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Plantain (Musa parasidiaca), a staple among estimated 70 million Africans and popular item in the tropics is emerging as specialty ethnic food product in developed countries. It is suitable as menu item for food service particularly in the ripe form when deep oil fried. The perishability of the fruit is a major constraint to wide spread use and distribution. To expand the utilization base in the food service industry, microwave heating process was applied to tempering and cooking of frozen pre-fried slices. The purpose of this is to determine the effect of the process on warmed over properties and acceptability of fried plantain. Large surface area and spherical shape were critical physical factors in the heating thus providing good quality product from taste, texture and appearance standpoint
A pilot sustainable rural initiative project was introduced to build capacity among trade associations consisting of women engaged in fruit agribusiness. The purpose was to improve production and encourage local processing of horticultural commodities of economic importance like citrus, pineapple and mango fruits. Training the trainer approach was used to extend simple techniques of food preservation including partial processing and juice bottling to potential entrepreneurs. Skills were transferred primarily to selected extension specialists who coordinate grassroots training. The training and visit technique was utilized to measure adoption rate among the rural people. Impact of the scheme on postharvest food loss reduction is discussed in this presentation; there is ample opportunity to optimize resource utilization and increase income generation through applied horticultural technology.
The National Horticultural Research Institute coordinates many projects designed to boost and improve the use of various fruits and vegetables around Nigeria. To achieve the set goals for fruit processing, projects are undertaken in cooperation with selected laboratories. Based on the depth of work required for transforming research results into patented products, university and industry were involved in a collaborative assignment in sweet orange concentrate research and development. The work covered engineering and product testing, packaging, and sensory experiments in which materials and resources were shared at the participating center. This presentation focuses on guidelines for overcoming the problems associated with collaborative studies in developing countries and suggestions on funding components.
Conventional procedure for producing concentrated orange juice through evaporation often causes thermally induce gelation with difficulties in raising brix to optimum level. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of mixed pectinase treatment on solids extraction, recovery and pulp wash from selected sweet orange fruit cultivars. Enzyme use level, depectinization time were varied and pertinent rheological parameters determined on concentrate samples towards standardising quality control protocols. The enzyme treatment improved juice circulation in the climbing film evaporator and solids content raised to ≥ 60 Brix.