eChapters

Food preservation is increasingly influenced by digital technologies associated with Industry 4.0. Ensuring food safety now requires not only microbial control but also authenticity, traceability, continuous quality monitoring and rapid decision-making. Artificial intelligence and machine learning can analyse complex datasets to predict shelf life, recognise spoilage patterns and assess risks arising during processing, storage and distribution. Internet of Things devices connect sensors across the cold chain, while blockchain supports transparent and secure traceability. Smart pH, temperature, humidity, optical and biosensors provide real-time information about product conditions. The chapter examines these technologies alongside automation while considering data quality, model validation, infrastructure, cost and industrial implementation challenges.

Digitalization is transforming ice cream operations by connecting procurement, production, quality, cold chain, sales, distribution, finance, and management through integrated information systems. This chapter examines the transition from traditional manual operations to ERP-, AI-, IoT-, and data-driven management. It explains the costs of limited digitalization and the department-wise benefits of integrated systems, including better traceability, demand forecasting, inventory management, energy monitoring, cold-chain control, predictive maintenance, and profitability analysis. The chapter also explores artificial intelligence, business intelligence, IoT monitoring, and evidence from industry research. It emphasizes that technology alone is insufficient: standardized processes, accurate master data, user training, governance, and management discipline are essential for achieving measurable digital transformation.

4a. Intestinal Disorders
 
History of health claims
 
According to Bottazzi (1983) it was in 76 BC that the Roman historian Plinius recommended the use of fermented milk for treating gastroenteritis. Metchnikoff claimed that the intake of fermented milk containing Lactobacilli reduces the toxin producing bacteria, thereby increasing the longetivity of the host (Metchnikoff, 1908). Tissier (1905) showed that there was an increase in the Bifidobacteria in breast fed-infants, thus claiming that the administration of Bifidobacteria to infants suffering from diarrhea was very beneficial as they supersede the putrefactive bacteria that causes the disease. Intestinal beneficial microfloras are responsible to resist the disease (Bohnhoff et al., 1954).

The distribution systems are designed to ensure that processed fluid milk is stored and transported under optimal conditions, maintaining its quality and freshness until it reaches consumers. An effective distribution system for processed fluid milk involves careful planning and execution to guarantee timely delivery, quality preservation, and customer satisfaction. Given that milk is a highly perishable product, it requires meticulous handling and strict temperature control. Technology plays a crucial role in preserving its integrity throughout the supply chain. The use of technology reduces human error, increase the efficiency of distribution operations, and lower operational costs by preventing idle resources through coordinated logistics for both outbound and inbound trips.
To address the specific demands of manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and transportation, integrated business process automation solutions are implemented. These solutions include following features:
• Identify and define the most efficient delivery routes, reducing transportation costs and ensuring timely delivery.
• Scheduling and monitoring of delivery routes to maintain optimal delivery speeds, and manage loading and unloading processes so as to minimize exposure to adverse conditions. Automated solutions and tools help maintain the required temperature conditions throughout the entire supply chain.
• Verify and document supplier practices to ensure that all partners in the supply chain adhere to the agreed-upon temperature standards. Store the temperature-related data to help in auditing and analysis, and continuous improvement of the cold chain process.
• Shelf life and expiration date management is a critical component in  the storage and transport of dairy products. Proper management ensures that dairy products remain safe for consumption and retain their quality throughout the distribution chain.

Introduction

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are characterized as Gram-positive cocci or rods, non-aerobic but aerotolerant, able to ferment carbohydrates for production of energy and lactic acid. Lactic acid bacteria includes different major genera: Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Lactosphaera, euconostoc, Melissococcus, Oenococcus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, Tetragenococcus, Vagococcus and Weissella. Other genera are Aerococcus, Microbacterium, Propionibacterium and Bifidobacterium. Through carbohydrate fermentation along with lactic acid, various organic acids are produced due to which there is a fall in pH level and creates unfavorable environment or inhibits growth of some undesired microorganisms. The low pH makes organic acids lipo -soluble, allowing them to invade into cytoplasm of pathogens by rupturing cell membrane. LAB are generally regarded as safe (GRAS), and have a significant role in the preservation of foods and fermented products. Under controlled conditions they can be used as natural competitive microbiota or as specific starter cultures. Antagonistic substance like bacteriocins are produced from lactic acid bacteria that inhibits the activity and growth of other bacteria and these bacteriocins are active against various pathogens in minimum concentration. These are antimicrobial peptides modified by post -translational mechanisms and exported to the extracellular medium. Till date about 239 bacteriocin producing LAB genome and 789 putative bacteriocin producing genes cluster are stored in the public databases. Many gram positive and gram negative bacteria in the environment produce bacteriocins.

A laboratory is essential for research work in science and development. Most of the research institutes have dedicated laboratories for researchers and students to conduct experiments, perform research work, as well as to provide hands-on learning/training to students. There are certain rules and regulations laid down by the laboratory in-charge which need to be followed strictly for safety purposes. Some of the laboratories keep ‘safety manual’ for researchers to read before entering into the laboratory to conduct experiments. Whenever safety is compromised in a laboratory, there is increase in risk of unwanted incidents in the laboratory. Storing food/beverages in the same refrigerator where laboratory chemicals are kept may lead to disastrous effects on health. This chapter aims to provide instructions in brief on the things to be performed (Do’s) before and after entering onto a laboratory as well as the things never to be done (Don’ts) in a laboratory for the safety reasons.

