eChapters

Abstract

The amaranth as a pseudocereal has shown its role in the development and diversification of agricultural products and food which is a priority trend for world agriculture. The amaranth has excellent nutrient profile and technological advantage in various food formulations in comparison to other conventional cereals. Recently, current interest in amaranth also resides in the fact that it has a great amount of genetic diversity, phenotypic plasticity and is extremely adaptable to adverse growing conditions, resists heat and drought, has no major disease problem. This crop is among the easiest of plants to grow in agriculturally marginal lands in hilly area. Moreover, these contain significant amount of bioactive components such as phytosterols, squalene and polyphenols along with good amount of micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins. Amaranth consumption has been shown to improve plasma lipid profile in animals. Methanolic extracts of amaranth have demonstrated anti-hyperlipidemic,anti-diarrheic, anti-fungal and anti-malarial properties. Specific polyphenols such as rutin, isoquercetin and nicotiflorin and phenolic acids and amides with antioxidant activity have been found in amaranth seeds. In addition to above, amaranth, seeds are gluten free and thus they are currently emerging as healthy alternatives to gluten containing grains in gluten free diet for celiac people.

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

ABSTRACT

The commencement of the 21^st century has endorsed an extended requirement for safe and wholesome food. The fact is that consumer preferences, awareness and their concern towards food safety have been tremendously increased. Therefore, inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms through any treatment becomes essential for food processors to ensure that food is free from disease causing microorganisms and parallelly unaltered with respect to its organoleptic, functional and nourishing characteristic. Food industries predominantly adopt thermal inputs for the preservation of food. Thermal methods, however, lead to unfavourable changes in organoleptic and nutritional attributes, more particularly proteins and vitamins. Hence, there has been continuous development and advances in finding alternatives to conventional processing. Cold plasma technology is one such technique. Plasma can be defined as a quasi-neutral ionised gas and is more commonly termed as 4^th state of matter. Advances in plasma engineering have made it possible to generate plasma at atmospheric pressure which ultimately resulted in broadening the spectra of research on cold plasma at various interfaces of biological sciences. This chapter summarises the overview of cold plasma technology processing, numerous findings related to its application in the area of food decontamination, food fortification, seed germination, milk and milk products and modification of starches.

Keywords: cold plasma, non-thermal, plasma chemistry, fortification, modification, germination, plasma generation, novel

Introduction

Milk is regarded as the “ideal food” as it contains nutrients necessary for both newborns and adults (Azad & Ahmed, 2016). It is high in protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Unfortunately, milk is easily adulterated all over the world for several reasons, including a gap between supply and demand, the inherent nature of milk which can imbibe many adulterants that are difficult to identify, the low purchasing power of consumers, an insufficient share of the organized sector in the dairy business, and, most importantly, a lack of efficient and rapid methods for detecting adulterants (Ellis et al., 2012; Moore et al., 2012).

Abstract

The demand for the food for ever increasing population is always continuous, but the production is limited to specific seasons. Therefore the food grains have to be stored for sometimes. Grain is a living biological material and therefore storage structures should be suitably designed to protect them from the ravages of pests, rodents and micro-organisms. However, the storage losses account for a major portion which can be reduced to considerable extent if proper care is done. The faulty design, poor maintenance and limited knowledge of the farmers concerning storage technology have greatly added to the spoilage of the food grains during storage. Sometimes the foods if not properly stored may be edible but it may lose the essential vitamins and minerals, thus their nutritive value has been lost. There is a major requirement of a good storage structure. Various food grain storage structures (small and large scale) are described.

Analytical testing provides objective evidence of the composition, safety, physical structure, and sensory quality of ice cream. This chapter introduces the major analytical approaches used in industrial ice cream manufacturing, including chemical, physical, microbiological, and sensory evaluation. Important parameters such as fat, milk solids-not-fat, protein, sugars, ash, acidity, pH, overrun, meltdown, fat destabilization, texture, and product weight are discussed. The chapter explains how different tests support routine quality control, product development, troubleshooting, research, regulatory compliance, and shelf-life studies. It emphasizes that no single analytical parameter can define overall quality. Effective product evaluation requires integrated interpretation of chemical, physical, sensory, microbiological, and storage data.

