eChapters

This chapter introduces the major biological, nutritional, environmental and management factors that determine egg quality. It examines genetic and breed influences, hen age and stage of lay, nutrition and feed composition, housing systems, environmental conditions and heat stress. The effects of disease, medication, handling, on-farm management and storage are also discussed. The chapter emphasizes that egg quality results from interactions among multiple factors rather than from a single intervention. Induced moulting and nutritional management are considered as practical approaches to maintaining quality during the laying cycle.

A white to light brown powder, is a heteropolysaccharide derived from the cell wall of higher terrestrial plants. It is mainly used in food as a gelling agent in jams and jellies. Today it is also used in fillings, sweets, as a stabiliser in fruit juices and milk drinks and as a source of dietary fiber in foods. Pectin is a heterogeneous grouping of acidic structural polysaccharides, found in fruit and vegetables and mainly prepared from ‘waste’ citrus peel and apple pomace. Pectin has a complex structure. Preparations consist of sub-structural entities that depend on their source and extraction methodology. Commercial extraction causes extensive degradation of the neutral sugar-containing side chains.

Pectin was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot, though the action of pectin to make jams and marmalades was known long before. To obtain well set jams from fruits that had little or only poor quality pectin, pectin-rich fruits or their extracts were mixed into the recipe. During industrialization, the makers of fruit preserves soon turned to producers of apple juice to obtain dried apple pomace that was then cooked to extract pectin. Later, in the 1920s and 1930s, factories were built that commercially extracted pectin from dried apple-pomace and later citrus-peel in regions that produced apple juice in both the USA and in Europe. At first pectin was sold as a liquid extract, but nowadays pectin is often used as dried powder that is easier to store and handle than a liquid

The technique of preserving fruit by the use of low temperature dates from the eighteenth century with the first use of ice house in 1750. Later in 1800s commercial cold storages have come up for the storage of perishables like meat, dairy and fruit products.  The main change took place in the cold store in recent years has been the introduction of multi temperature chambers with humidity control for specific products. Cold preservation can be either refrigeration or freezing. Household refrigerators usually run at 4-7^ºC. Chilling or cold storage usually uses a slightly lower temperature on the basis of the food to be refrigerated. In freezing a temperature of -18^ºC or below is used. Chilling will preserve perishable foods for days or weeks and freezing will preserve foods for months or even years.

Fruit and vegetables play an important role in human nutrition. They are vital source of essential minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre and supply complex carbohydrate and protein. They are good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium and contribute over 90% of dietary vitamin C. Green and yellow fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamin A (β-carotene). Thiamine, niacin and folic acid, which are required for normal functioning of the human body, are also present in significant qualities. Fruit is an important food in diet designed to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in developed countries. It is not surprising, then, that certain fruit components exert pharmacological or therapeutic effect. The antioxidant properties of β -carotene may also a role in prevention of some forms of cancers. Packing and handling systems have been developed to move the product from farm to consumer expeditiously in order to minimize quality degradation. Food irradiation is a physical process like drying, freezing, thermal processing (canning and pasteurization) that can be used to disinfest, sterile and preserve food. The use of chemical preservatives to inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria in modern food system has been recognized as deterrent to health. The present day, customer demands food products with no chemical preservatives, free from additives, natural with assured safety and better long shelf life.

The deterioration in foods during storage may include loses in organoleptic desirability, nutritional value, safety and aesthetic appeal. Food is subjected to physical, chemical and biological deterioration. Heat, cold, light, humidity, other radiation, gas composition, moisture, dryness, natural food enzymes, micro and macro organism, and industrial contaminants are adversely affect the food quality and their shelf life. The practice of drying, curing and fermentation are among the conventional methods of preservation used for thousand years.

This chapter introduces the commercial handling and processing of shell eggs from reception through packing. It examines pre-processing inspection, egg washing, cleaning, sanitization, drying, oiling, shell treatment, candling and defect removal. Automated grading and packing operations, plant layout, equipment, effluent management, sanitation and cleaning-in-place are also addressed. The chapter emphasizes traceability, good manufacturing practices and careful handling to prevent contamination and breakage. It demonstrates how packing stations preserve the quality delivered from the farm rather than creating quality after the fact.

