eChapters

Introduction

Rice is grown in more than 100 countries in the world and is an important crop for nutritional security of large part of the population. World rice production in 2007 was approximately 645 million tones. Around 50 countries have an annual production of more than 1 million tones. Ninety percent of the total rice is produced in Asian countries, with two countries, China and India, growing more than half the total crop. Top ten rice producing countries are China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, Philippines, and Brazil. In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, rice provides 50-80% of the total calories consumed. Major part of the rice is consumed locally where produced and only 6-7% of world rice production is traded internationally.

India is emerging as one of the most dynamic ice cream markets, with growing demand driven by urbanisation, rising disposable income, premiumisation, regional flavours, modern retail, quick commerce, and expanding cold-chain infrastructure. This chapter examines the evolution and structure of the Indian ice cream market, major growth drivers, consumer segments, competitive conditions, and emerging opportunities. It also considers important challenges including seasonality, freezer investment, cold-chain reliability, SKU complexity, regulatory compliance, working capital, and market returns. The chapter provides strategic guidance for entrepreneurs and manufacturers on market entry, positioning, product portfolios, distribution, and sustainable growth in India’s increasingly competitive ice cream industry.

Introduction
Similar to the procurement of raw materials in a factory, milk collection is one of the initial and essential steps for a milk processing or marketing company. A successful milk collection system combines efficient route planning, quality control, and effective farmer engagement. By prioritizing technology integration, cold chain management, and regulatory compliance, dairy companies can establish a reliable and sustainable milk procurement system that meets both operational and quality standards.
India dairy sector depends on smallholder individual milk producers, each contributing between one to a few litres of milk per day. Typically, milk production takes place in rural areas, while the demand is concentrated in urban centres. However, rural producers often face significant marketing challenges due to the dispersed nature of milk production, scattered settlements, and inadequate supply infrastructure. Therefore, milk needs to be collected, transported, and marketed from villages to cities to ensure profitable returns for producers. Milk is usually collected from producers at designated collection points in rural areas, which serve a large number of small suppliers. This approach minimizes the need for individual chilling and storage facilities. Collection points should follow the same hygiene standards as dairy processing facilities. Milk should arrive at a chilling station within four hours of milking, especially in warmer climates. There, it must be quickly cooled to below 4°C to preserve its quality. Bulk milk coolers of required capacity are installed for the chilling and storage of milk at low temperature till it is transported to the processing plant.

Introduction

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

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

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

Introduction

The purpose of this e-book is to outline the main hazards in food production and processing that could influence the safety of foods and thus the health and wellbeing of consumers. The suggestive actions to restrain the formation of compounds or organisms that may threaten the safety of a food will be discussed along with the legal and regulatory framework.

“Safe Food Now for a Healthy Tomorrow”

Food is the third most basic human need, after air and water. Only when food is safe can it contribute to our food security and health. When food is not safe, people cannot thrive, hunger and poverty cannot be alleviated, and a healthy life is not possible. Food safety has a significant impact on human health, and food, which is essential for human survival, comes from plants and animals. Food safety is a core tenet of One Health.

This chapter gives an overview of the main hazards such as physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, and adulterants in different types of foods and how the hazards influence the safety of the food along with health and well-being of the consumers. The effective way of management of these hazards and different hazard limits set by the regulators such as FSSAI, USFDA, EU AND CODEX along with labelling requirements for the hazards has been discussed in this chapter.

Abstract

Though India is second largest producer of fruits and vegetables but is far behind in per capita availability of this protective food as compared to many developed countries. Floriculture and allied horticulture crop production (spices, medicinal & aromatic crops, mushroom etc.) have great potential to generate high income, jobs and new careers. Hi-tech horticulture is the need of all the developing countries and it refers to “the precise production techniques for efficient use of inputs at appropriate time and quantity for maximization of yield and quality of crops”. Various ways to make horticulture hi-tech include modern nursery management including micro propagation, protected crop production, high density planting including canopy management, use of agrochemicals, rejuvenation technique, interated nutrient management, integrated water management, integrated pest and disease management. Inspite of this, in present context, major emphasis has been given on clean horticulture production with bio-derived, renewable energy sources for developing a profitable CEA (controlled environment agriculture) that would help in sustaining the system, improving socio-economic status of growers and of-course environment-friendly.