Good Laboratory Practices (Do’s)

• P Wear apron/labcoat while working in the laboratory.
• P Use gloves/respiratory mask/fumehood while handling toxic/volatile/inflammable chemicals/reagents.
• P Use pippet or pippetor for safety in transfer of solutions.
• P Protect eyes, face and naked parts of the body from UV radiations. Use safety goggles or face mask/apron.
• P Keep your eyes away from Liquid Nitrogen and use cryogloves while handling it.
• P Arrange all the necessary materials/solutions before starting the experiment.
• P Periodically fumigate/ozonize culture and inoculation rooms.
• P Autoclave all contaminated materials before discarding.
• P Pre-treat gel or solution containing Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) before discarding into laboratory waste-disposal bin, and use gloves while handling them.
• P Burn all the transgenic plant materials in an incinerator after taking necessary observations.
• P Make entry in the designated log-book and clean the instrument after using it properly.
• P Switch-off the instrument after use or when not in use.
• P Wash hands with soap and remove the labcoat before leaving/going out of the laboratory7.
• P Ensure that switches for fans/lights, and water taps are off while leaving the laboratory.
• P Follow the biosafety guidelines suggested for handling and disposal of the hazardous chemical.

13.1 Introduction
Drying is the process of evaporation separating a liquid from a substance or mixture of components. Either solid or solid–liquid phase describes the product to be dried. The separation follows a solid and a gas phase pattern. “Milk Product” is a product derived from milk processing that might include food additives and other substances functionally required for the milk product as approved in the laws (FSSAI Milk standards). Made to increase the storage life of the product, lower bulk so as to cut packaging and shipping costs, etc., dried milk products are created.
13.2 Dried milk
“Dried milk or milk powder is the product generated by the removal of water by heat or the equivalent means, to produce a solid containing five percent or less moisture. Dried whole milk or whole milk powder (WMP) from whole milk; and from skim milk is known as Dried Skim Milk or Skim Milk Powder (SMP), or Non-fat Dry Milk (NFDM); respectively
13.3 Whole Milk Powder
Dehydrating milk from cows, buffaloes, or a combination of both or from milk that has been standardized results in whole milk powder. Up to 0.3% of the weight of the product might be calcium chloride, citric acid, sodium citrate, and sodium salts of orthophosphoric and polyphosphoric acids; also included butylated hydroxy anisole up to 0.01% by weight. The label does not have to list these additions. Milk powder must to have a fat level at least 26.0 percent and a moisture level no more than 5.0 percent. Measured as lactic acid, its overall acidity should not be more than 1.2 percent. The Coliform count should not be more than 90 per gram; the normal plate count should be just 50,000 per gram. For roller-dried goods and spray-dried goods, the solubility index shouldn’t be higher than 15.0 or 2.0.

6.1 Introduction

In general, the terms drying and dehydration are interpreted as the removal of moisture from a food product. Removal of moisture from a food product offers an excellent protection against most common causes of food spoilage. The drying or dehydration process achieves such protection by reducing the moisture content of the food product to levels which are adequate to limit microbial growth or other adverse chemical reactions. During drying, heat and mass transfer occur simultaneously (Figure 6.1). Heat is transferred from the bulk gas phase (i.e. hot air used for drying) to the solid phase (i.e. food product to be dried), where part of it is utilized for vaporization and the remainder is taken up by the solid phase as sensible heat. Mass (i.e. moisture of food product) is transferred in the form of vapour through various resistances, first from the interior of the solid to the surface, then through vaporization at or near the surface and finally in transport of the vapour into bulk gas phase. Dehydration is the removal of moisture close to bone dry condition.

Drying is basically the unit operations which is used in many of the food industry nowadays. It can be desirably known as the process of removing moisture to relent a hard products. It is the transfer of energy source, mostly it derives heat from the outer environment to the dryer in which the food products is placed.

Introduction

While experimenting with chemicals, sometimes we need to dry the chemical/ solution (solid, liquid or gas) using a process like evaporation or distillation, mainly to remove water or different solvents. Drying is the process of evaporation or distillation to remove water/solvent from a solution, solid or even from gas. Generally, a drying agent (usually an anhydrous inorganic salt) is used for this process, which reacts with the water (present in the chemical/ solvent to be dried) to form a hydrate. For example, anhydrous MgSO4 is one of the drying agents. The drying agents are recognized by their capacity (the rate at which they absorb water) and their intensity (the amount of water left behind in the solvent at equilibrium). No chemical reaction or change in phase occurs during the drying process.

Type of Solvents

Apart from water (a universal solvent), there are three families of organic solvents used in laboratories.

1) Oxygenated solvents: Alcohols, Ketones, Glycol ethers, Glycol esters, etc.

