Radiation processing of papad - A sustainable method to improve safety and shelf life.

Papad is a popular traditional Indian snack food that is also consumed as an accompaniment to meals. The papad industry in India is predominantly a cottage industry, mainly run by women. Due to microbial contamination and infestation, papad has a shelf life of only a few months.

Development of active, water-resistant carboxymethyl cellulose-poly vinyl alcohol-Aloe vera packaging film.

The potential of citric acid (CA) included as a crosslinker for development of CMC-PVA films with better mechanical and lower solubility was examined. To make functional active packaging films for storage of perishable food products, the role of Aloe vera (AV) was also investigated. Addition of CA effectively improved the mechanical properties, reduced the water solubility, moisture content and water vapour permeability of the film.

Potato peel extract-a natural antioxidant for retarding lipid peroxidation in radiation processed lamb meat.

The effective utilization of potato peel, a waste generated in large quantities by the food industry, as an antioxidant was investigated. Potato peel extract (PPE) exhibited high phenolic content (70.82 mg of catechin equivalent/100 g), chlorogenic acid (27.

Effect of radiation processing on the quality of chilled meat products.

Effect of radiation processing on the shelf-life and safety of some ethnic Indian meat products like chicken chilly, mutton shammi kababs and pork salami during chilled storage was investigated. Radiation processing resulted in dose dependent reduction in microbial counts. A dose of 3 kGy was found to be optimal for the shelf-life extension.

Shelf-stable and safe intermediate-moisture meat products using hurdle technology.

A number of ready-to-use shelf-stable intermediate-moisture (IM) spiced mutton and spiced chicken products were developed with a combination of hurdles (reduced moisture, vacuum packing, and irradiation). The water activity of the products was reduced to about 0.80 either by grilling or by hot-air drying.