dense grains such as foxtail, kodo, proso, tiny, and pearl millets. These millets are widely accessible and have several health advantages. For example, pearl millet is high in amylose starch and contains essential minerals like phosphorus and magnesium, whereas proso millet is a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, and B-vitamins. B vitamins, iron, calcium, and zinc are all found in kodo millet, while finger millet is a great provider of calcium, iron and magnesium. The nutritional profile of millets is further improved by processing methods like milling, germination, extrusion, and fermentation. Prominent research organizations, including as ICRISAT, ICAR, and CGIAR, are actively working to conserve millet and create better types to combat chronic illnesses and malnutrition. Targeted improvements in disease resistance and nutrient content are now possible because to biotechnology advancements. For improved worldwide health outcomes, dietary patterns must nonetheless be changed and these nutrient rich grains incorporated into contemporary food systems, notwithstanding current advancements.

Millets are highly nutritious and play a significant role in many people’s diets around the world. They have traditionally been transformed into a range of products through fermentation and malting for centuries. In the era of sustainable development, we still lag in using millets as a primary source of nutrition even after knowing that they are rich in terms of nutrition and other essential elements as compared to cereals. Today we have lots of information regarding different millets; nutrition content, methods of preservation, fermentation, malting, its products etc. Foods made from millet are regarded as potential prebiotics because they can improve the availability or functionality of probiotics, which has major positive effects on health. Foods have been fermented in order to enhance their flavor, texture and palatability. Although fermentation can result in a variety of products, the most prevalent ones are ethanol, lactic acid, carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas (H2 ). Commercial applications for these materials include use in food, vitamins, medications and industrial chemicals. Additionally, fermentation increases the amount of protein present, improves the accessibility of carbohydrates and reduces antinutritional components like tannin and phytic acid. Even though it has some drawbacks, such as the potential for contamination with dangerous microbes, fermentation technology is proven to enhance the nutritional quality of food products. This chapter covers the millet fermentation technology’s effects on the nutritional composition of the millets, contemporary developments in fermented millet-based products and technological improvements examined in the millet fermentation technology.

Introduction

Millets, which are small-seeded grasses belonging to the Poaceae family, have a rich historical and cultural significance as they have been cultivated for thousands of years (Goron and Raizada, 2015; Wen et al., 2014; Cheng, 2018). They remain an important crop in various regions worldwide, particularly in developing countries where they serve as a staple food for millions, especially in rural areas. Millets offer several advantages as they are gluten free and provide valuable protein, fiber, and minerals, making them highly nutritious for both human consumption and animal feed. The diverse range of millets includes pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone), foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P.Beauv.), proso millet (Panicum dichotomiflorum Michx.; syn. Panicum miliaceum Walter), finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.), barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea Link), kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.), little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth), and more (Ahmad et al., 2018; Bora et al., 2019). These grains have a significant historical presence globally, with evidence of cultivation in ancient China, Greece, and Rome (Li et al., 2020a; Huan et al., 2022). In India, millets have maintained their importance as a vital crop for thousands of years and continue to be an integral part of the diet in many regions of the country today (Padulosi et al., 2015; Li et al., 2020b).

Due to their remarkable health benefits, such as their low glycemic index, rich amino acid profiles, and abundance of B vitamins and antioxidants, little millets, formerly hailed as nutri-cereals, are once again becoming important dietary staples. These crops, which include a variety of species like finger millet, foxtail millet, and barnyard millet, have stimulated innovation in the food business by producing value-added goods like rice analogs, noodles, and biscuits. Additionally, their medicinal qualities could help advance research on nutraceuticals. Small millets are essential to climate-smart agriculture because of their renowned resilience, which allows them to flourish on marginal soils and in difficult climates. Breeding efforts seeking to create climate-resilient, high-yielding, and lucrative cultivars can benefit greatly from their extensive genetic diversity, which is conserved in traditional landraces and farmer-managed cultivars. Even with their potential, small millets’ genetic development projects are still in their early stages, requiring concentrated efforts to find trait-specific donors and enhance breeding techniques. In addition to preserving their ethnobotanical and cultural heritage, the conservation of their genetic resources supports international initiatives for environmental sustainability and food security. Small millets have the potential to become a vital component of sustainable and nutritionally enhanced agricultural systems by incorporating cutting edge agricultural techniques and speeding up breeding improvements.