This chapter introduces the functional properties that make eggs valuable ingredients in food systems. It explains coagulation and heat-setting, foaming and aeration, emulsification, gelation, colour and flavour development, binding, adhesion and thickening. The effects of pH, temperature, processing conditions and other factors on functional performance are examined. Applications in bakery, confectionery, mayonnaise, sauces, meat products and other foods are discussed. The chapter demonstrates that eggs provide multiple technological functions simultaneously, making them particularly valuable and difficult to replace with a single alternative ingredient.

SYNOPSIS

Food and nutritional challenges continue to be tackled in East and Southern African countries. Prevailing rates of high malnutrition among children and often in adults in vulnerable geographical locations do suggest the need for appropriate interventions. Of several global nutrition interventions during the 1980s, successful implementation of nutrition programmes in Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Ethiopia have established strategies / approaches that are promising.  In Tanzania, the Iringa nutrition programme (WHO/UNICEF Joint Nutrition Support Programme) was implemented during 1983-1988.

This chapter introduces value addition as a means of converting eggs from a commodity into convenient, shelf-stable or specialized food products. It covers ready-to-eat eggs, hard-cooked eggs, pickled and marinated eggs, egg-based snacks, specialty products, emulsified products and mayonnaise. Region-specific and ethnic egg products of India are also discussed. The chapter introduces product development, sensory evaluation, packaging and retort processing. It emphasizes the commercial potential of value-added products while recognizing the associated requirements for food safety, processing control, market acceptance and appropriate packaging.

Transportation and distribution of fruits and vegetables are important stages   of post-harvest loss. In India,  transportation of perishable commodities is in the most precarious stage. For local market, the produce is brought either by bullock cart or tractor trollies. The long distance transportation is mainly by rails and trucks, which is very costly. The basic reason for preference to road transportation is that it takes short transit period.

Introduction Nanoscience is a competitive and trending concept in present scientific community, especially in agricultural and allied sciences. The usage of nano-sized materials in food processing sector spreading slowly. With the passage of time and innovation continuation in nanotechnology creating interest to develop miniaturized sensors. Miniaturized sensors have lots of benefits like reducing bulkiness with low power consumption and this eventually reduces the cost. Generally inorganic semiconductors are widely used to develop nano sensors. Generally, sensors are composed of two basic unit which are an identification element and a signal transducer element. Due to its simple structure, high portability and low price, can benefitted against disadvantages of existing system, which are costlier and much more popular. High portability, ease of placement and use make it suitable for onsite use with real-time monitoring. Also, helps in qualitative and quantitative analysis of such substances during analysis of foods which may cause danger and thus inhabit a wider research and development space. For the detection of different unwanted materials or compositions in food, various chemical or biological sensing devices based on different working principles have been developed. The carbon-based nano material can be categories as Ordered Mesoporous Carbon, Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene and Its derivatives, and Carbon Dots.

This chapter introduces systematic approaches for controlling biological, chemical and physical hazards throughout the egg chain. It explains the seven principles of HACCP and their application to shell eggs and egg products. Prerequisite programmes, GMP, GHP, FSSAI regulations, international regulatory frameworks, traceability, recall management and risk communication are discussed. A worked HACCP plan for liquid egg demonstrates how hazards and critical control points can be identified and controlled. The chapter emphasizes that egg safety requires an integrated farm-to-fork approach rather than relying solely on processing-plant controls.

This chapter introduces approaches for converting egg-processing residues and by-products into useful materials and products. It examines eggshell composition and applications, eggshell membrane and its biomedical and industrial potential, utilization of surplus and inedible egg material, and extraction of high-value components such as lysozyme and IgY. Waste management, sustainability and circular-economy approaches are also discussed. The chapter emphasizes that successful by-product utilization depends not only on technical feasibility but also on economics, scale, infrastructure, biosecurity and appropriate markets.

