eChapters

Abstract

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

Abstract

Dietary fibers mostly include non-starch polysaccharides such as celluloses, hemicelluloses, gums and pectins, lignin, resistant dextrins and resistant starches. Based on their water solubility, dietary fibers may be divided into two forms insoluble dietary fiber which includes celluloses, some hemicelluloses and lignins which is fermented to a limited extent in the colon and soluble dietary fiber which includes f-glucans, pectins, gums, mucilages and hemicelluloses that are fermented in the colon. Resistant starch generally considered to be represented by the total amount ofstarch and the product of starch degradation that are not digested in the small intestine andpass into large intestine, and regarded as a component ofdietary fiber. Herbal nutraceutical is used as a powerful instrument in maintaining health and to act against nutritionally induced acute and chronic diseases, thereby promoting optimal health, and quality of life. Dietary spices in their minute quantities has an immense influence on the human health by their antioxidative, chemopreventive, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, immune modulatory effects on cells and a wide range of beneficial effects on human health. Nutraceutical is the hybrid of ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’. Nutraceuticals, in broad, are food or part of food playing a significant role in modifying and maintaining normal physiological function that maintains healthy human beings. Functional foods are including whole foods and fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods or dietary components that may reduce the risk of chronic disease and provide a health and physiological benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains.

Abstract

Nutraceuticals have potential to be used as food supplement, preventive medicine and the growing evidence points in the direction that certain foods fight and or prevent against diseases. The development of next generation nutraceutical “super foods” or products consist of value-addition in the traditional natural diets.The word Nutraceuticals combine ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceuticals’ to mean that they can be used as preventive drugs or food supplements. The increase in knowledge about the immune response unveils the fact that besides immunological disorders and infections the outcome of many other diseases like diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. can be modified by modulating Immune response. Hence, the efficient immunomodulators can be employed to prevent or cure the diseases as immunotherapeutic agents. The most acceptable alternative therapeutic agents are the edible sources. Hence the researchers shifted towards formation of nutraceuticals or foods acting as medicine, a concept which was given by Hippocrates long back.

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

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

Abstract

Nanotechnology deals with understanding and control of matter at 1-100 nm dimensions. Nano-sized materials have been part of everyday life in the form of biological entities and processes. Many of the structural building elements in foods are colloids in nature and are built up as a result of self assembly of nano-sized molecules in particles or at interfaces. The most important food raw materials-proteins, starches and fats undergo structural changes at the nanometer and micrometer scales during normal food processing. Unique phenomena occurring at this length scale are being exploited for novel food applications. Functional foods are products, in food or drink form, which influence specific functions in the body and thereby offer benefits for health, well-being, or performance beyond their regular nutritional value. Nanotechnology promises to provide means of altering and manipulating food products to efficiently deliver nutrients like proteins and antioxidants for precisely targeted nutritional and health benefits. Nanotechnology applications for functional food ingredients and additives offer range of benefits to the consumer in terms of innovative, tasteful and healthy food products. Nanoencapsulation systems aid smart protection and delivery of bioactives so as to ensure their stability, taste, colour, safety and bioavailability. The advent of nanotechnology has opened up innovations in food packaging with improved stability and barrier properties. However, need exists to develop regulatory systems for managing any risks associated with functional nanofoods and the use of nanotechnologies in the food industry.

Abstract

The concern of consumers for convenience and healthy foods involves many parameters like functional and nutraceutical properties, ease to prepare, good quality, economics as well as good nutritional profile of the food. This trend of convenience has been increasing in today's world because of the societal changes like the aging of population, the increasing entry of women into the labor force, the change to a multi-cultured society and the increasing polarization between poor and rich. Value addition to the traditional sources is a medium to bring variety products into the market. Cereal starches possess a wide application in the food industry as an additive but the native starch is not widely used in food industry due to its poor functional properties. Pregelatinized starches and flours have become important in processed foods because the functional properties of the starches and flours are improved over the native starches and cereal flours. Modification is a process which alters the structure of the starch in the wheat endosperm by affecting the hydrogen bonds in a controllable manner. Modification of starch and flours is generally done by several methods such as chemical degradation, physical alteration or enzymatic transformation. The primary objective of modification is to reduce the hot viscosity of the starch paste so that higher concentrations of starch can be dispersed without excessive thickening. The pregelatinized flours offer a tremendous number of functional benefits to variety of foods such as bakeries, snacks, beverages as well as nutritional foods. The various functional benefits of pre-gelatinized starch/flour as an additive are classified as fat replacer, texture improver, stabilizer, emulsifier, thickening agent and for freeze-thaw stability. Keywords: Pregelatinization, modification, functionality, cereal flour.