Millets categorized as cereal crops are rich sources of nutrients, mostly cultivated across arid and semiarid areas of the world, specifically in southeast Asia and Africa. Millets are easy to cultivate, demands minimal field input and have appreciable market values. Despite of great value of millets, their production is limited mainly because of climate change which triggers multiple abiotic stresses like drought, high temperature, salinity, etc. Even though millets can withstand the majority of abiotic stresses, it necessitates their further improvement to develop more resilience against unprecedented effects of climate change by incorporating or enhancing stress tolerance characteristics. It is currently not attainable to create stress tolerant and high yielding varieties through conventional breeding techniques and thus modern approaches like genome editing become inevitable to achieve this goal. Also, available data for genome sequences of millets in these years promotes genome editing. The technique has drawn tremendous attention recently due to its potential in precise modification of alleles and is considerable to speed-up crop breeding by targeting important traits with precision. Additionally, many stress-resistant genes are identified in related monocots and are reported to be orthologs of millets which could assist genome editing for developing stress resilience and productivity in millets. Above all, the technique has also gained legal acceptance and has potential to revolutionary counter climatic challenges.

Millets are an essential food in the world’s semi-arid and arid regions. These are effective energy providers. They provide dietary fibre, polyphenols, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and protein. The production of tropical crops is highly risky due to the pest outbreaks and increased abiotic pressures triggered by the climate change. Despite the fact that conventional breeding methods have greatly enhanced crop yield and output, new strategies are needed to further enhance crop productivity in order to fulfil the world’s expanding need for the food. The use of site-specific nucleases like zinc finger nuclease (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat associated proteins 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) are the genome editing technologies developing very fast. The advancement of plant genome research and its use in plant breeding are significantly aided by such achievements. CRISPR/Cas9 and related genome editing methods are emerging as appropriate methods to reduce the negative consequences of climate change and assure the long-term food security of tropical countries’ growing populations.

Millets have potential as both food and fodders crops. Foods made from millet are abundant in micronutrients and necessary amino acids for regulatory functions. Since, millets were traditionally grown under adverse conditions, a great amount of polymorphism was preserved, making millet crops naturally resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses. Using data-driven technology to increase genetic gain in breeding operations can improve traditional breeding. Artificial intelligence can be used to create varieties that are adapted to certain soil and climatic conditions. In order to achieve breeding goals, machine learning (ML) is crucial in data mining and analysis, providing information for decision-making. We have been able to generate information on interesting genes using data mining and allele identification methods. For the exploitation of the natural variation and the identification of target genes, advances in high-throughput sequencing for the detection of genetic variations as well as the role of phenomics in genomics-assisted breeding can be employed. QTLs and marker-trait correlations can be identified via genome-wide association analyses. Multiple loci and genes that control agronomic traits have can be studied by comparative and functional genomics. Model selection is crucial for ML algorithms in smart breeding, which depends on knowledge in genotype, phenotype, and G×E interaction to be handled through computer science.