Sample Preparation

 Cheese sample is prepared by passing through 8 mesh sieve three times or

grate sample and mix thoroughly or grind to a uniform mass in a glass pestle

and mortar. Keep the sample in an airtight container until the time of analysis.

 1 Determination of Moisture Content in Cheese

 Introduction

The moisture content of cheese is defined as the loss in mass, expressed as a

percentage by mass when the product is heated in a hot air oven at 102 ± 2°C

to constant mass.

Sample Preparation

Sample should be taken at six or more points on the top of the surface by means of a tubular trier of sufficient length to extend to the bottom of the barrel. Remove this cores and transfer to clean, dry, air tight container and seal immediately.

Before opening sample for analysis, make homogenous either by shaking or by alternately rolling and inverting container. If lump are present, sift sample through No 20 sieve, rubbing material through sieve and tapping vigorously, if necessary.

Avoid sampling on rainy day or when humidity is high, so as to reduce moisture absorption from air.

1 Determination of Moisture Content by Moisture Balance Introduction

In this procedure, infra-red radiation is used to accomplish rapid drying. The tester has a sensitive torsion balance which permits rapid determination directly from the balance scale, eliminating the need for computing or calculation to obtain results. This method is useful for the in-process determination of moisture because the results may be obtained in minutes.

Sample Preparation

a) Plain products: Sample should be softened at room temperature. Since the melted fat tends to separate and rise to the surface, it is not advisable to soften the sample by heating on a water bath or oven or flame. Mix thoroughly by stirring with spoon or eggbeater or by pouring back and forth between beakers.

b) Ice-cream containing Fruits and Nuts: Fill one third part of the cup with ice cream sample. Melt the product at room temperature and mix until insoluble particles are finely divided (about 3-5 minutes for fruit pieces and upto 7 minutes for nut pieces). Otherwise, the product may be ground in a porcelain or glass pestle and mortar. Don’t let temperature exceed 25oC at any time during softening and mixing steps. If fat separation occurs, discard sample otherwise immediately pour mixture into wide jar and cap tightly. If allowed to stand, shake vigorously before taking sample for analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Several biophysical factors govern the agricultural productivity of a region. Among the key biophysical factors, weather and more particularly rainfall has the over riding impact on agricultural productivity since rainfall is a primary source of water and the first requirement for raising any crop. This element influences various dynamics of crop growth and development and accounts from nearly two thirds of variation in agricultural productivity. The amount of rainfall at a particular place is important; an equal important factor is its temporal distribution, which is uneven, uncertain and erratic in most part of the country. Breaks in monsoon are common phenomenon during the monsoon period. The analysis of rainfall characteristics such as occurrence and distribution of dry or wet spell is essentially required for successful crop planning, development of befitting agro techniques, recommendation of suitable crop variety, designing of water harvesting ponds, earthen dams and other soil conservation structures. It is also an established fact that the crop development will be affected if the dry spell coincides with sensitive phonological stage of the crop and sometimes beneficial if it coincides with the ripening stage. Hence for the purpose of crop planning and to carry out the agricultural practices, it is important to know the sequence of dry and wet periods. An attempt has been made in this paper to analyse the rainfall in standard meteorological week as well as monthly basis at different probability levels for Lembucherra by using computer based forecasting technique.

1 Analysis of Chemical Composition of Milk

 1.1 Determination of Acidity of Milk

 Introduction

The acidity of milk can be determined by titrating the milk against standard sodium hydroxide solution using an indicator like phenolphthalein and is expressed in the terms of lactic acid. Though natural acidity in milk is due to its constituents such as casein, albumin, citrates, phosphates and carbon dioxide but it is customary to express in terms of lactic acid. As one gram equivalent weight of an alkali neutralizes one gram equivalent weight of an acid, the volume of standard alkali required to neutralize lactic acid of fixed volume of milk gives percent acidity of milk according to the reaction.

1. Introduction

The chemical composition of a food is of utmost importance from many standpoints, including nutrition, safety, and stability to microbiological, chemical or physical changes. Analysis of these food components is required to provide nutrition labelling for informing the health-conscious consumer, for quality assurance during processing and storage, and for regulatory purposes. The methodology used in analysis will depend on the particular component and the nature of product being analyzed, the purpose of the analysis, and the availability of resources. The emphasis of this chapter is on understanding the principles, procedures and calculations involved in estimating a particular component in fruits, vegetables and their products.