2) Hydrocarbon solvents: Aliphatic and Aromatic hydrocarbons.

3) Halogenated solvents: Chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Dehydration (or drying) is defined as ‘the application of heat under controlled conditions to remove the majority of the water normally present in a food. The main purpose of dehydration is to extend the shelf life of foods by a reduction in water activity. This inhibits microbial growth and enzyme activity, but the processing temperature is usually insufficient to cause their inactivation. Therefore any increase in moisture content during storage, for example due to faulty packaging, will result in rapid spoilage.

The method of preserving various food stuffs by drying them, and thereby depriving microorganisms of the water necessary for their growth, has been known for centuries. According to Marco Polo’s accounts of his travel in Asia in 13^th century, soldiers of Kublai Khan carried dried milk on excursions. Before it was used, water was added to a portion of dried material. Mixing was accomplished by movement of the horse during riding on the trip. The recombined product was then consumed at the mealtime. The belief is that part of the fat was removed from the milk before drying and dehydration was accomplished by solar heating.

Drying is defined as the removal of the liquid, usually water, from a product by evaporation, leaving the solids in an essentially dry state. Today the production of dried milk and milk products has become important segment of dairy industry. Dry milk provides a means of preserving the excess milk supply during the flush season for use during the lean season. The value added dried dairy products like malted milk foods, infant food and infant formulae and dairy whiteners are convenient ready to use products having wide acceptance. The water content of milk powder ranges between 2.5 and 5%, and no microbial growth occurs at such low water content. Drying extends the shelf life of milk, simultaneously reducing its weight and volume. The main purpose of drying milk are: a) to improve the storage life of the product due to low moisture content, b) to reduce cost for storage and transportation of product due to reduced bulk, and c) to provide convenient product for utilization in many dairy and food preparations.

The production of dried milks to a great extent is now being governed by the market requirement and to some specialized use of such products. Considerable quantities of dried skim milk powders are being used extensively in the preparation of ‘Reconstituted and Recombined milks”. Milk powders are also used extensively in the manufacture of ice cream, bakery products, confectionary products, cottage cheese and in other cheese varieties. The greatest proportion of milk powder is utilized in confectioneries, such as milk chocolate, caramels, soft sweets, coatings, biscuits and cakes. In these products, milk powder has a special effect on the quality of particular products: it improves consistency, flavour as well as nutritional value and shelf life.

1. Introduction

Drying is a thermo physical and physicochemical process, which involves removal of excess water from a solid, semi-solid or liquid food material by evaporating it into vapour phase on applying heat, to reduce growth of microorganism or to completely eliminate their growth. Hence, reducing the water activity increases shelf life of food products. Drying medium for carrying evaporated moisture can be air or steam. Benefits of drying include increase in shelf life, easy to transport, handle food material and reduce packaging cost as it reduces bulk weight. 

Abstract

Egg is a nutrient dense food, containing high quality proteins and a wide range of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, PUFA, MUFA etc. Whole egg slices were prepared by boiling in water technique for a predetermined time i.e. 15 min. The egg slices were prepared with spice extract at different levels of 2%, 5%, 7% and 10%, out of which 5% was found acceptable by sensory evaluation. The egg slices with 5% spice extract were then subjected to frying in different oils such as mustard oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil and soya bean oil. Among all of the fried egg slices and control (without any spice extract and frying), on sensory evaluation, fried egg slices with mustard oil was most preferred. Texture analysis results shows that hardness was increased on frying and highest in fried egg slices with rice bran oil. Also the values for other TPA component viz. adhesiveness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness were increased on frying as compared with control. Among the fried egg slices, highest values for adhesiveness, cohesiveness, gumminess was observed in egg slices with rice bran oil. However, chewiness of fried egg slices with sunflower oil was highest. It can be concluded from present study that the egg slices fried in mustard oil was organoleptically acceptable with good textural properties.

Vegetable oils and fats play a very important role in our diet. They provide essential fatty acids which are precursors of important hormones such as prostaglandins. They control many physiological factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and reproductive system [1]. Coconut oil is a popular vegetable oil obtained from kernel of fruit coconut (Cocos nucifera). It is liquid at room temperature and bland in taste. Coconut oil is extensively used in cooking purpose in coastal tropical regions although it has been used in abundance for its medicinal properties.

Abstract

Noodles are widely consumed throughout the world and their global consumption is second only to bread. In the study, response of reducing agents (cysteine hydrochloride and sodium metabisulphite) and oxidizing agents (potassium bromate and benzoyl peroxide) at 10 and 20 ppm levels on the farinographic and amylographic curve characteristics as well as on the noodle making properties of durum and commercial wheat semolina were investigated according to the AACC (1990) procedure. The farinographic curve characteristics revealed that water absorption was enhanced with increasing levels of reducing agents but decreased with addition of oxidizing agents. However there was no significant change in Dough Development Time in case of durum semolina on addition of reducing agents, but commercial semolina recorded significant changes at 20 ppm level of reducing agent. The best reducing agent for durum and commercial semolina was thus sodium metabisulphite and cysteine hydrochloride respectively. Addition of oxidizing agent potassium bromate at 20 ppm level enhanced stability and was thus chosen as the best oxidizing agent for durum semolina and benzoyl peroxide for commercial semolina. Addition of reducing and oxidizing agents improved yield, appearance, elasticity and extensibility characteristics of instant fresh noodles. The best levels were used in the preparation of noodles on the Italian extruder (NAMAD).