10.0. Introduction

Food processing is an important sector in agriculture, the scope of which has increased manifold that can help to prevent wastage of perishable commodities to a great extent. But, at the same time, food processing industries generate a large quantity and variety of food products, provide employment to a large number of people and uplift their economic status. The production, processing and preparation of food, all results in generation of huge quantity of waste material causing health hazards due to environmental pollution. The waste material may be in the form of leaf/ straw, waste during harvesting, food preparation waste, after processing waste, unused material as waste, food processing operation waste etc. The huge wastage of the food material is due to lack of control on such agri-economy practices. So, the disposal of waste material has become a challenge to the processors, as different agencies are pressurizing for an environment friendly treatment of waste material. The utilization of waste for the production of value added products is very important in the management of food processing waste. Different types of food industries wastes are: i) fermentation industry waste, ii) fruit and vegetable industry waste (Table 10.1) iii) Sugar and starch industry waste, iv) diary industry waste, v) meat processing industry waste, vi) coffee industry waste and vii) palm oil industry waste, viii) fish processing industry waste. So, there is great need to find out options which have positive values of food waste. The options having positive values are: i) minimization of the waste generation, ii) development of value added products. Most of fruit and vegetable wastes are a rich source of vital constituents like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, fibres etc. Mango seed kernel is rich in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals; orange, melon and pumpkin seeds can provide fats and mineral matters. Apricot kernels are rich source of oil (45%) and proteins.

Introduction Pulses are a vital source of protein (20-25%) in comparison to cereal proteins (10-12%); which cater to the most vegetarian population (Venkidasamy et al., 2019) and other countries which are scarcity of animal protein availability. In the category of pulse crop, chickpea is considered the second utmost significant crop, which is grown in almost 35 countries globally. Chickpea mainly contains carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, folate, β-carotene and health-promoting fatty acids (Badshah et al., 2003; Tosh & Yada, 2010) and consuming these grains will repeatedly help in lowering the risk of chronic diseases (Jukanti, Gaur, Gowda, & Chibbar, 2012). Ozone is often regarded as a potent oxidant capable of penetrating the grain (Tiwari et al., 2010), and it can control the bio-agents such as insects, molds, and mycotoxins (Wang et al., 2016). Due to the fact that ozone gas is unstable, it convert back into oxygen without leaving any residues in short time (McClurkin, & Maier, 2010), so, it can be used as a fumigant without leaving any residue. The Food and Drug Administration (FAO) has approved it for fumigating grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Diversity of gut microbial community

The human microbiota (the collection of microbes that live on and inside us) consists of about 100 trillion microbial cells that outnumber our ‘‘human’’ cells 10 to 1, and that provide a wide range of metabolic functions that we lack. It has been estimated that they encode 100-fold more unique genes than our own genome. Furthermore, the gut microbes contribute to energy harvest from food, and changes of gut microbiome may be associated with bowel diseases or obesity. To understand and exploit the impact of the gut microbes on human health and well-being it is necessary to decipher the content, diversity and functioning of the microbial gut community. If we consider ourselves as superior organisms encompassing these microbial symbionts, by far the majority of genes in the system are microbial. In this sense, completing the human genome also requires the characterization of the microbiome (the collection of genes in the microbiota).

Methods of counting viable and non-viable bacteria in gut

Before the advent of genome sequencing and genome-wide analysis method, our knowledge of molecular characteristics of diverse gut microbial population was extremely limited. To obtain an estimate of cultivability, microbial ecologists generally compare microscopic counts with total viable counts. The total viable count made on a nonselective agar based medium estimates the number of colony forming units (cfu) per gram of sample. The finding that total viable counts are typically lower than total microscopic counts was thought to be due to the number of dead cells. Indeed, dead bacteria in feces may constitute up to one third of the total bacterial community. However, recent nucleic acid based studies indicated that a majority of bacteria in a variety of ecosystems are different from those described in culture.

Packaging is essential for the safe and easy marketing of any food products and for the retention of their natural characteristics till consumed or utilized otherwise. Packaging is also an essential part of processing and distribution of foods. Packaging used for processed foods can contribute marketing to the retention of the quality characteristics. It must protect a variety of assaults including physical damage, chemical attack and contamination from biological vectors including microorganisms, insects and rodents. Environmental factors such as oxygen and water vapour will spoil foods if they are allowed to enter packages freely. Contamination of foods by microorganism can spoil foods or cause life-threatening diseases. With dehydrated food, packaging serves a multi protection role. Depending on the product being packed, packaging has to provide protection against moisture pick up, loss of volatile components, oxidation and damage of product itself. With the development of food industries, use of different types of plastic containers becomes widely popular owing to its several advantages.

Although packaging has, in recent years, been accused of using up valuable resources, it is nevertheless absolutely essential. Packaging is vital to protect and conserve the items contained within it. The dominant purpose of packaging is to protect the product so that it reaches the consumer in the same condition as when it was first made. However there is a lot more to the effectiveness and usefulness of packaging than just protection. When a consumer picks up their carton of freshly squeezed mango juice, they are not aware of the energy and money saved by the packaging they are grasping in their hands. In order to fully understand the essential role packaging plays in every day life, it is necessary to understand the guiding principles behind it.