The demand of day by day increasing population there is lacking of nutritious food to peoples all around world. Underutilized crops like small or minor millets are having more nutrition and providing calories up to 2000 to 3000 calories per person per day than our staple crops i.e wheat, rice, and maize etc. Small Millets are the most underutilized crop in the world possessing high nutrient-cereal qualities and potential for the improvement of food security, nation income and generate the employment for the rural peoples. Millets are rich in nutrients such as proteins, fibers, carbohydrates, fats, vitamin-B, and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc etc.They are highly nutritive crop, non-acid forming, glutan free and help in reducing blood sugar level, blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. They also help in preventing asthma and migraines sufferings and fighting malnutrition in children s and adults.S mall millets are considered the forgotten crop species because of lower yield compared to other millets i.e. Sorghum and Pearl millet and cereals i.e. rice, wheat, maize etc. Being a highly nutritive cereal crop, easy to digest, high fibers and low glycine-max content, environment friendly and prevent the human hazards small millets still remained neglected and underutilized crop. Out of 200 underutilized crops identified 29 are small millets species (NAS USA, ICUC). Considering the food demand of common peoples, emerging health consciousness and nutrient demand for food security emerged small millets to limelight because of ecologically sound to climate. Still, the harvest of crop demands combination of computational technologies to full-fill food needs of population. Recognizing the potential of small millets in improving the national income UN-FAO announced the year 2023 as International Year of Millets. This chapter focused on application of climate smart agricultural methods such as artificial intelligence for the improvement of small millets to achieve future food security.

Agriculture is the support for the sustainable health and economic growth of the country. With the frequent changes in climatic conditions and increase of global population, it is important to come up with new varieties and nutrient rich crops. In this context, underutilized and neglected millets, considered as “nutri-cereals” or “smart foods” due to better adaptation in diverse environmental stresses and tolerance to insect pests and diseases, also a staple crop for hunger-stricken areas. Millet production is limited by the lack of intensive farming and deployment of genetic tools for trait and nutrition improvement. The recent advancement in machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are key to depict plant response to environmental perturbation in huge data sets. Therefore, precision agriculture or smart farming is necessary to explore the genetic makeup of the neglected millets. AI has a substantial potential to handle numerous challenges in the formation of knowledge-based farming systems. The next agricultural revolution would emphasize more on farm machinery using AI integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT). In Smart agriculture, deep learning facilitates fast and interesting data analysis and provides support to researchers and farmers by the outcomes generated from the analysis. Here, we emphasize on the advancement of AI and its application to monitor the underutilized and neglected millets quality, yield and disease assessment. This chapter summarizes how AI can contribute to the improvement of sustainable productivity and quality of underutilized and neglected millet.

Millets are the staple food cropsacross the globe. The ability to thrive in harsh conditions established them as most suitable for current climate adversaries. The nutritional richness of millet reminded the need for adding them to our food basket.Despite possessing several desirable traits their cultivation is limited to a few pockets across the globe.Though significant progress has been achieved by conventional and transgenic breeding programs inmillets, there is a need for rapid improvement to meet the current needs.In order to accelerate the pace of breeding efforts, several molecular biology and biotechnology tools are being deployed by plant breeders. In the meantime, genome editing techniques like CRISPR, TALENS, ZFNs, Base and Prime editing have revolutionized the methods of genome engineering among which CRISPR has emerged as the most rapid, convenient and effective mechanism. The availability ofwhole genome sequence information, identified candidate genesfor various traits and successful transformation methods of millets promoted the application of CRISPR and resulted in the improvement of several traits. Initially, its application has been limited due to the restricted policies across the globe but the gradual change in the policies promoted genome editing across several parts of the globe. Thus, the application of genome editing for millet crop improvement can bring back those ancient grains to our food basket.

