Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Post-harvest processing & management for improving food and nutrition security

7^th Indo-Global Summit and Expo on Food & Beverages

October 08-10, 2015 New Delhi, India

H N Mishra

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India

Keynote: J Food Process Technol

Abstract:

The postharvest sector includes all points in the value chain from production in the field to the food being placed on a plate for consumption. This includes harvesting, handling, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and marketing. Main concern is the post-harvest loss (PHL) which happens at every stage of the supply chain. Eliminating those losses is a way to increase food availability without requiring additional resources or placing additional burdens on the environment. The causes of PHL, which some estimates suggested could range from 15 to as high as 40 percent of production are manifold. Food losses contribute to high food prices by removing part of the supply from the market. One of the surest and arguably most affordable ways to feed more people sustainably is to ensure that the food already produced is not lost or wasted between the farm and table. There are a wide range of postharvest technologies that can be adopted to improve losses throughout the process of preharvest, harvest, cooling, temporary storage, transport, handling and market disbursement. Some of the novel thermal and non-thermal food processing techniques can be employed to ensure the food and nutritional security which ultimately have profound effect in post-harvest management. In addition, the fortification and value addition to food and food byproducts respectively can be employed to minimize the waste production. The joint venture between technological interventions and appropriate retail management approach is required to achieve the aforementioned task of post-harvest management and ensuring food and nutritional security.

Biography :

H N Mishra has completed his PhD from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. He is a Professor of Food Technology in the Agricultural & Food Engineering Department. He is the Former Head and Chairman of the Post-Harvest Technology Centre, IIT Kharagpur and Former President of the Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India). He has published more than 290 research papers and popular articles in refereed journals of national and international repute and has 6 Indian patents to his credit. Besides, he is on the Editorial & Referees Boards of reputed journals and has guided more than 190 student research projects including 9 Post-Doctoral and 30 PhD Research students.

Email: hnm@agfe.iitkgp.ernet.in