Research On Global Markets
Syndicated Market Research Report
Though India ranks second in the world in the production of fruits and vegetable, yet millions of people are deprived of their daily requirement of fruits and vegetable due to post-harvest losses. Huge amounts of food are lost due to post-harvest damages such as physical injuries, wilting, shriveling, decay due to bacteria and fungi, poor sanitation methods and lack of proper storage and transportation facilities.
Fruits and vegetables undergo several post-harvest changes which cannot be completely stopped but can be slowed down. Several strategies have been adopted by the fruit and vegetable industry in India to reduce post-harvest losses. Processing is one such strategy that diversifies the food supply chain along with creating employment and income opportunities. Juices, fruit pulp, jams, pickles, jellies pastes and dried version of different fruits and vegetables are examples of processed products. Most of the processing techniques focus on reducing the chances of decay and improving the quality of the product some of the common techniques are: 1. Thermal treatment- fruits and vegetables are dipped in hot water. This reduces the chance of infection along with improving the appearance of the produce. 2. Pre-cooling- Precooling frees the produce from field heat. Room cooling, vacuum cooling, and hydro-cooling are some of the methods adopted for this purpose. 3. Dehydration: dehydration treatments like salting, candying and brining of fruits aids in removing water from the produce by without exposing it to high temperatures. If combined with freezing and drying, it enhances the shelf life of the produce. 4. Freezing- fruits and vegetables can be kept fresh for up to a year if frozen and stored at a temperature of -18 degree Celsius. 5. Fermentation: this process employs the use of microbes for the bioconservation of fruits and vegetables. In India, produce is usually fermented to pickles. Due to the lack of post-fermentation treatments, most fermented products have a limited shelf life. The fruit and vegetable industry has a vast scope to compete globally, however, it must first overcome several challenges in the form of technological up gradation, adherence to globally set standards and quality management.
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