Most of the starch sources are cereals (40 to 90%), tubers (65 to 85%), roots (30 to 70%), legumes (25 to 50%) which contain nearly 70% of starch on dry basis (Santana & Meireles, 2014). Major application of starch is seen in food production, where it is used as a thickening agent, for stabilization, adsorption, gelling, for binding aromatic compounds and as a film forming agent as well (Subaric et al., 2007). About 0.8-3.2 tons of CO2 per ton of plastic can be saved by using starch-based plastics (Patel 1999).

Abstract

Re-constituted rice-premixes made by extrusion, has been successfully formulated for the fortification of market rice with vitamin A (retinyl palmitate and betacarotene) and iron. The statistics of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) are alarming in the developing world, particularly in India. In fact, India is second largest producer as well as consumer of rice in the world, so fortification of rice with vitamin A and iron seems to be a successful solution to reduce the VAD and IDA in India. In order to design the final formulation, eight formulations containing target micronutrient profile were tested for vitamin A (both retinyl palmitate and beta-carotene) and iron retention for a period of six months under ambient (24-26 ⁰C) and elevated temperature (40 ⁰C) conditions. Nonsignificant iron loss was observed during six months of storage time under both ambient and elevated conditions. The higher retention of retinyl palmitate and beta-carotene was observed in formulation 5 and 8 respectively. In F5, the retention of retinyl palmitate was 73% and 66% and in F8, retention of beta carotene was 70% and 63% under ambient and elevated temperature conditions respectively after six months of storage. Substituting the original, vegetable shortening with palm shortening resulted in increased retention of retinyl palmitate and beta carotene in formulation 5 and 8. Thus, increased antioxidant effect of natural antioxidants in palm shortenings contributed to stability of micronutrients.

In India after rice wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the second most important cultivated food crop belonging to family poaceae. Total production of wheat was 760 million tons in India during 2016-2017 (FAOSTAT, 2017) which is second largest in the world after china. In India highest producing state of wheat is Uttar Pradesh followed by Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan etc. Wheat is categorize into seven commonly known wheat classes those are hard red spring, hard red winter, soft red winter, hard white, soft white, durum and mixed wheat (Khamis, 2014). 

Abstract

Micronutrients and bioactive compounds must be part of the population's diet in sufficient amounts to meet the body's needs. The concentrations of micronutrients and bioactive compounds in plant foods at harvest are known to vary with such factors as the variety or cultivar, stage of maturity, geographic or climatic effects, etc. Most subclasses of polyphenols e.g., phenolics acids and flavonoids, the effects of processing on the contents were found negligible in comparison to the differences between varieties of plants but carotenoids are among the food components most affected by environmental and processing conditions. Thermal processing has long been known to cause significant losses of vitamins, carotenoids and anthocyanins. The heat treatment viz. blanching, pasteurization, sterilization etc. result in losses of thermally labile nutrients and bioactive compounds, but the inactivation of oxidative and other degradative enzymes (e.g., lipoxygenase for carotenoids, polyphenol oxidase for flavonoids, ascorbic acid oxidase for vitamin C). Nutrients in dehydrated products are more likely to undergo degradation during storage because of the greater surface area exposed to oxygen and light. Blanched products generally resist decomposition better than unblanched foods during storage. Compared to losses during processing, subsequent storage often has a small but significant effect on vitamin and bioactive compound contents. Reaction rates are relatively slow at ambient or reduced temperature. The processing method chosen, and storage condition applied finalise the retention of these compounds which decreases with longer processing time, higher processing temperatures and storage of the food.

In order to assess the quality characteristics of eggs the book reference values were taken for comparison

Introduction

Proper electrical wiring and earthing are crucial for laboratory safety and functionality. A laboratory houses several installations/equipment that demand stable/continuous power supply. Inappropriate or faulty wiring and earthing may lead to significant risks, including electrical shocks, damage to equipment, and even incidence of fire. Therefore, understanding the requirements of electrical wiring and earthing is essential for designing, construction, and maintenance of laboratory. This chapter aims to provide a basic knowledge of electrical wiring and earthing necessary for a laboratory. Importance of earthing in mitigating electrical hazards and ensuring integrity of electrical installations are also described.

Basics of Electrical Wiring

Basic understanding of electrical wiring is necessary for laboratory safety and efficient electrical functioning. The potential difference between two electrical points (negative and positive) is known as Voltage, which drives the flow of electric current. This is measured as volt (V). The rate of flow of electricity in a circuit is known as Current (I), which is measured as ampere (A). Current can be either direct (DC) or alternating (AC). Opposition/resistance experienced in the flow of current in circuit is known as Resistance (R) and it is measured in ohms (Ω). Higher the resistance means lesser the current flows at a given voltage. The rate at which electrical energy is transferred/utilized in an electric circuit is known as Power (P), which is measured in watt (W). The Power can be calculated as the product of voltage and current (P = V × I).