Introduction
Fruits and vegetables are an important part of the human diet as they provide the necessary nutrition, essential minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, dietary fiber, etc., required for maintaining proper health. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. Comparison of area under horticultural crops during 2011-12 and 2021-22 indicate substantial improvement from 18.5 million ha to 27.6 million ha with a simultaneous increase in production from 215.04 million MT to about 333.25 million MT respectively in the country within a span of just one decade (Table 1.1). The credit for this spectacular growth in area and production goes to the sustained efforts of the central and state governments for the launch of several farmers’/ growers’ welfare schemes viz., National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for Northeast and Himalayan states (HMNEH), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH); R&D support by the ICAR and State Agriculture & Horticulture Universities, extension agencies/Krishi Vigyan Kendra and proactive farmers and orchardists. However, the increase in production has still not kept pace with the improvement in infrastructure for post-harvest handling, management, processing, and value addition. Various studies still indicate that under normal conditions more than 15-20% of the produce goes to waste from production to consumption which in monetar terms accounts for huge economic losses. A recent study sponsored by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries Government of India and conducted by NABARD Consultancy Services has indicated that about 19.33 million MT worth Rs 58013.71 Crores of fruit & vegetables goes to waste annually as postharvest loss (4.87-15.05%) in various channels from harvesting to consumption (NABCONS,2022). The condition becomes even worse when there is a glut in the market, road blockades, or seasonal vagaries, and farmers are forced to leave their produce in the field itself without harvesting or dispose it at throwaway prices. Such a situation can, however, be controlled by diverting thisproduce to processing for conversion into a number of value-added products for its later use in human consumption. Thus, processing and preservation of horticultural crops have now become a necessity rather than a luxury.

Introduction
Food Pipe Line refers to a post-harvest system that deals with ensuring the delivery of a crop/commodity from the time and place of harvest to the time and place of consumption, with minimum loss, maximum efficiency, and maximum returns to all concerned including the grower, processors, and consumer. The term ‘system’ represents a dynamic, complex aggregate of logically interconnected functions or operations within a particular sphere of activity. The term pipeline refers to the functional succession of various operations but tends to ignore their complex interactions.
Stages of the post-harvest system
The food commodities broadly undergo different stages/operations of postharvest systems right from harvest to consumption. However, the applicability of different stages varies with the type of crop. Different unit operations involved in the post-harvest system of food commodities are as under:
1. Harvesting
2. Threshing (food grains, pulses and oilseeds)
3. Drying (food grains, pulses and oilseeds)
4. Collection, Sorting, grading, packaging (Horticultural Crops)
5. Transportation and distribution
6. Storage (Godowns, cold stores, CA stores)
7. Processing

Introduction
Food preservation refers to an art or science which deals with the process of prevention of decay, deterioration or spoilage of food commodity to allow it to be stored in a safe condition for future use. All foods gradually undergo deterioration or spoilage from the time immediately they are harvested or manufactured. Some commodities spoil rapidly, while others can keep longer but for limited periods. The basic purposes of food preservation are:
1. Extension of shelf life of foods thus increasing the supply
2. Ensuring the availability of seasonal foods throughout the year
3. Adding variety to the diet
4. Saving time by reducing preparation time and energy
5. Stabilizing farm prices and prices of food
6. Improving the nutritional qualities The food spoilage can be caused due to growth and activity of micro-organisms, insects or rodents, action of enzymes, chemical reactions and physical changes that takes place during processing, drying, or freezing etc. Classification of Food Depending upon the type of spoilage and level of perishability, the foods are classified into three broad categories:

Introduction: Food processing involves different steps from receiving raw material, preparing for product manufacture, and packaging to storage. All these steps are called unit operations. They are broadly categorized as raw
material preparation (receiving, sorting, grading, washing, peeling, blanching, slicing, cutting, dicing etc), processing (canning, drying, pulping, juicing, product manufacture like jam, jelly, preserves, candies, pickling, sauce making, etc.) and post-production handling including packaging and storage. A brief detail about each unit operation is discussed as under:
1. Raw Material Handling
Material handling includes varied operations such as hand or mechanical harvesting on the farm, transportation in trucks or refrigerated vehicles of perishable produce to the market or to the processing plant or to store/godowns. For conveying, a wide variety of mechanical conveyors is used depending on the type of material. Common conveyors used in the processing plant include screw conveyors, bucket conveyors, belt conveyors and vibratory conveyors. Throughout these operations, care is taken to maintain sanitary conditions, minimize bruises and product loss, maintain raw material quality like physical appearance, and vitamin contents, minimize microbial growth and minimize other detrimental changes to the product quality during handling etc. It also includes other unit operations like receiving, cleaning/washing, sorting, grading, peeling, halving, slicing, blanching etc for preparation of fruit and vegetables for processing.

