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Mango (Mangifera indica L), the king of fruits, is cultivated throughout a wide range of frost-free climates (Litz 1998). It is commercially the most important fruit crop of India, accounting for more than 54% of the total mango production worldwide. The fruit of mango (Mangifera indica L.) is exceptional for its juicy, succulent, thick fruit pulp and nutrient abundance in terms of wide range of amino acids, sugars, organic acids, minerals including Ca, P, Fe, and K and vitamins. Out of several diseases which attack mango crop, mango malformation disease is a serious threat to its cultivation since it causes gross deformation of the vegetative and floral tissues (Ploetz et al., 2002; Kumar et al., 2011). Floral malformation is a major problem in mango, rendering mango cultivation unproductive in northern India and other regions of the world (Pandey et al., 1977; Ram, 1991).

1. Introduction

Fermented milk products such as yoghurt are produced through out world (Kurmann et al., 1992). Yoghurt can be characterized as a gel like coagulated milk product, having a smooth consistency and a pleasing flavour and is now widely consumed both by infant and adult populations. It is common that yogurt preparation involves the use of equal amounts of two lactic acid bacteria (LAB): Streptococcus thermophillus (St) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (Lb); samples prepared with these starter bacteria are labeled Lb-St (Ng et al., 2011). In the early stage of the incubation process, Lb stimulates the growth of St releasing amino acids from casein (where the most important is valine) and producing a moderate reduction in pH due essentially to St. Yoghurt has better digestibility than milk and this is related to its comparatively high content of free amino acids. Besides nutritional value, it possesses hypocholesterolaemic (Mann, 1977) and antitumour effects (Odd et al., 1983; Reddy et al., 1983).Yoghurt may be set or stirred and has a potential for being used as dietary supplement for infants. So they cross the line between dietary supplements, health foods and conventional foods with great facility. Now a days, emphasis is given on sweeteners and more natural sweeteners will be used (Hollingsworth, 2001). Natural sweeteners can be easily incorporated in yoghurt by blending cattle milk with fruit pulps like mango. The enhancement of other nutrients e. g. vitamins and minerals will be added advantage. Mango pulp which contains a high proportion of sugar, mostly monosaccharide, is easily adsorbed by the digestive systems (Celik and Bakirci, 2003).

Soybean is a comparatively inexpensive source of high quality protein. The protein and fat contents in soybean are above 40 % and 20 %, respectively. Nutritionally, soy protein is a more balanced plant protein for human consumption. Studies have indicated that consumption of soy protein decreases total serum cholesterol and minimizes risks for several cancers (Anderson et al., 1995; Messina, 1997; Zind, 1998). The positive health benefits associated with soybeans have greatly increased its consumer awareness which has created a large market for soy foods (Ohr, 2000; Liu, 2000). The problem of beany flavour in soy products can be overcome by lactic acid fermentation (Buono et al., 1990; Granata and Morr, 1996). Soy solids are not only abandoned source of protein but also have therapeutic properties against breast, prostate, colon and lung cancers due to its isoflavones like genistein and daidzein content. Fortification with soy made yoghurt beneficial in lowering cholesterol level and blood pressure and in relieving symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis.

Garcinia mangostana Linn. (GML) belongs to the family of Guttiferae and is named “the queen of fruits”. It is cultivated in the tropical rainforest of some Southeast Asian nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Thailand. The mangosteen fruit is round in shape, dark-purple, 2 to 3 inches in diameter and contains 4 to 8 segments of snow-white, delicious soft flesh. The fruit may or may not contain seeds. Encasing the flesh is a purple skin 6 to 10 cm thick. Because of its taste and medicinal properties, the mangosteen is often called “The Queen of Fruits”. For centuries, the mangosteen has been honored and cherished by the peoples of Southeast Asia. It is a delicately flavoured fruit of temperate zone.

Mangosteen is native to Malaya Peninsula, and mainly cultivated in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, Vietnam, Philippines, China, California (USA), Hondurus, Panama, Hawaii, Trinidad and Cuba. In India it is cultivated in lower slopes of Nilgiris, Kerala and West Bengal.

Uses

Mangosteen is mainly used as a fresh fruit. Aril of the seed is edible after being boiled in water. The cortex of the fruit contain tannin, and is used as a commercial dye. The rind of fruit is astringent, which is used in chronic dysentery and diarrhea. The bark and young leaves are used to gargle for sore throat. It contains a crystalizable substance known is mangosteen.

Importance and Value of Human Resources

The employees are the human resources of an organization which are crucial for its functioning. The acquisition of human resources and their maintenance involves costs. Manpower costs include costs of research and designing of manpower programmes that is man-power planning, work study and designing of personnel policies etc. The costs of commissioning of man power, that is, costs of recruitment, induction, placement and training etc. The cost of maintenance of these resources is a very significant component of the total costs of an organization. Maintenance costs include wages and salaries, welfare and medical benefits, PF, gratuity and other retiring benefits etc. These costs form a substantial part of the total costs of an organization. In the last 30 years the treatment of manpower costs has been recognized as a separate division in accounting practices. The other assets like machinery, buildings etc come under depreciation. In contrast, human assets are the employees at all levels, as they grow in age and experience, add to their productivity and capacity to earn for the organization and become more valuable.