Abstract

The aim of this work was to reduce the natural fermentation period of ‘idli’ from the conventional 14 hr to10 hr by adding underutilized okara for the preparation of ‘idli’. Black gram was partially substituted with soy residue okara in the ratio of (1:1). After 14 hr of natural fermentation, the pH and total acidity of control ‘idli’ batter was 4.55 and 0.68% and that of okara fortified ‘idli’ batter was 4.57 and 0.56%, respectively. The amount of CO₂ released by the control and okara fortified batter was 12.5% and 22.5% respectively. The viable count of yeast and mold, lactics and mesophilic bacteria in control and okara batter increased with time reaching 8.4 and 9.6, 8.2 and 7.5, and 8.6 and 9.2 log10 cfu/g, respectively at the end of 10 hr of natural fermentation. Okara fortified ‘idli’ was soft and spongy compared to control ‘idli’.

Abstract

Rice is the most produced and consumed source of stable food in J andK, and is excellent in genetic diversity. Rice production is the principal activity and a major source of income for the State. Traditional rice varieties have an enhancing potential in wide range of nutraceutical and functional foods. Besides possessing medicinal and nutritional properties, the by-products generated from these rice varieties in various post harvest operations are equally valuable. Traditional healers and local farmers have been using these traditional varieties in ayurveda and in curing of various kinds of ailments, such as cooling the body in ayurvedic treatments, improving vocal clarity, curing of boils, swellings and skin blemishes. Extracts of brown rice are also used as energy drink in individuals, patients and in treatment of chronic gastric problems, jaundice, dysenteric complaints and to increase lactation and nutrition to Childs. Sticky glutinous rice has been reported in treatment of stomach upsets, nausea, heart-burn and indigestion. Brown rice extracts have been reported in treatments of breast and stomach cancer and warts.

Abstract

Starch is a naturally occurring biodegradable polymer and readily available from agriculture. It is widely used in food and non-food applications and isolated from crops such as maize, potatoes, tapioca, rice and wheat. However, in recent years substantial progress has been made on the molecular structure of cereal and tuber starches and their impact on functionality, the following is a subjective summary that presents status of knowledge on isolation of starch from non-conventional source like Acorus calamus (sweet flag). The focus is on potential application of the source as food and non-food derivatives. Extensive work has been carried out on agronomic and phenotypic properties for most tropical crops, but relatively little study has been carried out on the properties which are of direct technical and economic interest to competitive food and non-food industry. Sweet flag (Acorus calamus L.) is an emergent macrophyte, originating in Asia, commonly found in European wetlands. Rhizome is the most important storage organ in Acorus. It contains considerable amounts of carbohydrates and nitrogen-rich compound. This species is growing to 6 feet, with long lanceolate leaves %-inch wide with pronounced midrib, aromatic, with stout rhizomes. The major proportion of total non-structural carbohydrates in rhizomes is starch (91-93% and 51-64% in rhizomes and roots, respectively). However, amount of starch varies among the organs as well. Rhizomes contain the highest amount of starch followed by branched roots and finally by unbranched roots. Rhizomes comprises single to compound grains, with clusters present in high frequencies. Non-conventional food resources and their value addition have attracted attention in the recent years for their potential use as functional ingredients in food formulations, besides food they have also been used for non-food applications. So there is tremendous potential for the profitable commercial use of these tropical starches and exploring them for further use.