Nutraceutical is a broad term which represents any substance extracted from food sources with additional health benefits alongside the good nutritional value already present in them. The nutraceutical term was originated by Stephen De Felice in 1989.

The word nutrition first appeared in 1551 and comes from the Latin word nutrire, meaning “to nourish.” Today, we define nutrition as the sum of all processes involved in how organisms obtain nutrients, metabolize them, and use them to support all of life’s processes. Nutritional science is the investigation of how an organism is nourished, and incorporates the study of how nourishment affects personal health, population health, and planetary health. Nutritional science covers a wide spectrum of disciplines. As a result, nutritional scientists can specialize in particular aspects of nutrition such as biology, physiology, immunology, biochemistry, education, psychology, sustainability, and sociology.

Disease is defined as any abnormal condition affecting the health of an organism, and is characterized by specific signs and symptoms. Signs refer to identifying characteristics of a disease such as swelling, weight loss, or fever. Symptoms are the features of a disease recognized by a patient and/or their doctor. Symptoms can include nausea, fatigue, irritability, and pain. Diseases are broadly categorized as resulting from pathogens (i.e., bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites), deficiencies, genetics, and physiological dysfunction. Diseases that primarily affect physical health are those that impair body structure (as is the case with osteoporosis), or functioning (as is the case with cardiovascular disease). Mental illnesses primarily affect mental and social well-being.

The foods we eat contain nutrients. Nutrients are substances required by the body to perform its basic functions. Nutrients must be obtained from diet, since the human body does not synthesize them. Nutrients are used to produce energy, detect and respond to environmental surroundings, move, excrete wastes, respire (breathe), grow, and reproduce. There are six classes of nutrients required for the body to function and maintain overall health. These are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals. Foods also contain non-nutrients that may be harmful (such as cholesterol, dyes, and preservatives) or beneficial (such as antioxidants).

Introduction Sea buckthorn berry belongs to Elaeagnaceae having 6 species (Hippophae rhamnoides, Hippophae neurocarpa, Hippophae salicifolia, Hippophae gonicarpa, Hippophae tibetiana and Hippophae litangenis) and 12 subspecies grown all over the world. India, is having its plantations in chilly and barren conditions of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Berries and fruits are believed to have such bio-active compounds like antioxidants in them that it has constructive consequences on health of human beings. Moreover, they are been proven in lessening the cardiovascular diseases, age related issues,cancer etc. Berries of Sea buckthorn is an abundant provenance of these bio-active compounds. One of the major lipophilic compounds is carotenoid pigments. And the concentration of the same has difference depending upon origin of plant, harvesting period and weather conditions. Nutritionally, the fruits have a substantial amount of carbohydrate, protein, organic acids, amino acids, and vitamins. Moreover, it also contains bioactive compounds like carotenoids, dietary minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamin C, minerals, monosaccharide, organic acids, tannins, etc. Sea buckthorn plant parts are becoming one of the useful and promising nutraceuticals for the food industry and all over the world.

Abstract
Grain legumes face significant biotic stresses fromvarious pests and pathogens, leading to substantial yield losses worldwide. This chapter synthesizes recent advances in molecular approaches and biotechnological tools for developing resistant varieties and managing diseases in legumebased cropping systems. Novel genomic technologies, including CRISPRCas9 gene editing, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and next-generation sequencing (NGS), have revolutionized our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and accelerated the development of resistant cultivars. RNA interference (RNAi) technology has emerged as a promising tool for targeted pest control, while transcriptomics and proteomics approaches have helped identify key resistance genes and defense-related proteins. Integration of these molecular tools with traditional breeding programs has resulted in improved varieties with enhanced resistance to major pests like pod borers and diseases such as fusarium wilt and ascochyta blight. Additionally, biotechnological applications including biopesticides and disease-forecasting systems have strengthened integrated pest management strategies. This review highlights the potential of combining multiple molecular approaches for sustainable pest and disease management in legume cultivation while identifying future research directions and challenges in their widespread adoption.
Keywords: Biopesticides, Biotechnological tools, Marker-assisted selection, Legume