1. Introduction

Fruits and vegetables represent highly perishable items of agriculture, mainly because of their high water content in fresh form. Their production, yield and management under agriculture is dealt essentially under horticulture. They abound in species and varieties in different geographic regions of the world, influenced by the agro-climatic conditions. Some are endemic and confined to certain geographic regions only. Accordingly, they may be tropical, sub-tropical or temperate, depending on their requirements of temperature for growth and yield.

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of heat pump dryer (HPD) and recent developments in its applications for drying of agricultural and food products. The basics of heat pump dryer, classification, operating principle, configuration and control system have been presented for better understanding. Many researchers have concluded that HPDs use energy more efficiently than electrical dryers. The heat pump dryer is best suited for drying high value commodities such as fruits, vegetables, spices, condiments, herbs, medicinal and aromatic plants at near ambient temperature for producing better quality dehydrated product.

1. Introduction

Vegetables and fruits are the next in demand for human consumption after rice and wheat, in all parts of the globe. Fresh fruits & vegetables and their value added products are increasing in popularity day by day almost in all the countries, because of their richness in dietary fibre, minerals & vitamin contents and for their medicinal properties. Maintaining agricultural produce quality and its evaluation are thus naturally important. Decisions concerning maturity and ripeness of fruits and vegetables are based mostly on visual inspections, which are subjective in nature. The quality of fruits and vegetables is mostly decided on the basis of size, shape, colour, gloss, flavour, firmness, texture, taste and freedom from external as well as internal defects. Internal quality factors such as maturity, sugar content, acidity, oil content and internal defects, however, are difficult to evaluate non-destructively. Methods are needed to better predict the internal quality of fruits and vegetables without their destruction. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in non-destructive methods of quality evaluation, and a considerable amount of effort is being made in this direction. But the real problem is how these methods are to be exploited practically on commercial scales and what are the constraints faced in implementing them.

Abstract
 
Grains are usually harvested above 20% (wb) moisture level and they are prone to microbial attack at high moisture level. In order to avoid both qualitative and quantitative losses that arise from microbial growth, grains are usually dried to safe moisture level. The safe storage moisture content may vary from 8-16% (wb), depending upon the grain and climate type. Therefore, drying is a necessary step in preventing these losses. Drying also reduces the bulk weight of the materials, thus easing transportation and storage. Drying can occur in thin layer or in deep bed. Different drying theories are proposed to characterize these drying processes. Theoretical as well empirical drying equations have been developed.

1. Introduction

In this era of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics the challenge in nutritional science is to clarify human nutrient requirements and design nutritional strategies to promote health and functional longevity. Our ancient Indian belief that ‘we are what we ate’ and our future health as individuals may well depend upon what we eat today. Plant-based dietary antioxidants are believed to have an important role in the maintenance of human health because our endogenous antioxidants provide insufficient protection against the constant and unavoidable challenge of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We have various endogenous defense chemicals but they are inadequate to prevent oxidative damage that makes human system prone to various degenerative diseases. Hence, it is necessary for increased intake of dietary nutraceuticals that may help maintain the balance between oxidants and antioxidants, slow age-related changes, and prevent onset of degenerative diseases.