Abstract

Due to rapidly increasing knowledge on nutrition and medicine, concepts about food and health has dramatically changed and resulted in consumption of nutraceuticals and natural plant foods.Use of nutritional therapy and phytotherapy have become progressively popular to improve health, and to prevent and treat diseases. Plants have long history of their uses as ingredients of human nutrition and folk medicine,because of availability of huge array of high-value components and multiple-activity bio-actives. “Licorice” means “sweet root” in Greek is a plant of ancient origin, indigenous to Southern Europe and Asia Minor. Most of the supply comes from former USSR, Spain, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, with total production between 40,000 and 50,000 tonnes per annum. The chemical constituents of the roots include several bioactive compounds, such as glycyrrhizin (~16%), different sugars (up to 18%) ,flavonoids, saponoids,sterols, starches, amino acids, gums and essential oils. A large number of clinical and experimental studies reported its useful biological properties such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anticancer effects. It is useful in anaemia, gout, asthama,ulcers, sore throat, tonsillitis, diabetes, tuberculosis, flatulence, diarrhea, sexual debility, epilepsy, hyperdypsia, fever, coughs, skin diseases, eye diseases, swellings,constipation, rheumatism, acidity, leucorrhoea, bleeding, jaundice, hiccough, hoarseness, bronchitis.Recently, it is reported to have neurological properties such as antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant effects. The most abundant minerals present are calcium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium and iron. Licorice extracts and its principle component, glycyrrhizin, have extensive use in foods,as a natural sweetener and flavoring agent in beverage, confectionery, tobacco and pharmaceutical industry. It is in great demand globally as medicinal and nutritional supplement due to it's wide range of properties, which also indicates that in future the plant could serve as a “lead” for the development of novel agents having good efficacy in various disorders.

Abstract

Kulfi is a mixture of fat; sugar and milk solid not fat together with added flavour. So diabetics people on restricted diets cannot consume kulfi having normal ingredients. Now-a-days, consumers demand for low fat/calorie products has significantly raised in an attempt to limit health problems, to lose or stabilize their weight and to work within the frame of a healthier diet. The role of fat replacers and sugar substitutes in the successful manufacture of these products is crucial. Development of sugar free kulfi would certainly ensure diabetic/obese people to enjoy ice cream/ kulfi. The current study is to standardize the kulfi recipe with fat and calorie replacer. Basic formula mix consist of Whole milk 60 percent, SMP 12 percent, Sugar 13 percent, Cream 15 percent and Stabilizer 0.5 percent where the whole milk was replaced by skim milk, cream and sugar was replaced by maltodextrin as a bulking agent and aspartame respectively alongwith sodium alginate as a stabilizer. The replacers were incorporated at four different levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent to the basic formula mix. Freezing of above kulfi mix was done by traditional method and softy freezer method. Sensory evaluation was carried out by using 9-point hedonic scale through semi-trained judges and results were statistically analyzed. On the basis of sensory scores it was revealed that sugar could be replaced 100% by artificial sweetener, bulking agent (Maltodextrin). It was found from the sensory scores that the milk fat in kulfi can be replaced upto 75 percent by sodium caseinate thereafter increase in caseinate gives prominent flavour of casein and kulfi body becomes thick and hard. It was concluded from the results that 100 percent sugar replacement was found feasible in preparation of low fat and low calorie kulfi. Results of the low fat and low calorie kulfi mix indicated that there was 32.29 percent reduction in the calorific value of experimental kulfi as compared to the control sample (traditional). It was concluded from the results that the kulfi with 75 percent less fat and 100 percent sugar free can be prepared with low cost in comparison with control.

Abstract

Vitamin D or “sunshine vitamin” is an essential fat soluble vitamin required for healthy bones. It is responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate. Its deficiency leads to osteoporosis and osteomalacia in adults and rickets and other bone deformities in children. Vitamin D deficiency is being reported to be quite common these days due to modernization accompanied with changes in lifestyle and environmental pollution which limit sun exposure for several individuals. Inadequate sun exposure results in reduced vitamin D synthesis and ultimately poor vitamin D status necessitating compensation through dietary intake. Dietary vitamin D intake is very low in India because of low consumption of vitamin D rich foods, absence of fortification and little use of supplements. It is becoming a major public health problem, needing immediate attention. Fortification of milk and milk products is the safe and effective approach to deal with widespread vitamin D deficiency as milk is consumed and liked equally by all age groups. This paper highlights the importance, sources, recommended allowances and other relevant issues related to vitamin D fortification and its health effects.

The term growth for bacteria and other microorganism usually refers to changes in the total population rather than an increase in size or mass of an individual organism. As the mechanism of conservation and dissipation of heat generated during metabolism lacks in bacteria, the enzyme system in bacteria gets directly influenced by temperature. The purpose of studying the bacterial growth curve is a) to become familiar with the population growth dynamics of bacterial culture and b) to plot a growth curve and determine the generation time of bacterial culture.