Electromagnetic and advanced heating technologies offer rapid and energy-efficient alternatives to conventional food processing. These systems use microwaves, radio frequency, electrical resistance, infrared radiation, lasers, photonic energy and dielectric heating to generate heat within food or directly at its surface. Faster and more uniform energy transfer can improve microbial inactivation, shorten processing time and reduce damage to nutrients and sensory characteristics. The chapter explains the principles, mechanisms, applications and nutritional effects of microwave, radio-frequency, ohmic and infrared heating. It also considers laser-based and photonic techniques. Particular attention is given to heating uniformity, product properties, equipment control, energy efficiency and the prevention of underprocessed areas.

Emerging preservation technologies are being developed to meet increasing expectations for food safety, nutritional quality, sustainability and longer shelf life. Greater investigation remains necessary to understand their effects, limitations and suitability for large-scale industrial application. This chapter examines innovative physical, chemical and biological methods used at different stages of the food chain. Technologies include plasma-activated water, cold atmospheric plasma, advanced oxidation, electrolysed water, space-food preservation, hurdle systems and biopreservation. Their mechanisms involve reactive species, microbial membrane damage, oxidation, combined environmental stresses and beneficial biological agents. The chapter assesses their applications, advantages and disadvantages while highlighting research, regulation, process standardisation, equipment cost and commercial scalability.

Introduction

Food fraud is not new it can be traced back to ancient Rome and Athens, where regulations prohibiting the adulteration of beverages with flavours and colours were in place. It exists since the food trade has been started. Food fraud affects all food supply chains, thus the entire food sector. Due to globalisation and the increasing complexity of supply lines, food supply chains are becoming more vulnerable to food fraud (Robson et al., 2021a). A fraud is “any act or omission relating to the use or presentation of false, incorrect, or incomplete statements or documents, or non disclosure of information in violation of a specific obligation, and any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests” (EU No. 2017/1371).

Introduction

All the worldwide cuisines generally rely on plant-based edible oils as the main cooking ingredient due to their unique chemical composition, further presence of unsaturated fatty acids in plant-based oils makes it a healthy complement in the diet. Lipids are known to provide almost double calories than carbohydrates. For ages, vegetable oils have contributed maximally to our nutrition and economics, but their authenticity is still a considerable issue (Firestone and Reina, 1996) as for more profitability fraudulent blends lower grade oils to high-grade expensive oils.

14.1 Introduction

The increasing human population and changing life styles have resulted in a huge demand for processed and packaged foods. As a result of this demand, large amounts of water, air, electricity and fuel are consumed on a daily basis for food processing, transportation and preservation. Although not one of the most heavily polluting, the food industry does contribute to the increase in volume of waste produced [1]. There is an increasing pressure from regulatory bodies through incentives, legislation and financial penalties to minimize waste generation and encourage adoption of eco-friendly options for waste management. Nanotechnology is a panacea for food waste management.

Employee motivation and job enrichment are described as two management techniques used to improve human behaviour and attitude towards work, with a view to utilize available human resources more efficiently and thus make man-management more effective. Just as the employee has certain wants that the organization is expected to satisfy, the organization too expects certain types of behaviour usually termed as ‘Direction’ or ‘Motivation’. Obviously this managerial function is not so easy, as it involves many problems, and it is these problems and their possible solutions that one is concerned.
Job enrichment is also a motivational problem created by the alienation of employees from their work, or by lack of their interest in their work. Here the problem is how to make the work more interesting, purposeful and acceptable to employees so that they may perform it more enthusiastically and with a greater sense of responsibility. Like motivation this is also a problem of human behaviour and work attitude. In fact both employee motivation and job enrichment are the problems which every supervisor and manager has to face while working and making their subordinates work.

Probiotics have been newly defined as ‘live microbes which passage the gastrointestinal tract and in doing so benefit the health of the consumer differing from the earlier definitions which focused on probiotic interfaces with original intestinal microbes (Fuller, 1989). These definitions of probiotic bacteria generally agree that probiotic bacteria should be living organisms toward consult health benefits. Probiotics have been reported to play a therapeutic role by modulating immunity, lowering cholesterol, improving lactose tolerance and preventing some cancers (Kailasapathy and Chin, 2000).

1. Introduction

Energy balance means keeping an account of how the flow of energy is taking place in and out of any system or process. It helps the engineers to estimate the total energy requirement and identify the area for conservation of energy in any process. In food processing the concept of energy balance is applicable in unit operation such as blanching, drying, evaporation, freezing, refrigeration, distillation, crystallization. The scopes of energy balance in food industry are:

i) Streamlining and reduction of energy consumption in the existing process.

ii) Selection and sizing of any equipment and process.

iii) Economic analysis of alternate process/technology.

iv) Designing new economically viable process/technology

Introduction

Over the years, processed food industry has become the largest growing industry in the world. The convenience food industry with the state of the art technology has been proved very successful in reaching every household and have started replacing fresh and healthy foods with the processed ones (Srinivasan and Shende, 2016).