1. Introduction

Pulpy and juicy fruits like orange, guava, banana, grape, mango, papaya, pears, apples and jackfruit can be converted into fruit products like squashes, juices, cordials and ready-to-serve (RTS) fruit beverages. These RTS fruit beverages are both refreshing and thirst quenching and have become very popular. Liquid fruits are the clarified juices prepared from these pulpy and juicy fruits. There is a demand for liquid fruits in the international market for various applications. The liquid fruits can be used as a natural alternative to synthetic beverages. They can be suitably concentrated or diluted, blended with other juices and also can be carbonated as fruit based soft drinks. Removals of pulpy material from the juices make them easier to preserve by pasteurization and are amenable to carbonation. Pulpy fruits can be successfully processed into liquid fruits (clarified juices) by using pectic enzymes. The emphasis of the fruit juice processing industry has, so far, been mainly on conventional clarification processes like enzymatic and chemical treatments followed by filtration using filter aids; and concentration by vacuum evaporation.

1. Introduction

Intermediate moisture foods are semi moist foods that have some of their water bound by glycerol, sorbitol, salt or certain organic acids, thus preventing the growth of many microorganisms (Stewart et al. 2001). It is now well recognized that fruits and vegetables are dehydrated to an intermediate moisture level (20-50%) (Stewart et al. 2001; Purvi et al. 2003). As the intermediate moisture products are characterized by a semi moist consistency so these foods have enough moisture content to permit easy chewing but low enough water content to prevent spoilage production of intermediate moisture foods is based on an increased scientific understanding of the chemical reactions involved in traditional food preservation methods (Purvi et al. 2003).
There will be better retention of original flavor and texture compared to fully dried products, with concomitant reduction in bulk, weight and cost of packaging, transportation and storage. Such intermediate moisture foods are more appropriate for developing countries in view of their minimal processing requirements, stability under ambient conditions, safety, convenience, ease of nutrient content adjustment, energy savings and low capital investment. They are also eminently more suited than dehydrated or canned foods for military rations (FAO, 2005).

From the earliest time, man had to conserve and preserve his food, so that surplus at harvest following a successful crop can be stored for use throughout the year. Prime agricultural products in general and more so with fruits and vegetables which are being processed world wide or preserved to a more stable form so that they can withstand transport, handling and storage over a long period. As civilization developed, man learnt to preserve fruit and vegetable products with salt, spices and by drying , smoking or cooling which could extend their shelf life. Later by experience, he learnt that by protecting it from environmental factors such as air, moisture and light, the shelf life of these processed products could be further increased. He tried to keep them dry and covered to protect from insects and rodents. As with solid foods, primitive man experimented with beverages also. It is likely that the first beverage known to him after water was fruit juice. This undoubtedly led to the discovery of wines made from the fermented fruit juices. Later on, preservation methods and development of packaging materials underwent drastic changes.

1.    Major difference between unleavened and leavened bakery products is

(a) Unleavened do not form cracks on surface

(b) Unleavened do not rise significantly during baking

(c) Leavened bakery products are not attractive

(d) Unleavened products are much more stable

2.    Unleavened bakery products contain small holes throughout the finished product because of

(a) Ingredients contain fats that may swell

(b) Air incorporation between cells

(c) Incomplete coalescence of mixed ingredients

(d) High temperature baking

Abstract

Inspired by the human eye to brain assessment process, computer vision technology has demonstrated its potential for monitoring and controlling of several operations in food industry. Computer vision technology is, therefore, applied extensively in food drying process for monitoring nutritional value and sensorial characteristics because of its promising characteristics such as reliable objectivity and repeatability. In this chapter, after providing a brief explanation of the computer vision technology and its prerequisites and principles, an example is given to elucidate how this technology is used for monitoring the visual attributes of foodstuffs during drying process. Overall, monitoring the visual properties of food products like size, shape, color, and texture in off-line mode are the most popular issues to fascinate researchers’ attention to apply the computer vision technology in food drying. Nevertheless, industrial applications of the computer vision technology for real-time monitoring and control of food drying facilities as final goals of its introduction in food drying industry seem to be limited. For future studies, it is suggested to apply this unique technology along with advanced soft computing methodologies for in-line monitoring and control of food drying process in order to achieve high quality dried products. Finally, outlooks and potential employment of this technology in food drying domain are discussed as well.

