Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients into food,
or of food into other forms. Food processing typically takes clean,
harvested crops or butchered animal products and uses these to
produce attractive, marketable and often long shelf-life food products.
The processed food industry is divided into the following broad segments:
• Primary processed food - which includes products such as fruits and vegetables, packed milk, unbranded edible oil, milled rice, flour, tea, coffee, pulses, spices, and salt, sold in packed or non-packed forms.
• Value-added processed food - which includes products such as processed fruits and vegetables, juices, jams, pickles, squashes, processed dairy products (ghee, paneer, cheese, and butter), processed poultry, and processed marine products, confectionary, chocolates, and alcoholic beverages.
Across the world, food-processing is considered to be a sunrise sector because of its large potential for growth and socio economic impact. It not only leads to income generation but also helps in reduction of wastage, value addition, and foreign exchange earnings and enhancing manufacturing competitiveness. In today’s global market, quality and food safety have become competitive edge for the enterprises producing foods and providing services. “With proper investment in food processing, technical innovation and infrastructure for agriculture sector, India could well become the food basket of the world” [1]. The existing level of processing and the extent of value addition are very low as compared to other developing countries. In India the food processing industry is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth [2]. A strong and dynamicfood processing sector plays a significant role in diversification of agricultural activities, improving value addition opportunities and creating surplus for export of agro-food products [3]. Food processing accounts for about 14% of manufacturing GDP, i.e. Rs. 2,80,000 crore, and employs about 13 million people directly and 35 million people indirectly. Its employment intensity can be seen by the fact that for every Rs. 1 million invested, 18 direct jobs and 64 indirect jobs are created in organized food processing industry only [4].
It is widely accepted that the food processing sector is the most appropriate sector for creating jobs for rural poor, and thus reduce the burden on agricultural sector for creation of their livelihood. This is due to their familiarity with the agricultural sector which would make it easier to train and place them in food processing enterprises. The multiplier effect of investment in food processing industry on employment generation is also higher than any other sector. Therefore, for the overall progress of economy it is important that the farmers and backward communities working in rural food-processing units are treated at the top of the growth process. Rapid and sustained poverty reduction requires economic growth which is inclusive and the one that allows people to contribute to and benefit from it.
For more read here.
The processed food industry is divided into the following broad segments:
• Primary processed food - which includes products such as fruits and vegetables, packed milk, unbranded edible oil, milled rice, flour, tea, coffee, pulses, spices, and salt, sold in packed or non-packed forms.
• Value-added processed food - which includes products such as processed fruits and vegetables, juices, jams, pickles, squashes, processed dairy products (ghee, paneer, cheese, and butter), processed poultry, and processed marine products, confectionary, chocolates, and alcoholic beverages.
Across the world, food-processing is considered to be a sunrise sector because of its large potential for growth and socio economic impact. It not only leads to income generation but also helps in reduction of wastage, value addition, and foreign exchange earnings and enhancing manufacturing competitiveness. In today’s global market, quality and food safety have become competitive edge for the enterprises producing foods and providing services. “With proper investment in food processing, technical innovation and infrastructure for agriculture sector, India could well become the food basket of the world” [1]. The existing level of processing and the extent of value addition are very low as compared to other developing countries. In India the food processing industry is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth [2]. A strong and dynamicfood processing sector plays a significant role in diversification of agricultural activities, improving value addition opportunities and creating surplus for export of agro-food products [3]. Food processing accounts for about 14% of manufacturing GDP, i.e. Rs. 2,80,000 crore, and employs about 13 million people directly and 35 million people indirectly. Its employment intensity can be seen by the fact that for every Rs. 1 million invested, 18 direct jobs and 64 indirect jobs are created in organized food processing industry only [4].
It is widely accepted that the food processing sector is the most appropriate sector for creating jobs for rural poor, and thus reduce the burden on agricultural sector for creation of their livelihood. This is due to their familiarity with the agricultural sector which would make it easier to train and place them in food processing enterprises. The multiplier effect of investment in food processing industry on employment generation is also higher than any other sector. Therefore, for the overall progress of economy it is important that the farmers and backward communities working in rural food-processing units are treated at the top of the growth process. Rapid and sustained poverty reduction requires economic growth which is inclusive and the one that allows people to contribute to and benefit from it.
For more read here.