A number of methods are now available for measuring bacterial growth. Some important ones are

1)By colony counting or cell counting

2)By weighing the cells

3)By cell activity (turbidity method)

Antibiotics are produced by some true bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi that destroy or inhibit the growth of other microorganisms. Some antibiotics are synthesized or modified in the laboratory; however, their origins are always in living cells.

9.1 Assay of Antibiotics

Soil serves as the major repository of microorganisms some of which produces antibiotics. Four groups of soil microorganisms viz; Streptomyces, Bacillus, Penicillium and Cephalosporium represent three microbial types, namely, actinomycetes, true bacteria and molds respectively.

Following procedure may be applied to isolate antibiotic-producing microorganisms from soil:

Fermentation

The term fermentation is loosely used to denote any process in which microorganisms are involved, regards of whether or not the organism is growing in the presence of molecular oxygen. Thus, it can be defined as 'an ATP generating metabolic process in which organic compounds serve both as electron donor (becoming oxidized) and electron acceptor(becoming reduced). Energetically, fermentations are poor energy yielding process and products have lower energy content then the substrates. Since there is no net oxidation in fermentation, the number of molecules of C, H and O remain the same in products as in the substrate.

According to Futter (2001) it is very important the way we cook our food. If the cooking is inadequate it causes food poisoning. While cooking there can be cross contamination starting from raw foods. It includes hands or utensils which can cause food poisoning. Most foods, especially meat, poultry, fish and eggs should be cooked thoroughly to kill most types of food poisoning bacteria. Generally the food should be cooked to a temperature of 75 °C or hotter. When food is cooked, it should be eaten promptly, kept hotter than 60 °C or cooled, covered and stored in the fridge or freezer. Some people are more at risk from food poisoning than others. In order to buy safe food in the market like buying pre-cut produce as a half a watermelon or cut veggies from a salad bar, it is important to choose items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice. They must be kept in separate bags. FDA (2019) has studied the contamination in lettuce. Shopping at a farmer’s market is a great way to get locally-grown, fresh fruit, vegetables, and other foods. However, safety of these produce needs to be checked. Many markets have their own food safety rules and vendors must comply with them along with the government regulations. Fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking. Fruits and vegetables must never be washed with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes. Even if it has to be peeled before eating, it is still important to wash it first. Any bacteria present on the outside of items like melons can be transferred to the inside when it is cut or peeled. They should be refrigerated within two hours after preparation. The juice or cider must be treated (pasteurized) to kill harmful bacteria. Pregnant women, children, older adults and people with weak immune systems should drink only pasteurized or treated juice. Raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. World India (2017) has looked into the food regulations. These can pose serious health risks. Pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for illness caused by Listeria. One source for these bacteria is soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk. It is vital to check the label to make sure that it is made from pasteurized or treated milk. Make sure that eggs are properly chilled at the market. FDA requires that untreated shell eggs must be stored and displayed at 45°F. While buying eggs it needs to be ensured that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked. Meat should be properly chilled even in the market and kept in closed coolers with adequate amounts of ice to maintain cool temperatures. If it is brought in an insulated bag or cooler during transit it is very beneficial to keep the quality. It should be always kept separately from your other purchases, so that the juices from raw meat (which may contain harmful bacteria) do not come in contact with produce and other foods. Essays (2018) have written a very comprehensive overview of food safety.

A process control system that identifies the hazardous points in the food production process is known as HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). It puts into place many stringent actions to prevent any hazards from occurring. In any food process if there is strict monitoring and controlling steps, the chances for hazards are minimum. Today, HACCP is an integral part of modern food industry that identifies and controls the major food risks. These are like microbiological, chemical and physical contaminants. These can also be practiced at home scale by checking proper storage, handling, cooking and cleaning procedures. These steps have resulted in industries taking greater responsibility for and controlling the food safety risk factors. This helps in better consumer protection, agriculture, the food processing industries and promotes domestic and international food trade.

The temperature of food storage is important. Below 4⁰C the food pathogens do not grow. Above 60⁰C some colonies begin to die. However, almost all die at 71⁰C. How hot is the food served is important for food safety. The size of the piece is important to how quickly it will cook all the way through. The smaller the piece the faster it will cook. Large or thicker pieces take a longer time to be cooked. Otherwise cooking for a longer time is better so that pathogenic microorganisms do not grow. In case of a thicker piece the color must be checked inside to outside after cooking which should be consistent. If the meat has the bone, check the color/temperature closest to the bone in the thickest part. In case of meat the contamination usually gets introduced while butchering and the practices used. The street food on a cart is perhaps the most contaminated as it has some level of bacteria in it. The meat in the decorated malls also has pathogenic bacteria. The environment plays a very pivotal role which can recontaminate the food even after proper cooking. The amount of harmful pathogens keeps growing in number with the passage of time. Fresh from the grill is the best, an hour or two is not ideal, half a day or overnight could make a person sick. Due to the reason that consumers do not know the time and temperature of cooking it is important to eat food which is freshly prepared.