Fruits and vegetables are one of the most consumable commodities globally and also serves as an important ingredient in human dietaries. There are a lot of different varieties of fruit and vegetable and the prices keep fluctuating of the products. The production of fruit and vegetables needs to be handled, processed, or utilized properly. The costs involved in preventing the losses are always cheaper than the cost of production, therefore processing receives higher attention in recent years. The fruits and vegetables processing industry was earlier highly unorganized but due to the increasing demand for processed
food, the industry has started attracting investors. India facilitates the fruits and vegetables processing industry in obtaining its primary resources; India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables. The global fruit and vegetable processing market includes the global fruit & vegetable processing equipment market and processed fruits & vegetables market. There are different methods included in fruits and vegetable processing that helps in increasing the life of seasonal fruits and vegetables are canning, dehydration, freezing, pickling, etc.
Crystallized Fruits
Candied fruit when covered or coated with crystals of sugar, either by rolling in finely powdered sugar or by allowing sugar crystals to deposit on them from dense syrup are called crystallized fruits.

Abnormal milk: It is milk that is not smooth and homogenous but is flaky, ropy, stringy, slimy, watery, discoloured or bad flavoured (Plate 1 & 2).

Abrassive peeler: It is equipment comprising a rotating drum lined with carborandum (an abrasive material) in which certain vegetables like potato and ginger are tumbled and exposed to the abrasive action of the carborandum lining, thereby facilitating separation of peel from the vegetables (Plate 3).

Absinthe: It is green liqueur which is flavored with wormwood, anise, and other aromatic herbs (Plate 4). Its commercial production is banned in ma ny countries for health concerns.

Absolute alcohol: It is water free alcohol. It contains atleast 99 per cent pure alcohol by weight and obtained by digesting rectified spirit over quicklime and redistilling the same.

Absolute density: It is the ratio of weight of certain volume of a substance at 1oC to that of weight of same volume of water at 4oC.

Absolute humidity: Absolute humidity is defined as kg of water vapour per kg of dry air at a given temperature and pressure. Absolute humidity is the mass of water vapour divided by the mass of dry air in a certain volume of air at a specific temperature. The warmer air absorbs more water than cooler one. Absolute humidity is the measure of water vapour or moisture in the air, regardless of temperature.

Absolute pressure: It is equal to atmospheric pressure minus vacuum pressure (Plate 5).

Absolute zero: It is a theoretical temperature characterized by complete absence of heat and motion and equivalent to exactly -273.15°C or -459.67°F (Plate 6).

Saccharides: A monosaccharide sugar or combination of sugars is called saccharides.

Saccharification: The process of breaking a complex carbohydrate (starch or cellulose) into its monosaccharide components is called saccharification.

Saccharimeter: A device (polarimeter) used for measuring the amount of sugar in a solution is called saccharimeter. It is also known as saccharometer. It is a hydrometer with a special scale.

Saccharin: A crystalline compound C7 H5 NO3 S that is unrelated to the carbohydrates, is several hundred times sweeter than sucrose, and is used as a calorie free sweetener.

Saccharomyces: It is one of the genus (Saccharomyces) of the family Saccharomycetaceae and is usually unicellular yeasts (brewer’s yeast) that are distinguished by their sparse or absent mycelium and reproduced asexually by budding.

Safe food: Food that provide maximum nutrition and quality while revealing a minimal hazard to public health and they assume any risk present to be minimal.

Safety: Safety is a component of quality. Many experts believe that food safety is the most important quality component since a lack of safety can result in serious injury and even death of the consumer.

It is well known that lowering the temperature of food stuffs reduces microbiological and biochemical spoilage and thus extending the shelf life of the product. In addition, it is generally agreed upon that the reaction rate is reduced by half by lowering the temperature by 10°C. Though low temperature preservation process has been recognized as a preservation technique for several hundred years, the major developments in its utilization have occurred only in the last century.