The safety of the food supply suitably remains a high main concern for industry stakeholders, regulatory agencies and patrons. With the surfacing of new safety challenges and issues, companies are establishing and upgrading programs to reduce risk factors. These programs are constantly monitored for reliability, repeatability, reproducibility and effectiveness. Due to the health and safety risks posed by chemical, microbiological and environmental contaminants, analytical methods are progressively more becoming a pride and joy of food safety programs. Innovative analytical approaches are being developed in response to budding food safety issues. To monitor for known issues only the established and officially approved methods are used often. Oftentimes, new analytical methods are developed, improved or modified quickly in response to issues, such as melamine contamination, which are unforeseen. In such instances, accurate data derived from sound, validated analytical methods are required to facilitate industry stakeholders and regulators to make sound methodical decisions.

Through research, industry has improved a host of analytical methods in recent years, resulting in higher sensitivity and accuracy for difficult-to-detect contaminants, detection of contaminants in new matrix classes for grades. These advances have been made in the face of changing set of laws, more painstaking method-validation standards and end user demands for safe, quality products. Further to this, this spirit of innovation will continue to be fundamental in industry’s efforts to ensure the safety of the comprehensive food chain.

Antibiotic Resistance and Gene transfer
 
It is important that probiotic strains should be assessed for their phenotypical antibiotic resistance and potential to transfer resistance gene as otherwise they cannot be used in food (BgVV, 2000; Vankerckhoven et al., 2008). It is vital to do research on characterization of acquired resistance mechanisms and transferability of resistance genes and on methods for determining transferability.

1.    Pasteurization can be used to destroy

(a) Soamtic cells

(b) Bacteria

(c) Antibiotics

(d) All of these

2.    The higher amount of total solids in milk will result in

(a) Increased heat stability

(b) Decreased heat stability

(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) Decreased or increased heat stability depending upon temperature

SYNOPSIS

Animal source foods (ASF) include any food item that comes from an animal source such as meat, milk, fish, eggs, cheese and yogurt. Many individuals do not consume ASF or consume little ASF by either personal choice or necessity as ASF may not be accessible or available to these people. Animals are used as food either directly or indirectly by the products they produce. Animal source foods (ASF) include any food item that comes from an animal source such as meat, milk, fish, eggs, cheese and yogurt.

Abstract

By loosely inspiring the actions of neurons in the human brain, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are widely accepted as a powerful nonlinear adaptive approach to tackle complex, dynamic, highly nonlinear, and ill-defined problems in an increasing number of fields of food industry.They have been used extensively in food drying to solve problems of nonlinear function approximation, pattern recognition, data description, optimization, simulation, pattern recognition, control, data sorting, clustering, and noise reduction, due to their massively parallel structure and capability to learn from examples. In this chapter, after providing a brief description of ANN technology and its principles as well as the structure of the most commonly employed ANNs in this context, an example is given to explain how the ANN technique is used for modeling and controlling food drying process. Generally, modeling, prediction, and optimization of heat and mass transfer, thermodynamic performance indicators, and quality parameters as well as physico-chemical attributes of dried foods are the most popular subjects to attract researchers’ attention to apply the ANNs in food drying industry.

1. INTRODUCTION

Annuals are the group of plants that complete their life cycle in one season or in one year during which they grow, flower and produce seed; and after this they wither out. A true annual (like zinnia) is a plant that will grow from seeds, flower, produce seeds and die in one season. Zinnias provide a succession of flowers for summer colour in any sunny location with good soil drainage

The term annual when applied to herbaceous ornamentals refers to plants that are grown for only one season. A true annual completes its life cycle (bears seed) in one season and has an extended bloom span lasting (in most cases) throughout the summer. Some plants that we use like annuals in the garden actually are herbaceous perennial plants that bloom the first season but are unable to survive the winter climate.

Some varieties will self-sow or naturally reseed themselves. This may be undesirable in many flowers because the parents of this seed are unknown and hybrid characteristics get lost. Plants will scatter everywhere instead of growing in their designated spot. Examples: Alyssum, Petunias and Impatiens. Impatiens flowers are currently the most popular annuals and are unsurpassed for abundant flowers in a shady garden. Some perennials, which are plants that live from year to year are classed with annuals because they are not winter-hardy and must be set out every year. Examples are begonias and snapdragons.