Introduction

The semiarid and arid ecosystem is not only neglected in India but also the whole world in respect of socio-economic and scientific development. Middlefon and Thomas, 1997) reported the arid and semi arid covers 47% of land surface of the plant and home town to 1/3 of human population. Conventional plant breeding so far only increased the yield of crops grown under arid tropics at about half the rate achieved for crops grown in temperate regions (Turner, 2004, b). The major crop of other ecosystem are considered as under exploited crop of arid ecosystem. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), is one such crop, which was domesticated in ancient Peru, has become the most popular and widely consumed vegetable in the world today, for its rich flavor and high nutritional value (Vitamins A and C)

Introduction

Antioxidants are substances, which retard or prevent deterioration, damage or destruction caused by oxidation. Fortunately, the body has an army of antioxidants for damage limitation. Antioxidant form an integral part of the nutraceutical market. During the last few years’ research has confirmed that many have the common disease and ailments of 21^st century (Coronary Vascular Disease, diabetes, cataracts, high blood pressure, infertilities, respiratory infection, and rheumatoid arthritis) are associated with tissue deficiency and/or low dietary levels of compounds called antioxidants. The oxygen is consumed in the body during metabolism by process called oxidation. During oxidation free radicals are generated. These free radicals at a molecular level burn everything they touch. Antioxidants are power full electron donors and react with free radicals which damage the biomolecules. The formed antioxidant radical is stable and non-reactive. Antioxidants are quite large in number and diverse in nature which oppose the process of oxidation largely by neutralizing free radicals at relatively small concentrations and also have the potential to inhibit the oxidant chain reactions.

Introduction

Phytosterols, phytostanols and their esters are a group of steroid alcohols and esters that occur naturally in plants as nonsaponifiable fraction of plant oils. Phytosterols (including plant sterols and stanols) cannot be synthesized by humans, and all plant sterols and stanols in the human body therefore originate from the diet. They are known to have several bioactive qualities with possible implications for human health. Their properties for reducing blood cholesterol levels, as well as their other beneficial health effects, have been known for many years. It was recognized in the 1950s that plant sterols lower serum concentrations of cholesterol. Plant sterols might also protect against certain types of cancer such as colon, breast and prostate. Scholarly reviews have all confirmed the health benefits and safety of phytosterols.

People with high blood cholesterol levels are typically advised by health professionals to exercise and consume a diet high in fiber and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Although these measures can reduce blood cholesterol, sometimes they don’t go far enough. Other cholesterol-lowering interventions may be needed, including cholesterol-lowering medicines or adding phytosterol esters to the diet. The primary phytosterols in the diet are sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol and typical consumption of plant sterols is approximately 160 – 400 mg/day. The enrichment of foods with phytosterols is one of the recent developments in functional foods to enhance the cholesterol-lowering ability of traditional food products.

Introduction

Foods and nutrients play a vital role in normal functioning of the body. They are helpful in maintaining the health of the individual and in reducing the risk of various diseases. Nutraceuticals and functional foods are broad terms describing “a food (or part of a food) that provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of a disease”. Nutraceuticals hold promise in clinical therapy as they have the potential to significantly reduce the risk of side effects associated with chemotherapy along with reducing the global health care cost. Food provides not only essential nutrients needed for life but also other bioactive compounds for health promotion and disease prevention. Consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as grains, has been strongly associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer disease, cataracts, and age-related functional decline. A change in dietary behavior such as increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables, and grains is a practical strategy for significantly reducing the incidence of chronic diseases.