Demand for processed and convenience foods are constantly on rise and convenience food segment is rising by leaps and bounds. Changing life style, food habits, displacement of rural population to urban centres, insufficient time to prepare healthy food and changing socio economic needs have led to the industrialization of the food supply and resulted in the development of convenience foods and today a great variety of the same are available for sale to the consumer throughout the world (Tillotson, 2003).

These convenience foods are available readily, convenient, inexpensive with pleasing organoleptic quality, requires minimal or no preparation before consumption. Varieties of convenience foods which are available in the market play a prominent role in the food choice of today’s consumer, and they include frozen and canned vegetables, bakery products, soups, sauces, prepared meat and fish, chilled and frozen dairy products as well as ready to eat and shelf stable products (Tillotson, 2003).

Rapid switchover of the consumer from the traditional dining practices to fast food centres, generally feed on quick and easily made products called fast foods, often termed as unhealthy junk foods. These foods are rich in saturated fatty acids, several refined components, high carbohydrates etc., which ultimately lead to the negative impact on physical and mental health of the consumer, contributing to several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular complications, cancer, atherosclerosis, liver disease, type 11 diabetes (Veggie et al., 2018) etc.

Therefore, focussing much about the health of the consumer, there is a great need for a healthy and a balanced diet to meet the basic needs of the human body (Mendes et al 2013) with an appealing organoleptic properties and appearance.

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).

Introduction

Entrepreneurship has become a major driver of economic development in recent years. It involves starting new businesses or revitalizing existing ones, often through recognizing and seizing new opportunities. Entrepreneurs are individuals who organize, manage, and take on the risks of a business venture with the aim of making a profit. They identify market opportunities and introduce new technologies and organizational improvements. Entrepreneurs constantly innovate and create value from these opportunities. According to Hisrich (1990), entrepreneurs are proactive and creative individuals who can organize resources and manage risks and failures to succeed.

To grow as an entrepreneur, it is essential to develop and refine key entrepreneurial traits. These traits shape an entrepreneur’s skills and abilities, aligning with their motivations and guiding them to drive their business forward. Entrepreneurial characteristics are a mix of personal, social, and environmental factors that influence a business ecosystem. These traits play a key role in shaping a company’s goals and strategies, ultimately affecting its performance.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship, known for its ability to drive innovation, economic development, and societal change, is a dynamic force that plays a crucial role in global advancement. However, the path of an entrepreneur is not a straightforward journey from concept to achievement. Instead, it is a complex process influenced by numerous factors, which together form the entrepreneurship development cycle. Gaining a deep understanding of this cycle, along with the entrepreneurial environment and the challenges entrepreneurs face, is essential for cultivating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The entrepreneurship development cycle refers to the various stages that entrepreneurs go through as they turn ideas into successful ventures. The cycle starts with ideation, where entrepreneurs identify opportunities and develop innovative solutions to address unmet market needs or problems. This is followed by a feasibility assessment, during which entrepreneurs assess the potential of their ideas, considering market demand, competition, and the resources needed. After confirming the viability of their concepts, entrepreneurs move on to resource acquisition, gathering the capital, talent, and infrastructure necessary to bring their ideas to life. The subsequent phases include launching the venture, establishing a market presence, and pursuing growth through strategic decision-making and adaptability to shifting market conditions.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship is crucial for economic development, especially during crises when job losses push people to find alternative livelihoods, often turning to entrepreneurship as a means of survival. Its impact is highly beneficial, promoting growth, wealth creation, and better living standards. In developing countries like India, entrepreneurship offers a path to holistic development, particularly for disadvantaged groups traditionally dependent on agriculture. Uplaonkar and Biradar (2015) noted that entrepreneurship development effectively generates employment, increases income, reduces poverty, improves health, and ensures food and nutritional security. Recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship, stakeholders in the agricultural sector now see its positive impact on business sustainability. Verhees et al. (2011) argued that promoting entrepreneurship in agriculture can significantly reduce poverty and boost rural prosperity, directly addressing socio-economic challenges in rural areas (Bhooshan and Ranjith, 2022). Therefore, supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural sectors through programs and schemes is essential.

Introduction
This method is used to determine the ‘total bacterial count’ (living and dead  organisms) by direct microscopic examination in samples of broth culture, cell suspension and milk. Simple and Gram’s staining techniques are used to stain the cells. This method is simple and a rapid. A known volume (0.01 ml) of the sample is spread over a known area (1cm2) on a glass slide. The sample is allowed to dry; then stained and examined microscopically. The average number of cells per field is determined and is then calculated by applying microscopic factor.
Materials
1. Microscopic slide with one sq. cm. area marked
2. Breed’s pipette (0.01 ml)
3. Methylene blue or Newman’s stain
4. Culture of E.coli or Bacillus subtilis
Procedure
1. Measure the diameter of microscopic field with a stage micrometer using oil immersion objective and 10X eye piece.
2. Area of field πr2.
Determination of microscopic factor (MF)