Typically, the annuals we think are as loving the heat of summer, but there are some popular annual plants that prefer the cool of spring and fall. Examples: pansies, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale. These plants actually grow more lush and vigorous when the weather is cool not hot and dry; therefore, they are often offered for sale in early spring.

Introduction
• Meat inspection involves proper veterinary examination of live food animals prior to slaughter (called ante-mortem examination), inspection of carcases and offals and pathological examinations where deemed fit
• Full ante-mortem inspection represents 50% of meat inspection
• Ante-mortem inspection is particularly useful for detecting scheduled or infectious diseases which are communicable to man e.g. anthrax, rabies and glanders
• Diseases where animals show nervous symptoms like tetanus, tuberculous meningitis, sturdy in sheep, lysteriosis, rabies, cysticosis etc. and where skin lesions are manifested such as food and mouth disease, swine fever etc. are easily detected during ante-mortem inspection which are difficult to be detected in post-mortem inspection
• Animals must undergo veterinary ante-mortem inspection on the day of their arrival at the slaughterhouse or before the beginning of daily slaughtering
The inspection must determine
1. Whether the animals are suffering from a disease which is communicableto man and to animals or whether they show symptoms
2. Whether they show symptoms of disease or of a disorder of their general condition which is likely to make their meat unfit for human consumption-- any medicine/substances
3. Whether they are tired, agitated or injured
4. Whether they are sufficiently clean to enter the normal slaughter protocol
• For public health purposes, the veterinarian must separate normal animals from those which may be suffering from a potentially zoonotic disease or present a hygiene risk to the slaughter hall environment owing to the soiled condition of their hide/fleece

1. Introduction Ayurvedic texts like Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, have described millets as the staple food useful in managing diabetes mellitus (Sachan Kumar, 2004). Based on the experience of eating these millets for time immemorial, there exists also a strong traditional knowledge about health benefits associated with them. For example, as per an adage in the state of Karnataka, India: “Those who eat rice will grow as a light weight; their body being just like that of a bird; those who eat Jowar will become as strong as a wolf but those who eat Ragi (millets) will be the strongest of them all, plus they would be free from illness (‘nirogi’ in Sanskrit)”! Certain studies from literature refer nutraceutical character of millets, especially, Kodo and Kutki, which in our opinion should help mankind in eradicating malnutrition and hunger while ensuring sustainable supply of food.

Millets have immense potential of providing nutritional security worldwide and play a pivotal role in food and nutrition economy. The nutritional aspects of millets are comparatively superior from the widely consumed cereals across the globe. With the presence of various essential macro nutrients millets are also enriched with the goodness of micro nutrients as minerals, vitamins and possess various bioactive compounds that portray several health benefits. The nutritional attributes of the millets are accompanied with several antinutritional factors such as tannins, phytates, saponins, trypsin and amylase inhibitors etc. that limit the bioavailability of the essential nutrients and minerals in these wonder grains upon consumption.

In India, people are mostly vegetarian, depending largely on cereals and pulses, as their staple foods, which provide the main source of dietary proteins and calories. The proteins from pulses are known to be inferior quality, due to the deficiency of sulphur containing amino acids as well as due to other factors like digestibility, availability of amino acids, anti-nutritional factors, etc. The anti-nutritional factors present in this type of food, including their contents of enzyme inhibitors, lectins, flatulence factors, tannins, phytic acid and saponins. Anti-nutritional factors can cause detrimental effects to humans and animal growth and performance by impairing intake, uptake, or utilization of other food and feed components, or by causing discomfort and stress to humans and animals. The anti-nutritional factors mainly occur in pulses and grain legumes and foods and feed material prepared from grain legumes and pulses.

Substance which, from nutritional point of view, interferes with normal growth, reproduction or health when consumed regularly in amount existing in a normal component of diet should be considered as harmful and toxic. A significant part of human population relies on legumes as staple food for subsistence, particularly in combination with cereals. They are unique foods because their rich nutrient content including starch, protein, dietary fibre, oligosaccharides, phytochemicals (especially the isoflavones in soybean) and minerals. Their nutritional contents contribute to many health benefits to human.

