national and international levels, for planning-implementing- monitoring-evaluating various strategies and programmes. India is a major producer of fruits and vegetables, milk, etc., but almost /5th to /3rd of the produce is wasted. This calls for concerted action to prevent spoilage, preserve, process and convert foods into a variety of forms. Cost of production in India is less than in many other countries and foreign direct investment is high.
Therefore, food processing industry has been termed as the ‘sunrise sector’ of the Indian economy. Simultaneously socio-economic and socio-cultural changes/transitions in the country have tremendously increased the demand for ready to eat and processed foods. Besides this, the increasing prevalence of disease has necessitated development of foods for managing disease conditions. This has increased the demand for trained personnel who can undertake development, manufacture and marketing of various processed foods.
Increasing number of persons travel outside the home daily for education, work, tourism. Also those who live in institutions of various kinds such as old age homes, hospitals, orphanages, school and college hostels, prisons, ashrams need to be fed daily. Nutritious, wholesome and safe food needs to be prepared and catered. This requires expertise which can be achieved through appropriate training.
With increasing tourism, interest in ethnic foods and cuisinology, there is demand for qualified persons. However, availability of foods with varying shelf life is not enough. Safety of the foods is crucial. ‘Safety culture’ of any organisation is important, be it food processing/manufacturing/catering industry.
Indian government therefore has introduced several legislations and standards of food safety from time to time. Ensuring that all consumers have access to safe, good quality food, will require persons trained in food quality and safety. The five areas dealt in this Unit will acquaint you with basic concepts in each of these areas, give you insights about the professions and the knowledge and skills you need to acquire for each of these.