(A) Enumeration of Microbial Growth by Turbidity Measurement
Method and Estimation of Generation Time
Introduction
Bacterial growth usually refers to reproduction-increase in population sizerather than to enlargement of mycelia cells. “Reproduction in bacteria occurs mainly through binary (binary means one cell becomes two) or transverse fission that results in the formation of two daughter cells. This is repeated at intervals by each new daughter cell in turn, or with each successive round of division. The population increases (Fig. 1). The time required for a complete fission cycle i.e. parent cell to two daughter cells is called the generation or doubling time. In bacteria, it is a doubling process in which each new fission cycle or generation increases the population by a factor of 2. So the parent stage consists of 2 cells, the second of 4, then 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 and so on (Fig. 2). Thus the population will double, over and over again as long as the environment remains favorable for growth. The length of generation time is a measure of the growth rate of an organism. The average generation time in bacteria is 30-60 minutes under optimum conditions. Some species have very rapid growth rate and short generation time (5-10 minutes) and others have very slow growth rates and long generation times (measured in days). Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis, both causes of food poisoning, are examples of pathogens having relatively short doubling times of 20-30 minutes, which result in a few million cells from a few cells in a few hours in the infested food. The longest generation time occurs in species of Mycobacterium, particularly Mycobacterium leprae (the cause of leprosy) of 10-30 days as long as in some animals.

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.

Introduction

The entire living organism from the smaller creatures viruses to the advanced human beings are composed of a set up of biochemical reactions which form the metabolism. These set of metabolic reactions are responsible for the life of organism. The rate of these reactions is a major concern for effective working of organism which is governed by biocatalyst. These biocatalysts are known as enzymes, which accelerates rate of biochemical reaction. These are not utilized in reaction. In 1877, Wilhelm Friedrich Kuhne (Kuhne, 1877) proposed the term enzyme which means ‘in yeast’ and is derived from the Greek word; inzume “leavened” or “in yeast”. At the molecular level of study it is observed that enzymes are proteins which are functional as tertiary and quaratanary structures. Enzymes have active site for the binding to substrate. The active site has two positions; binding and catalytic site (Ogeston, 1948). The former help to bind the substrate with the enzyme followed by the catalysis of reaction by the catalytic site.

The establishment of a technology transfer office is an important and complex process for an organization. It needs careful planning to ensure its long-term sustainability. Before establishing a TTO, it is essential to evaluate whether institution’s core mission includes research commercialization, and if the volume and quality of its research output justify the need for an inhouse TTO. For institutions that may not meet all criteria, those institutions can collaborate or outsource for TTO services. It is also important to decide about its operational scope, funding, management, and for what kind of issues the office should develop a policy. There is no “right” way to set up a TTO, but successful TTO does require considering some key issues. This chapter outlines key steps and considerations for establishing a TTO. It also explains what physical infrastructures are needed, manpower, outlines the responsibilities and powers of TTOs.
2.1 Evaluating the need for a TTO
Establishing a TTO is an important step for any research focused organization. But before initiating a planning process for a new TTO, the organization must review its relevance by considering a few fundamental points:
Key considerations for institutions
1. Is institution’s mission focused on “research commercialization” If an institute’s primary mission is education, or it does not support research it might not be justified to create a TTO. For such institutions, it usually makes better sense to seek alternative solutions to the occasional technology transfer without the expense of a formal office. But institutions with strong research commercialization focus, a TTO has the ability to contribute meaningfully to the mission. The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), USA has identified following key motivations for initiating academic technology transfer:

Performance metrics and indicators
Traditionally, in the past, TTOs’ performance was measured in monetary terms, such as universities’ revenues derived through commercialization. The methodology, however, is prone to shortcomings, in light of the fact that various TTOs do not receive significant amounts of financial proceeds through their technology transfers. In addition, relying on income does not depict a TTO’s true potential, in light of the fact that it does not account for the total range of outputs of research and commercialization opportunities. Recognizing these limitations, academics have found innovative ways to measure TTO efficiency, such as monetary and non-monetary indicators. Financial indicators typically entail measurable outcomes such as number of signed licenses, income from licenses, royalties collected, equity income, and number of spin-offs or startups created. These are actual gauges of the economic returns from commercialization efforts, and in the majority of instances are used in the context of benchmarking the performance of a TTO in a comparative context, perhaps against peer institutions or industry averages. Non-financial indicators consist of royalty distributions to academics, having an integral role in encouraging academics to participate in commercialisation activity. By incorporating monetary and non-financial metrics, universities might have an enhanced, comprehensive evaluation system for their TTOs. Such evaluation is sure to ensure assessment extends beyond short-run monetary metrics and looks to incorporate several organization, institutional, and research-oriented determinants in driving successful technology transfer.