Introduction
For setting up a fruit processing plant, the following cost and non-cost factors affecting the plant’s location are considered. Cost factors include raw material cost, transportation cost, cost of land, building and machinery, utilities cost, taxes, and insurance costs. At the same time, non-cost factors consisting of wages, salaries and incentives, market potential, community attitude, cost regulation, quality of life (school, living, recreation for workers, etc.), and environmental impact are taken into consideration. The main objective for the selection of the site for the processing unit is to minimize the sum of all costs. To minimize the cost, one should think not only the today’s costs but about long-term costs as well.
Plant Layout
The advantages of good plant layout are: -
i. Saving in floor space
ii. Increased output
iii. Fewer production delays
iv. Reduced material handling cost
v. Greater utilization of machine and manpower
vi. Easier and better supervision
vii. Less congestion and confusion
viii. Better appearance and more sanitary condition of work areas
ix. Reduced risk to the health and safety of employees

Introduction
Processing fruit and vegetables by applying heat is one of the most important methods of preservation as it exerts a positive preservative effect on the foods by destroying spoilage causing micro-organisms, enzymes, insects, parasites, etc. Heat processing also improves the availability of nutrients by improving digestibility, releasing vitamins like bound niacin, destroying anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitor in some legumes including soybean, causing gelatinization of starches, and producing shelf-stable products. However, heating also causes some alteration or destruction of the sensory quality of fresh foods like changes in flavor, color, taste, and texture as a result, heatprocessed foods are perceived to have different sensory qualities than fresh produce.
Preservation by heat (thermal processing) involves heating foods in hermetically sealed containers for a specific time at a particular temperature to eliminate/kill/inactivate the microbial pathogens that endanger public health
and micro-organisms and enzymes that deteriorate food during storage. Most of the raw material used for canning is usually contaminated with different species and strains of bacteria, molds, and yeasts undergoing different stages of growth (lag phase, log phase, stationary phase, vegetative phase, sporulation phase, etc.,). Amongst these, bacterial spores are more difficult to inactivate. Thus, the criteria for heat processing chosen to inactivate the spores are also presumed to be capable of inactivating all other forms of microorganisms. Unlike fruits, most vegetables being low acid or even non-acid require a severe heat treatment to kill most bacteria. It is, therefore, necessary to work out the proper time and temperature combination for each category of food to ensure complete preservation.

Introduction
The term canning refers to a process in which the food is heated in hermetically sealed containers at a specific temperature for a specific time to eliminate microbial pathogens that endanger public health; and microorganisms & enzymes that deteriorate food during storage. The credit for the invention of canning goes to a French confectioner Francois Nicholas Appert, who was awarded a prize in 1809 by the French government for developing a new method of heat preservation of food in a sealed container and after whose name the process of canning has also been named as Appertization. In 1810 Nicholas Appert published the first book on canning entitled “The Art of Preserving Animal and Vegetable Substances for Many Years.” which is the first known work on canning. The work of Appert consists of packing food in glass bottles, closing them with corks, and heating the container in boiling water for several minutes depending upon the type of the food. Although the developed technique was used to preserve different types of food, the actual reason for the prevention of spoilage was known only after the work of Louis Pasteur (1864) who discovered that food spoilage was caused by microorganisms that were destroyed at elevated temperatures and the technique was known as Pasteurization. This understanding helped to form a scientific basis for establishing and revolutionizing the canning industry. Canning of fruits on a commercial scale was introduced in the USA in 1817 by William Underwood. The old phrase ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ suits well for the development of the canning industry during wars. The Civil War in America and the Great European War of 1914 also gave impetus to the development of a canning industry to meet enormous requirements of food for the fighting forces.