Foods are classified into three groups on the basis of ease of spoilage. Spoilage meant a condition produced by the excessive growth of microorganisms leading gradually to decay or decomposition. The stable or non perishable foods like sugar, flour, grains and dry products do not ordinarily spoil unless handled carelessly. The semi-perishable food like potatoes, onions, apples, waxed fruits, fruits and vegetables having thick skin can be protected from spoilage if properly handled and processed. The perishable foods, like livestock products, seafood, and poultry items, dairy products, and most fruit and vegetables spoil readily unless special preservatives methods are used. The spoilage of foods may be caused by molds, yeast, bacteria, enzymes, food constituents and insects. The use of food additives have become necessary to prevent spoilage other wise caused by the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds.

Food spoilage usually refers to undesirable changes occurring in food due to the action of micro-organisms, insects and enzymes. The original nutritional value, texture, flavour of the food are damaged, the food become harmful to people and unsuitable to eat. Today however, preservation has used such factors as temperature, water activity, pH, gases, organic acids, salts, antibiotics, irradiation, packaging and various combinations of these factors. Foods vary greatly in the length of time for which they can be held in their natural form without spoilage. Preservatives retard product spoilage caused by mold, air, bacteria, fungi or yeast. Bacterial contamination can cause food-borne illness, including life-threatening botulism.

Fisheries sector plays an important role in food security and fish is now traded internationally. Shift in the trading policies (import and export) of seafood/aquatic products are happening at a rapid pace and consumption of seafood increased globally in substantial quantum. It is estimated that aquatic products export from Asian countries outcompetes earlier contributions to their importing partners year after year. Aquatic products include chordates, mollusc and arthropods from freshwater, brackish and marine system. They are nutrient rich diet and perishable too in nature and this prompted the industry to process the seafood in to different forms such as frozen, canned, cured and dried to extend its shelf life and recently value addition step being followed to improve the customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, the risk associated with the transboundary exchange of pathogens of seafood importance and its antibiotic resistance cannot be disregarded. Majority of the pathogens are not a native flora of fish. Each step in the aquatic products production chain either in the captured or cultured fisheries involves the contact of the seafood to the environment where they are grown, various implements used, contact surfaces, handlers, water etc. This post harvest handling makes the seafood contaminated with the pathogens of seafood importance such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Shigella sp, Aeromonas hydrophila, Plesiomonas shigelloides and viral pathogens such as hepatitis A virus etc. Among these pathogens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella spp are non-indigenous to the aquatic environment and others are indigenous to the aquatic environment. Depending on the nature of the environment (contaminated water source), feeding habits (filter feeders), season of harvest (summer season) are very crucial factors which cause seafood inherently contaminated in nature.

Normally raw milk contains different levels of inhibitory substances, which restrict the normal development of bacteria and some times may even kill them. The degree of inhibitory activity varies considerably in milks of different species, viz, cow, buffalo, human. Maximum activity present in human milk, variations occur in the milks of individual animals and some times even at different milking or from different quarters of the udder of the same animal.
There are two groups of antimicrobial substances present in milk:
    1.    Inherent or naturally occurring substances in milk. 
    2.    Non- inherent compounds secreted into milk from other sources.

Abstract

The cereal grains are grown around the world, the most common is wheat, which accounts for one third of the total grain crop worldwide. In addition to providing energy, whole grains contain several key nutrients, including fibers, lipids, B vitamins and minerals as well as other beneficial components such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans and phytosterols. Several of these components function as antioxidants. While multiple studies have been conducted to analyze antioxidants in different grains. In wheat and other grains, naturally occurring phytonutrients with antioxidant activity include phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, polyphenols, phytates, terpenes, carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols. Potential roles of the naturally occurring antioxidants in grains include free radical scavenger, reducing agent, complexation of prooxidant metals, quenchers of singlet-oxygen molecules and antioxidant defense enzyme system activators for biological systems. Wheat grain contains several components that have potential antioxidant activity and thus may have a protective role in human health. Traditional wheat-based breakfast foods include hot and cold ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals, as well as a variety of yeast-leavened and chemically leavened bakery products. Increasing baking time and temperature increases antioxidant activity in the bread crust and lowers antioxidant activity in the bread crumb portion. Wheat and wheat based products, particularly partial and 100% whole grain products have been shown to provide a variety of beneficial components including fiber, vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients with antioxidant activity. Scientific evidence indicates that consumption of three or more ounce equivalents of whole grain foods per day may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers and help with weight management.