7.1 Introduction

Evaporation is an unit operation which converts a liquid into a vapour, leaving behind a concentrated solution or a higher boiling liquid. In other words, the goal of evaporation is to vaporize most of the water from a solution containing a desired product. Heat is the main tool in evaporation, and the process occurs more readily at high temperature and low pressures. Removal of water from foods provides microbiological stability, reduces deteriorative chemical reactions, and reduces transportation and storage costs. Evaporation can be distinguished from some other drying methods in that the final product of evaporation is a concentrated liquid, not a solid. It also differs from distillation, since the vapours produced in the evaporator are not further divided into fractions.

1. Introduction

Foods available in nature and, in some cases, the products made from it thereof contain quite an amount of water. This water not only adds volume to the food products but also provides a sight for attack by the micro organisms. Also, removal of water becomes essential if this water interferes with the end product chracteristics. There are several processes in food industries which are designed to get rid of this excess water, such processes are called concentration processes. The processes which can remove water from food substances are,- evaporation, freeze concentration and membrane based processes. All these process have their limitations in rendering solid content to the final product (Fig. 1). Perhaps, these limitations can be overcome by combinig the processes.

The objectives that are fulfilled by the concentration processes can be enumerated as follows:

Introduction

Cell surface components such as adhesins, polysaccharides, and proteins play major roles in the adherence of probiotic bacteria to the intestinal epithelium, interactions that might lead to pathogen exclusion and immunomodulation of host cells. Probiotic bacteria have the ability to produce exocellular polymers called Exopolysachcharides (EPSs). These exocellular polymers present in the surface of many lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacilli.The adhesive properties of lactobacilli are directly linked to their surface properties which are influenced by the structure and composition of their cell wall. The cell envelope of lactobacilli, bacteria, is composed of the bilipidic plasma membrane with embedded proteins encompassed by the cell wall. The bacterial cell wall consists of a thick multilayered sacculus made of peptidoglycan (PG) with teichoic acids (wall teichoic acids (WTA) and/or lipoteichoic acids (LTA)), exopolysaccharides (EPS), proteinaceous filaments called pili, and proteins that are anchored to the cell wall through different mechanisms (Figure 1).

Some species of lactobacilli possess an additional paracrystalline layer of proteins surrounding the PG layer, referred to as the S layer. These macromolecules together may play crucial roles in determining species and strain-specific characteristics of lactobacilli by influencing host-microbe interactions and microbial adaptations to the changing host environment. Several studies implicate that cell surface components, either individually or collectively, involve in host-microbe interactions. Lactobacilli beneficially affect the host in many ways by producing abundant variety of EPSs through the activity of extracellular glycosyl transferases. Approximately 30 species of lactobacilli are described as EPS producers. Among them, the best known are L. casei, L. acidophilus, L.brevis, L. curvatus, L. delbrueckii bulgaricus, L. helveticus, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. johnsonii, etc.

Ex.No.1. MICROBIAL SPOILAGE OF FRUITS

Fruits are living structures that continue to perform metabolic reactions and sustain physiological processes for a considerable length of time after harvest. The post-harvest infection of fruits by microorganisms may cause serious losses of fruits both in terms of quantity and quality. Initial infection which may be the direct result of mechanical or insect damage is followed by invasion of fruit tissues by secondary infection by common saprophytic organisms. . Many bacteria and fungi, for instance, are involved in decay after harvest. Typical fungi include Alternaria, Botrytis, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Monilia, Penicillium, and Rhizopus. These fungi are generally weak pathogens, in that they usually infest only weak or damaged fruit. Molds are the most predominant spoilage organisms in fruits. Fungal rots in fruits like apple show brown or cream coloured areas.

Bacterial soft rot caused by Erwinia carotovora is wide spread in fruits that are not very acid. Fruits like straw berries, melons are in direct contact with moist soil and become infected from that source.

Introduction
This method consists of mixing the microorganisms in a small amount of India ink or nigrosine and spreading the mixture over a clean slide. These two pigments are not really bacterial stain and do not penetrate the microorganisms. These pigments make the background dark thus making organisms transparent against dark background. This method is useful for determining cell morphology and accurate size as no shrinkage of cells due to heat.
Materials
1. Bacterial culture (B. subtilis)
2. Microscopic slides (Clean, Grease Free)
3. Inoculating needle
4. Cedar wood oil
5. Microscope
6. Xylene

A. Gram’s Staining
Introduction
The most widely used staining procedure in microbiology is the Gram stain, discovered by the Danish scientist and physician Hans Christian Joachim Gram in 1884. Gram staining is a differential staining technique that differentiates bacteria into two groups: gram-positives and gram-negatives. The procedure is based on the ability of microorganisms to retain color of the stains used during the gram stain reaction. Gram-negative bacteria are decolorized by the alcohol, losing the color of the primary stain, purple. Gram positive bacteria are not decolorized by alcohol and will remain as purple. After decolorization step, a counterstain is used to impart a pink color to the decolorized gramnegative organisms.
The Gram stain procedure enables bacteria to retain color of the stains, based on the differences in the chemical and physical properties of the cell wall.
1. Gram positive bacteria: Stain dark purple due to retaining the primary dye called Crystal Violet in the cell wall. Example: Staphylococcus aureus
2. Gram negative bacteria: Stain red or pink due to retaining the counter staining dye called Safranin

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. 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.