Functional foods that contain significant amounts of bioactive components may provide desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition and play important roles in the prevention of chronic diseases. The key question is whether a purified phytochemical has the same health benefit as does the whole food or mixture of foods in which the phytochemical is present. Technological progress in manipulating plant metabolism and metabolites, combined with the explosive growth of the “functional food” industry has led to many attempts to enhance the concentration of these health-promoting compounds in specific plant-based foods . “Functional foods” are foods that, by virtue of physiologically active components, provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition”. Functional/medicinal food is a category of botanical therapeutic available at the grocery store, which can be decrypted as “food engineered or supplemented to provide health benefits”. Thus, the future of plant-based functional foods seems bright and, as a result, grocery and drug stores might eventually look very similar. Optimization of composition of fruits and vegetables would be a very cost-effective method of disease prevention, since diet-induced health improvements would not carry any added costs for the health sector.

Introduction

The primary role of the diet is to provide enough nutrients to meet metabolic requirements while giving the consumer a feeling of satisfaction and well being. Beyond meeting nutrient needs, diet may modulate various functions in the body and may play detrimental or beneficial roles in some diseases. Now a days concept in nutrition is expanding from the past emphasis on survival, hunger satisfaction and preventing adverse effects to an emphasis on the use of foods to promote a state of well being and better health and to help reduce risk of diseases.

In recent years, the words like functional foods, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals are frequently used/found in media. It is important to understand these words and understand their functions in health care.

Introduction

Microencapsulation is a process of entrapping solid particles, liquid droplets or gases in thin polymeric coatings. The outer film (wall) protects the encapsulated material (core) and allows for its controlled release. Application of this technique is wide spread in several industrial fields, including the manufacture of foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and pesticides. Common food ingredients subjected to microencapsulation include probiotic bacteria, acidulates, flavours, colours, sweeteners, minerals and vitamins. A number of coating materials are employed in production of microcapsules, such as gums, starch, and starch derivatives, cellulosic materials, lipids, proteins and inorganic materials.

Actually the development of the formation of micro-encapsulates was partially inspired by the nature. Eggs, seeds, grains, nuts, fruits etc. are typical examples of the food encapsulation and natures own way of conserving and protecting natural products against its own deteriorating elements. Taking clue from this, man adopted this technology of protection of some of the foodstuffs as sauces, puddings etc. Microencapsulation can improve the convenience of food. The shell provides a barrier between reactive components (for instance, delaying the release of leavening agents for fluffier bread products or protecting oxygen-sensitive materials during processing and storage). Microcapsules can help fragile and sensitive materials survive processing and packaging conditions and stabilize the shelf-life of the active ingredient.Karel (1994) described various methods of encapsulation of food ingredients.Inaddition, microencapsulation can simplify the food manufacturing process by converting liquids to solid powder, decreasing production costs by allowing batch processing using low-cost, powder-handling equipment. To improve food safety, the technology can be used to indicate product tampering, thermal spoilage, and freeze-thaw cycles.

Introduction

“The World Packaging Organisation’s (WPO) slogan, “Better Quality of Life Through Better Packaging”, sumps up the important place that packaging occupies in a modern economy.

As the economics of many countries are increasing, the consumers have started using more processed food. As a matter of fact global food processing and packaging business has reached to multi trillion dollars. In today’s world of global markets and stiff competition in every product along with increasing consumer demand, it becomes imperative for companies to explore ways to improve their productivity in terms of maintaining safety, using sustainable packaging materials, implementing flexible and standardized technology, and adopting proven management. Towards this end, companies have been striving to improve the efficiencies of their operations through improvements in the processes. Reducing wastes and shortening lead times becomes all the more imperative in the food industry due to the perishable nature of the product. Moreover, recent advances in technology such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and nano-materials afford companies greater opportunities to streamline the processing, packaging, and manufacturing schemes.

Proper marketing of perishable commodities such as fruit and vegetables often requires some storage to balance day-to-day fluctuation between harvest and sale or for long term storage. Storage of horticulture produce is attempeted with a view to extend period of availability. Storage controls shelf life of produce by controlling rate of respiration, transpiration, ripening and biochemical changes all of which are responsible for shelf decomposition/deterioration of produce. Further, different types of storage have different attributes in minimizing microbial infection and thus add to better storability of produce.

Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions.

A dilute solution of acetic acid produced by a two-stage fermentation process in the first stage, fermentable sugars is converted into ethanol by the action of yeasts and in the second stage, bacteria of the genus Acetobacter oxidize the ethanol to acetic acid.

Vinegar is a liquid produced from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid. The acetic acid concentration ranges typically from 4 to 8 percent by volume for table vinegar (typically 5%) and higher concentrations for pickling (up to 18%). Natural vinegars also contain smaller amounts of tartaric acid, citric acid, and other acids.