Abstract

Dietary antioxidants can be found naturally in various fruits, vegetables and food products.Typically, antioxidant phytochemicals commonly found in food products are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, carotenoids, polyphenols, melanoidins and indoles. The main characteristic of an antioxidant is its ability to scavenge free radicals and form stable end product which inhibit the chain oxidative mechanisms that lead to degenerative diseases which are harmful to human health. Drying is widely used in food processing to minimize food wastage and to extend food shelf-life. Pretreatment, drying methods and storage conditions are some of the processing parameters affecting the quality of dried products. Selection of processing conditions and storage environment are therefore critical in maximizing the retention of food antioxidants. This chapter aims to compile and summarize studies carried out for antioxidants namely antioxidant contents in dried food products, effect of processing parameters and quantification methods in the analyses of antioxidants.

Aonla is said to be indigenous to tropical south-eastern Asia, particularly in central and southern India (Firminger, 1947). The genus comprises of about 350 species. It is also called Indian gooseberry, amla, nelli, myrobalan, amlaki, amali, ambala, amlika, sirikai, amalakamu in different regional languages in India. Aonla is one of the richest sources of natural ascorbic acid which is protected by high polyphenols content during storage and processing. Aonla is indigenous to central and southern India. It is found it Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Malacca. In India, it is widely cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand.

Cultivars/Varieties: Some of the well-known improved varieties are Banarasi, Chakaiya, Krishna (NA-5), Kanchan (NA-4), Hathi Jhul, Neelam (NA-7), Amrit (NA-6), Balwant, Anand-1, 2 & 3.

Uses

The fruit is widely used in ayurvedic preparation due to its pharmacological properties. The fruits are made into preserve (murabba), sauce, candy, dried chips, etc., Fruits are pickled and made into, jelly, toffee, etc., bark and leaves are used for tanning and wood is used for preparing hookah.

Apple is the pomaceous fruit (Malus domestica) in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans.

The apple originated in South-West Asia which includes Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Soviet Central Asia, Himalayan India and Pakistan. It is grown extensively in the temperate region. The major apple growing countries are Australia, Argentina, Brazil, China, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Gemany, USA, India, etc. In India states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and mountanous region of Uttar Pradesh are the major apple producers.

Cultivars/Varieties: The apple varieties are divided into three groups based on their maturing periods. The early season varieties grown in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttranchal are: Tydeman’s Early(P), Irish Peach, Early Shanburry(P), Michael Molies, Benoni Fenny, Benoni Delicious, Schlomit Starkrimson, and Chaubattia Princess. The Mid season varieties are: American Mother, Red Delicious, Richared Razakwar, Starking Delicious, Vance Delicious, Jonathan(P), McIntosh(P), Top Red Lord Lam, Cox’s Orange Pippin(P), Cortland bourne(P), Red Chief, Red Gold(P), Golden Delicious(P), Oregon Spur, Queen,s Apple, Redspur, Rome Beauty, Scarlet Siberian. The late season varieties are: Golden Delicious(P), King’s Pippin, Rymer, Yellow Newton(P), American Apirouge, Buckingham(P), Winter Banana, Kerry Pippin, Granny Smith(P), Sunhari Chamure, Golden Delicious(P), Red Delicious, Ambri Baldwin, and Yellow Newton(P).

Biosensors are the next generation detection devices, use biological sensing elements like enzymes, nucleic acids, antibody, cells, organelles, tissues, receptors; have got varied applications in the field of drug discovery, diagnosis, biomedicine, food safety and processing, environmental monitoring, defense and security etc. Microbial biosensors are analytical device that uses naturally occurring or engineered microbial cells as the recognition elements to detect physiological changes in cells with the help of suitable physicochemical transducer.

Pre-harvest factors are responsible for the majority of post-harvest losses. Fruits which have already been infected with insects and pathogens, have been poorly irrigated and fertilized, or are of low quality before harvesting will never benefit with post-harvest cures. As a result, the process of accomplishing production quality, as well as harvesting, processing, and selling, must be taken into account.