Introduction
Market milk holds a crucial place in human nutrition, economic development, and the dairy industry. Its consumption patterns and marketing strategies continue to adapt, influenced by evolving lifestyles, consumer preferences, and advancements in processing and packaging technologies. Regulatory frameworks ensure its safety and quality, while the wide range of milk types caters to diverse dietary and cultural requirements around the world.
Modern dairy farms rely on advanced milking machines that prioritize both efficiency and hygiene. These machines use vacuum-operated devices to gently extract milk from cows’ teats without causing discomfort. The collected milk is immediately transferred into refrigerated tanks to maintain its freshness and prevent bacterial growth. Speed and efficiency in transporting milk to processing facilities are critical to ensuring its safety and quality.
At the processing plant, milk undergoes standardization, an essential step where the fat content is adjusted to produce different types of milk, such as whole milk, toned milk, double-toned milk, and skimmed milk. This ensures uniformity in fat levels, meeting market specifications and regulatory standards such as prescribed by FSSAI in case of India.
The milk then undergoes pasteurization, a process of heating it to a specific temperature for a defined period to eliminate harmful bacteria while preserving its nutritional value. Pasteurization has significantly improved milk safety, reduced health risks, and extended its shelf life. Following this, the milk is homogenized, where fat molecules are evenly distributed to prevent cream separation. This centres a smooth texture and consistent flavor preferred by consumers.

What new research is needed, what trials and how will the ultimate consumer and Industry benefit?
 
In Brazil, the sales of functional foods amounts to US $ 500 million per year representing about 1% of the total sale of the Brazilian food processing industry. According to a report the interests are mainly for dairy products, nutraceuticals and soy-based products. ABIA forecasts a substantial growth of 4.5-5% for this segment of the market (Stanton et al., 2001). In order to exert the health benefits beyond inherent basic nutrition, it is necessary that the activity of the probiotic culture should be maintained at very high levels during the shelf life of the product.

In India, about 46 per cent of the milk produced is either consumed at the producer level or sold to non-producers in the rural area, the balance 54 per cent of the milk is available for sale to organized and unorganized players. The organized sector comprises of Government, Producers’ Owned Institutions (Milk Cooperatives & Producer Companies), and Private players which provides a fair and transparent system of milk collection round the year at the village level. The unorganized/informal sector involves local milkmen, dudhias, contractors, etc. and they are mostly found to be opportunistic, as there is no uniformity of milk price paid to producers and it varies depending upon the situation. The possibility of adulteration of milk is higher among these unorganized groups. In the areas where competition is high and the presence of the formal sector is strong, the unorganized sector generally gives higher prices and at the same time, the unorganized sector doesn’t offer remunerative prices to the producers where the organized sector is not present.

In a commercial horticultural enterprise, if the product is not marketed properly, safely and beneficially, all the investment, inputs, hard work goes in vain. Basically every commodity that is produced should reach the consumer and marketing is all about how the commodity reaches the consumer. There is no fun of producing any commodity if it does not reach the consumer.

The word market has been derived form Latin word “marcatus” meaning merchandise, where people conduct business. Market therefore refers to place where goods/ commodity and services are bought and sold.

Marketing is a sum total of business activities through which the goods and services are either bought or sold. Cundiff and Still defined marketing as “the business process by which products are matched with markets and through which transfer of ownership are affected.

Why Marketing of Fruits and Vegetables is Complex and Risky as Compared to Other Goods

1. INTRODUCTION

Marketing is a general term used to describe the activities that lead to the sale of your product. It is the process of planning and executing pricing, promotion and distribution programs to satisfy customer needs. It involves collecting information, analyzing alternative market outlets, developing different product forms, pricing products to compete in the marketplace, defining the scope of the proposed market area and meeting consumers’ needs. So marketing is more than just selling a product or service. It is an essential part of any business. Without a good marketing program, even the best businesses fails.

Value-added agricultural groups typically don’t pay enough attention to marketing. Selling agricultural commodities usually only involves hauling the commodities to a market where there is usually a willing buyer. So farmers often spend their time analyzing brick and mortar issues associated with processing and manufacturing (making the product rather than marketing the product). Often the attitude is that, if we make the product, someone will come along and buy it. So value-added agricultural businesses consistently fail because they do not understand the importance of designing and implementing a good marketing program.

As a first step, ‘A Marketing Primer and Marketing Basics’ will help you with a basic understanding of marketing. Successful marketing involves designing and implementing a marketing strategy for your product. Marketing Strategies provide generic strategies for various types of products and product buyers. In a simple term, marketing activities and strategies result in making products available that satisfy customers while making profits for the companies that offer those products.