Quality Standards and Laws

Quality is how well a product or service satisfies the needs of the customer. This includes all aspects related to the needs of the customer such as quality specifications, safetgy, delivery method or date, price etc. Quality can be interpreted in several ways as conformance to the standards, meeting customers’ preference/ satisfaction for desired quality attributes, degree of excellence and zero defect products etc. Because of education and consequent greater understanding of implications of poor quality commodities in recent years, consumers have become quality conscious and this fact is also applicable to food and food products. In order to strengthen competitiveness, quality must be incorporated throughout the value added chains right from the harvesting, handling, manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution stages, especially in the case of food and food products.

Abstract

Agro-food industries generate a large amount of by-products and wastes. These byproducts and wastes have a negative impact in terms of the environmental concern due to the increase of pollutant disposal, and industrial sustainability because of high costs related to their management. These byproducts and wastes are rich in minerals, sugars and proteins. The composition and characteristics of wastes from different food processing industries vary and rely upon the production technique and the nature of the product. India is the second largest producer of rice/paddy in the world and the utilization of rice bran is gaining importance. However, a small fraction of these have been utilized. In case of fruits and vegetables, industrial processing of potato generates between 70 and 140 thousand tons of peels worldwide annually. Moreover, 37% of world’s total annual production of banana is shared by India. Hence, to minimize the disposal fees and trash collection new policies and methods have been developed for handling and treatment of wastes and byproducts. This chapter envisages the status of different agro-food industrial byproducts and wastes for the development of different food and non-food products.

Abstract

Tremendous hike inworld population has increased thrust on the limited resources which has considerably affected the viability of the food. The emerging challenge for policy makers and food scientists is to put forward viable solutions. Utilization of underutilized crops/plants that act as good sources of starch could be explored in a better way for the sustenance of the limited sources like food crops/plants. The demand for starch and the foods containing starch has been increasing continually. Since, the starch in its native form has certain limitations in its functional properties to be used for different applications. Therefore, it becomes important to explore certain technologies which could be used for modification of starch. Among different technologies gamma irradiation ensures food safety while inducing physicochemical changes of the components. Although, the chemical modifications have been used widely so far but the concerns related to the chemical residues left are diminishing their demand. Hence, the physical processes particularly the gamma irradiation process has emerged as an efficient alternative with some benefits over other process like eco-friendly, economical, reliable and safe for altering the physico-chemical and biological characteristics of the product. Gamma Irradiation of starch has been successfully employed for the achievement of some desired physico-chemical, biological and functional properties of the foods and other related items. In this chapter, valuable impact of gamma irradiation on the physico-chemical, biological and functional properties of starch has been summarized.

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.

Pickles known to be good appetizers, aid digestion and pallate are edible products preserved and flavoured in a solution of common salt and vinegar. Spices and oil may also be added. There are a number of pickles very popular in India i.e. mango pickle, cauliflower pickle, lime and lemon pickles, ginger chilli pickle etc. But, some pickles like Sauerkraut are not very common in India but are very popular in European countries.

Canning : Process of preservation of various food stuffs including fruits and vegetables whole or in pieces, in sugar syrup or brine by heat processing them in hermetically sealed containers.

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

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.

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.

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).

ABSTRACT

The global market for baked products has reached up to $495 billion in the year 2019. It is estimated that its value will reach up to $580 billion by the end of 2025 with a growth rate of 2.7 % between 2020 to 2025. Ovens are operated with the help of LPG/diesel/electricity. The hybrid ovens can give higher energy efficiency along with targeted quality parameters. The previous data such as oven temperature, heat supplied per unit time, the moisture content and variety of the raw material used can be provided to a specific computer programme. The heat recovering unit is a unit which captures the escaping hot air and the same may be reused by pumping the hot air to the front of the oven to preheat the incoming cold air. The biogas can be generated from the bakery waste. There will be 45 % or more methane production from bread and biscuit waste in the retention time of about 12 to 55 days in a biogas plant. To make the bakery fully operated on green technology, solar renewable energy can also be utilized.