ABSTRACT

Packaging plays an important role in food industry. The huge waste of packaging generated every year poses a great threat to the environment. The recycling and reuse of the food packaging is limited. Plastic packaging in particular are the serious concern with respect to their disposal. This is the high time when eco-friendly green technologies for the food packaging should be explored. This chapter discusses various possibilities to use the green and eco-friendly approaches for food packaging.

Keywords: Green packaging, bio-degradable, recycle, reuse, edible packaging.

Application of HACCP concept in surveillance & quality assurance programs for raw, frozen, canned, cured, irradiated, cooked, chilled, MAP & freeze dried products.

HACCP

Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) is a system that identify, evaluate and control hazards that are significant for food safety (CAC, 2003). It is a science based systematic approach that assesses hazards and establishes control systems to focus on prevention rather than end product testing. It enhances the safety of the product from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in a production process. It provides way to demonstrate competence to consumers and compliance with legislative requirements.

6.1. History

HACCP was originally developed by Pillsbury Company in 1959 to produce zero defect food for astronauts of National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) in USA. In 1971, the HACCP concept was presented at the United States National Conference on Food Protection. The first major document on HACCP was approved by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) in 1989. The Codex then issued the first HACCP guidelines in 1993, which was adopted by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The USFDA’s Seafood HAACP program became mandatory in USA since 1997. The European Union, in 2004, laid down the general hygiene requirements of all food business operators (EC Regulation 852/2004) and the additional specific requirements for foods of animal origin, including live bivalve mollusks and fishery products which (Regulation EC 853/2004). The United States Food Safety Modernization Act 2011 became the latest enforcement of food safety measures to protect public health. Thus, HACCP has become an International reference system for food safety assurance.

Ali Demirci et al., (2014) studied the reactors with biofilms which are used to produce many value added products. These include organic acids, alcohols, enzymes, antibiotics, bacteriocins and many more. Many bioreactor designs favor the biofilm formation in a reactor. The biofilm reactors are utilized for fermentation and bioconversion of large amount of biomass. Recently, the biofilm reactors have been applied for production of many value-added products with novel designs. According to Ercan and Demirci (2015) the biofilms can cause both detrimental and beneficial effects in the environment. Biofilms in bioreactors has many advantages due to the membrane fouling which reduces the cost. Higher biomass density can be utilized and the operation is more stable.Biofilm reactors are commercially being utilized for waste water treatment, bench and pilot-scale production of value-added products. In order to run the biofilm reactor at optimum conditions it is important to understand the fundamentals of biofilm formation, the different properties

Abstract
Remote sensing and image analysis have emerged as essential tools in modern agriculture, particularly for plant protection in grain-based legume cropping systems. These technologies are increasingly valuable in addressing challenges such as climate change, pest infestations, and the demand for sustainable practices. Grain legumes, including peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas, are vital for global food security and soil health due to their protein content and nitrogen-fixing capabilities. However, their productivity is often threatened by pests, diseases, and weeds. Remote sensing allows for early detection of crop stress through analysis of specific wavelengths of light, enabling farmers to identify issues before visible symptoms appear. Tools like the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) provide insights into crop health, allowing for timely and targeted interventions. Hyperspectral and multispectral imaging further enhance disease detection by identifying physiological changes in crops that are not visible to the naked eye. In addition to disease monitoring, remote sensing aids in pest management by detecting changes in plant temperature profiles and utilizing drone surveillance for real-time data collection. Image analysis complements these efforts by offering detailed insights into crop conditions, enabling precision agriculture practices that minimize environmental impact and reduce costs. By integrating remote sensing and image analysis with other technologies like GIS and IoT, farmers can achieve more efficient, sustainable farming practices, ultimately leading to higher yields and better protection for grain legume crops. Keywords: Food security, Remote sensing, GIS, Grain legumes, IoT, Pest management

Starch is the most abundant polysaccharide carbohydrate reserve which is available in different parts of plants such as roots, stem, leaves, seeds, flowers, and fruits. It is considered an excellent source of energy and plants utilizes carbon from it for their metabolic activities (Smith, 2001). It is composed of glucose units linked together by glycosidic bonds to form amylose and amylopectin polymeric chains (Abbas et al., 2010).