Introduction
Fruit juice and beverages comprise naturally extracted juices, drinks, ready to serve (RTS) beverages, carbonated juice drinks, nectars, squashes, cordials and appetizers, etc. These products are highly refreshing, thirst-quenching, appetizing and nutritionally superior to many synthetic and aerated drinks. Fruit juice is the natural liquid expressed from the edible portion of the fruit. Fruit juices are generally extracted from fruits in several ways, depending on their structure and composition. Soft fruits such as berries or tomatoes can be pressed in a fruit press or pulped by using a juicer attachment to a food processor. Citrus fruits are usually reamed to extract the clear juice. Harder fruits, such as pineapple, are peeled, pulped and pressed to extract the juice. Apple and pear fruits are crushed in a fruit grater and pressed in a hydraulic/ basket press to extract a clear juice. Passion fruit juice is prepared by using a pulper-finisher that separates the skin and seeds from the pulp. The fruits like mango, guava, apricot, peach etc from which the clear juice extraction is difficult are passed through the pulper to make pulp and then the pulp is utilized for preparation of juice, fruit drinks and ready to serve beverages. The composition of juice is unaltered during preparation and preservation while for fruit beverages like drinks, squashes, cordial etc the fruit juice or pulp, sugar, acid, colour, flavour etc are mixed in appropriate proportions to a desirable taste. Apple juice, orange juice, mango squash, guava drink, pineapple juice and squash, mixed fruit drink, mango nectar etc are the commercial products available in the market.

Introduction
The addition of sugar in foods acts as a preservative when its concentration is above 66%. It absorbs most of the available water and restricts the availability of moisture required for the growth of microorganisms. Sugar adds value to the product by imparting sweetness as well as body to these products. When sugar is boiled with acid and fruits, it is hydrolysed into glucose and fructose, the degree of inversion depending upon the pH and duration of boiling. Because of the inversion of sucrose, a mixture of sucrose, glucose and fructose is found in products like jam, jelly, marmalade, preserves and candies.
Jams, jellies and marmalades constitute an important class of fruit products preserved by using sugar as the method of preservation. Apple jam, mango jam, pineapple jam, strawberry jam and mixed fruit jam prepared by using the pulp of two or more fruits are quite common. Similarly, guava jelly and orange marmalade are also examples of such products.
A fruit preserve is made from properly matured fruit by cooking it whole or in the form of large pieces in heavy sugar syrup, till it becomes tender and transparent. A fruit impregnated with cane sugar and glucose, followed by subsequent draining and drying is called a candied fruit (Fruit candy) e.g. petha candy, ginger candy. While candied fruit covered or coated with a thin transparent coating of sugar, which imparts to it a glossy appearance is referred to as a glazed fruit. When candied fruit is coated with sugar crystals either by rolling it in powdered sugar or by allowing the sugar crystals from glucose syrup to deposit on it, it becomes a crystallized fruit (Crystallized Candy). The use of high concentrations of sugar in these products acts as a preservative. Products like Petha candy, aonla preserve, candied citrus peels, ginger candy, ginger in syrup, bael, pineapple and carrot preserve are the commercial products in this category.

Introduction
Many chemical substances are added to the food for functional purposes and in many cases, these are found to occur naturally in some foods. When these substances are added to the foods, they are known as food additives. An additive is defined as a substance or mixture of substances other than basic food ingredients that are present in a food as a result of any aspect of production, processing or packaging. Additives may be intentional as well as unintentional. Intentional additives are substances deliberately added to perform a specific function and to increase the shelf life of the products while unintentional additives have no intended function in the finished product but become part of that particular product. The food additives having significance in fruit and vegetable preservation and their mode of action are discussed as under:
Objectives of adding an additive
1. To reduce wastage and improve keeping quality e.g., the addition of potassium meta-bisulphite in squashes, benzoate in sauces, sodium propionate in bread and sorbic acids in cheese etc.,
2. To improve and maintain nutritive elements e.g., addition of vitamins for enrichment, addition of vitamin D to milk, addition of iodine to salt etc.
3. To enhance the quality and consumer acceptability of the product e.g., the addition of colouring agents, emulsifiers, thickeners etc.
4. To facilitate the preparation of foods e.g., the addition of acid to beverages, sugar in jams, jellies etc.