ABSTRACT

The ancient fruit “Jackfruit” is one of the most remunerative and important underutilized native fruits of India. It is extremely versatile sweet tasting fruit and vegetable rich in nutritional value. Modern technologies are evolved for the development of value-added products from jackfruit is studied in the present study. To prevent from post-harvest losses the wine production from jackfruit juice which is a very good substrate for fermentationcan be done at larger scale. Popularity of jackfruit from the limited regions can be explored over the country. There is a good scope and possibility of marketing the value added products in the country. Value addition is carried out by minimal processing by changing its form to a valuable product having more shelf life. The developed products enhance good income opportunities for farmers and also entrepreneurship opportunities for small and medium enterprises for the popularization of jackfruit to a wider region.

Keyword: Jack Fruit, Value Addition, entrepreneurial opportunities.

Fruits and Vegetables are highly perishable in nature due to which huge spoilage (damage) takes place during the period between harvesting and consumption. Fruits and Vegetables after harvesting are often poorly handled and in many cases neither cleaned nor washed. Improper handling may cause physical damage due to tissue breakdown which results mechanical damages and physiological changes in harvested fruits and vegetables. Mechanical losses include bruising, cracking, cuts, microbial spoilage by fungi and bacteria and physiological losses include changes in respiration, transpiration, pigments, organic acids and flavour.

Packaging

Packaging is a mean or system by which a fresh or processed product will reach from the production center to consumer in safe and sound condition at an affordable price.

Objectives of packaging and packaging materials

The primary objective or packaging is to protect the contents during storage, transportation and distribution against deterioration. It may be physical, chemical or biological. However, followings are objectives of packaging and packaging materials.

1. INTRODUCTION

To over come the problem of glut of perishables and to regulate the market, storage of such commodities is a 'common' practice. Storage of fruits and vegetables also makes available these commodities in the off-season. Needless to say, storage is a powerful tool in the prevention of postharvest losses and to give remunerative prices to the farmers. The management of temperature and relative humidity are the most important factors determining storage life of horticultural produce. The natural means like ice, cold water, night temperature have been used for long time for protecting food materials from spoilage and these are still common. However, with the development of innovative technologies, it is possible to achieve optimal environments in the insulated stores. All these aspects are discribed in this chapter.

1. INTRODUCTION

Preservation of foods by drying is perhaps the oldest method known to mankind. Drying is a thermo-physical action and its principles are governed by heat and mass transfer laws inside and outside the product. The weight of the product is reduced to the extent of 1/4^th to 1/9^th of its original fresh weight. Drying of foods and biological products is a widely applied process for different purposes such as increasing the shelf-life, reducing packaging costs, lowering shipping wastes, encapsulating flavours, making food available during off-season, adding value by changing the phase structure of the native material and maintaining nutritional value. Drying or dehydration of fruits and vegetables can be accomplished with low capital while maintaining high quality and obtaining less perishable food products.

1. INTRODUCTION

India is blessed with all types of vegetation because of the diversified climatic and physiographic factors like tropical, subtropical, temperate and alpine. Due to its wide ranging environmental regimes and diverse biological communities, it is one of the world’s 12 “Mega diversity” nations. Out of nearly 425 families of flowering plants in the world, 328 families with 21,000 species are found in India. Further, in India about 20.64 % area is under forest where various species of trees are found, depending upon the climatic conditions.

There are about 29 species of pine which produce edible nuts and utilized at least by indigenous tribal culture in the world. Most of these nut bearing pines are haploxilon (soft) pines, although several species are of diploxilon (hard) pine group. Spain is the largest producer of Pinus pinea and China is the largest producer and exporter of Pinus koriences and Pinus sibrica nuts. Some of the famous edible pine nut species are listed in Table 1. Chilgoza (P. gerardiana Wall.), commonly known as ‘chilgoza’ or ‘Neoza’ is a member of genus Pinus that maintains a very unique position of being an integral part of the vibrant, but fragile ecosystems of the great Himalayas in the Indian sub-continent. The chilgoza pine is the only pine which is of immense social forestry importance. The earning for the bread and butter of most of tribals in HP is from the chilgoza nuts. Further, it also forms an important part of their diet as well as an item essential for some social obligations. Tribals are still adopting the age old practices for chilgoza nut extraction and further their selling to the agents at throw away prices during peak season of nuts.

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’.

1. Flavor is a sensory phenomenon depending upon
   1. Taste, texture or mouthfeel
   2. Odour or aroma, appearance
   3. Temperature - sensation of heat or cold
   4. All of these
2. Flavours are minor constituents of foods, usually
   1. Nutritive
   2. Non - nutritive
   3. Energetic
   4. None of them