1.    Diffusivity of gases at atmospheric pressure is

(a) < 1 cm²/s

(b) >1 cm²/s

(c) > 10 cm²/s

(d) > 100 cm²/s

2.    Diffusivity of liquids is of the order of

(a) 0.1 cm²/s

(b) 10 cm²/s

(c) 100 cm²/s (d) 1 x 10^-5 cm²/s

According to International Dairy Federation(IDF),1980, Mastitis also called as ‘mammitis’ is defined as an inflammation of the udder, almost always of microbial origin and is the outcome of a local or a general infection. The common symptoms are related to inflammation, viz., swollen, hot, red, and painful udders. Mastitis can be classified based on symptoms or on the causative organism.

A) Forms of mastitis based on symptoms

    1.    Acute or clinical
    2.    Sub-acute or subclinical
    3.    Chronic.

2.1 Introduction

Many complicated engineering principles are to be analyzed and applied, before any food processing operations takes shape of a commercially viable enterprise. The size and type of the required equipments have to be specified and their sequences have to be arranged. Further, the process analysis consists of understanding of material and energy balances. This chapter provides the application of steady state conservation of mass and energy equations to analyze food-processing operations.

Strategic partnerships and productive outreach play a crucial role for new technologies to successfully reach the market, drive growth, and strengthen a country’s global competitiveness, Outreach programs have various benefits, ranging from technology transfer awareness, communication of stakeholders, industry, government, to academy partnership promotions. These efforts help in establishing connections, communicating opportunities, and encouraging active engagement from key stakeholders. Outreach activities can be performed under two broad categories:
1. Written communication includes all communication which can be viewed, shared, or made accessible for a set of people in a passive manner. This includes reports, newsletters, guidance, and online content which provide insights of worth for stakeholders.
2. Human outreach includes all direct communication like c face-to-face or verbal form communication it included conferences, conventions, workshops, seminars and personal communication with industry leaders.
The type of outreach creates stronger, more personal connections. An effective outreach strategy usually combines both human and written outreach efforts. By following this strategy TTOs can expand and strengthen partnerships, and make it easier for research-led innovations to get transition from lab to market more effectively. This chapter explores key outreach models, strategic networking approaches, and proven practices for building impactful partnerships in technology transfer.

Maturity at harvest is the most important determinant of storage life and final fruit quality. Maturity indices are determined for many fruit, vegetable and floral crops. Harvesting crops at proper maturity allows handlers to begin their work with the best possible quality produce. Produce harvested too early may lack flavour and may not ripen properly, while produce harvested too late may be fibrous or over ripe.
 
Almost all fruits reach their best eating quality when allowed to ripen on the tree or plant (exceptions e.g., pears, avocados, and bananas). In general, fruits become sweeter, more colourful, and softer as they mature. A few fruits are usually picked mature but unripe so that they withstand post harvest handling system when shipped long distances.  Most of  currently used maturity evaluation is based on a compromise between those methods that would ensure the best eating quality and those that provide flexibility in transportation and marketing.  Optimum harvesting stage depends upon type of fruit or vegetable and their final use. Such a division is usually based on their classification according to physiology, environmental conditions, ripening bahaviour and nutritional aspect. Some of the classifications, important for their harvesting and storage are briefed in  subsequent sections.

Physiological Development

Fruits and vegetables can be divided into 3 stages based n their physiological development i.e. growth, maturation and senescence.

Growth: This generally refers to cell division, enlargement and differentiation ultimately giving a particular size, weight and volume to the commodity.

Maturation: It is initiated before the ceasation of growth and lasts till the onset of senescence.

Senescence: The stage when anabolic (synthetic) processes almost terminate and catabolic (degradative) processes are initiated and speeded up causing ageing and finally death of tissues.

Ripening: Stage that begins with the last stages of maturation and lasts till the beginning (first stage) of senescence. Ripening is a very important event in the life of a plant as it transforms a physiologically mature but inedible (or not preferred to be eaten) plant part into an edible, visually and olfactorily attractive and tasty commodity. Ripening marks the completion of developmental phase and is an irrevessible event.

Maturity

It is derived from Latin word ‘Maturus’ which means ripen. It is that stage of fruit development, which ensures attainment of maximum edible quality at the completion of ripening process.

Maturation

It is the developmental process by which the fruit attains maturity. It is the transient phase of development from near completion of physical growth to attainment of physiological maturity. There are different stages of maturation e.g. immature, mature, optimally mature, over mature.

Maturity Indices

The factors for determining the harvesting of horticulture commodities according to consumer purpose and type of commodity.

Maturity Indices is two type

1. MATURITY INDICES

Maturity indices (right time of harvesting) are quality factors that give clues as to when a product should be harvested to allow marketing flexibility and ensure the attainment of minimum acceptable quality to the user. It also refers to the set of criteria used to determine the stage of maturity for harvesting the horticultural crops. Commodities harvested either pre-mature or too late are more susceptible to postharvest physiological disorders, diseases and have poor shelf life than harvested at right stage of maturity. The pickers/ handlers are trained in methods of identifying produce that is ready for harvest. However, optimum harvesting stages depends upon type of produce and their final use. Horticultural crops may be harvested at two main maturity levels i.e., physiological maturity and commercial or horticultural maturity. Therefore, the proper stage/maturity indices for harvesting of all horticultural crops should be identified for their implementation during harvesting. Horticultural maturity in relation to developmental stages of the plants is depicted in Fig 3.1.

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