The term nanoscience defines controlling or modifying the shapes and sizes of the materials such that they lie in the range of a nanometre (1 nm = 10^-9 m) scale, typically 1-100 nm (Chavada et al., 2016). The application of these materials and systems by their suitable designing and production is what is known as nanotechnology. Richard Feynman, in 1959, first discussed the possibility of this advanced technology. However, the term was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974 (Chavada et al., 2016).

As a result of a number of health advantages provided by functional foods, a substantial rise in their popularity has been seen in recent years (Keservani et al., 2010).

The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, L. is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. Apricot is believed to have been originated in North-east China and later spread to several parts of the world. The important apricot producing countries are China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece, USA, Morocco, France, Romania, Iraq, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India and Australia. In India it is cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and North East Himalayan region.

Cultivars/Varieties: Hemskerk, Moor park, Kaisha, New Large Early, New Castle, Royal, Raksona, Shiply Early, St. Ambroise, Wenatchee, Chaubattia Alankar, Chaubattia Madhu, Chaubattia Kesri.

Uses

It is used in many ways, such as, in the preparation of jam, nectar, beverages, puree, leather, etc. The karnel is a source of cooking oil. Leaves are used as fodder. Oil cake is used as cattle feed. Dried apricot is an important commercial product.

The last two decades have seen rapid growth and development in the industrial sector as well as urbanization has increased. Due to globalization and mass production of commodities, the situation in the modern world nothing like ever before. Food and dairy industries are also not left out from this massive expansion. Due to changing behavior and food consumption habits too, there has been a surge in the risk of foodborne illness. This has created a problem in terms of public health and sustainability

1. INTRODUCTION

Landscaping is a branch of ornamental horticulture having aesthetic and beautifying value which freshens up the atmosphere, enhances the look of the environment and improves beauty of land. In the area of landscaping, it is beneficial to know about ground covers (grasses etc), hedging plants, and focus plants that will complement one another.

A garden by definition is a piece of land devoted to growing flowers, fruits, vegetables, shrubbery and turf. Gardens brighten their surroundings and they add to the beauty of the landscape. The types of flowers that can be grown in a garden depend on the size of the garden, its location and the amount of sunshine and shade it gets.

Introduction

India is considered as the “Home of Spices”. They are a prized group of minor components and have been an integral ingredient of Indian diet. Since antiquity, spices form an important part of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia (The Indian System of Medicine), with their widespread traditional use. With its wide climatic conditions and topographical features, India naturally possesses wide variety of medicinal flora. The country enjoys the distinction of being the largest producer and consumer of spices as well as the fastest growing spice market in the world.

Spices are potent plant foods that possess a wide range of nutrient bioactive compounds that contribute to improve health, while adding variety, colour, flavour and aroma to daily diet. The term spice or condiment applies to “such natural plant or vegetable products or mixtures thereof, in whole or ground form, as are used for imparting flavour, aroma and piquancy to and for seasoning food” (Sikri and Berwal, 2008).

Webster (2011) describes spices as ‘Any of various aromatic vegetable productions as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, cloves, etc., used in cookery to season and to flavour sauces, pickles, etc.; a vegetable condiment or relish, usually in the form of a powder; also, as condiments collectively’.

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

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

Fruit, vegetables and their products are important sources of ascorbic acid. Aonla, guava and citrus fruits are good sources of Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid).Ascorbic acid is sensitive to heat, light and oxygen but is stable in acidic
 media. The methods for estimation of Ascorbic acid are based on the reduction of 2,6 -dichlorophenol - indophenol dye by ascorbic acid and those based on the reaction of dehydroascorbic acid with 2,4- dinitrophenylhydrazine. However,the 2,6 -dichlorophenol - indophenol dye reduction method is most commonly used in the estimation of ascorbic acid in fresh fruit and vegetables and their processed products.
2,6 dichlorophenol - indophenol visual titration method
The dye, which is blue in an alkaline solution and red in an acid solution, isreduced by ascorbic acid to a colorless form. The reduction is quantitative and specific for ascorbic acid in solutions in the pH range of 1-3.5.
Reagents
i. 3% Metaphosphoric acid (HPO3) solution:Dissolve 3g sticks/ pelletsofMetaphosphoric acidin a volumetric flask and make volume to 1oo ml with glassdistilled water.