India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in world after China. Huge quantity of produce is wasted due to inadequate facilities for preservation as only 1.5 to 2% of the total produce is processed in the country. Fruit and vegetable preservation is thus one of the major pillars of food industry. The food preservation and processing industry has now become a necessity rather than being a luxury. Food processing and preservation are important to prevent food loss, improve storage stability, and retain most nutrients during storage. Improperly stored food can cause foodborne diseases if consumed and result in revenue loss. It is estimated that about 15% of the food produced is lost after post-harvest. The food processing sector is one of the largest sectors in India in terms of production, growth, consumption, and export. however, there exists a definite lack in processing and storage infrastructure and skilled manpower, which are essential to reducing the waste and enhancing the value addition and shelf life of the farm products. The government has ambitious plans to increase the level of processing, value addition and share in global food trade. This leads to the requirement of qualified and trained fruits & vegetable processing professionals.
India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in world after China. Huge quantity of produce is wasted due to inadequate facilities for preservation as only 1.5 to 2% of the total produce is processed in the country. Fruit and vegetable preservation is thus one of the major pillars of food industry. The food preservation and processing industry has now become a necessity rather than being a luxury. Food processing and preservation are important to prevent food loss, improve storage stability, and retain most nutrients during storage. Improperly stored food can cause foodborne diseases if consumed and result in revenue loss. It is estimated that about 15% of the food produced is lost after post-harvest. The food processing sector is one of the largest sectors in India in terms of production, growth, consumption, and export. however, there exists a definite lack in processing and storage infrastructure and skilled manpower, which are essential to reducing the waste and enhancing the value addition and shelf life of the farm products. The government has ambitious plans to increase the level of processing, value addition and share in global food trade. This leads to the requirement of qualified and trained fruits & vegetable processing professionals.