Food Preservation by Drying to Feed the World Population

Drying or Food Preservation to feed the world:

    Drying or Food Preservation is essential if we consider the increasing population of the world, the need for food will increase by at least 30% in the next 20 years. This is the time to understand the principals of food preservation

Food Preservation-Drying

       There is a various reason for food preservation, but the basic things are explained hare. India's population is crossing the border of 130 crores and about 30% of the population is malnourished today.... so what will happen in the future? 

        And at the same time, if millions of tons of commodities are wasted, this is an unforgivable crime. Not only food but the financial losses that farmers face. Food preservation is the only way to stop this. 

       The reason that thousands of farmers are committing suicide every year is that the agricultural economy has escaped from the control of the farmers and has gone into the hands of brokers. There are mistakes made by farmers ... but that is not the purpose of the article presented.

Food Preservation by Dehydration:

       If you want to make a real farming revolution, to get farmers out of their daily life, Food preservation is the best way. 

      Take a look at preserve food which is in demand worldwide. We have been consuming numerous foods daily in our diet. 

   Dehydration is the process of drying food for preservation. Dehydration does not make any difference to the original taste but rather increases it. Produced in a controlled environment, these dehydrated substances are often healthier than fresh ones. 

    Dehydration is nothing but the extraction of water, from the fruit and leafy vegetables which is done at a controlled temperature and extends its life. It does not have to be mixed with other ingredients. So they remain as clean as they can.

Food preservation

What is Drying-Food Preservation?

1.   Vegetables are perishable because of their excess natural water and bacteria. The process of decomposition starts at a very fast rate and makes the commodity unusable. More water content increases the decomposition rate. Cilantro, tomato, all of them come in leafy vegetables. Some fruits have a slightly longer natural life but are wasted or lost without a market. Stop wasting it.

2.     Dehydration is the process of food preservation in which draining excess water from vegetables is done. In simple drying food for preservation.

3.    Pre-processing is an important stage of packaging. It involves the scheduling of the vegetables according to the size of the vegetables. Implement it and do the final indirect packaging.

History of drying the food preservation method

Dehydration is a process known to all humans, discovered thousands of years ago to preserve food. We use a lot of dehydrated foods on a daily basis. whether it be turmeric, dried fish, or Pulses. 

Of course, they are dried open in the summer. But they are also not hygienic. Fortunately, there is no shortage of sunlight in India. 

In India, about 50000 crores worth of fruits and vegetables are lost every year. This is a government figure ... in fact, there is a lot more waste than that. Food preservation is not done due to the lack of processing industries and cold storage. No more than 2-3% of the total food is preserved. The process can be done in many ways ... but because they are very expensive, eventually their prices increase and they do not get the market they want.

Food preservation

Drying food for preservation

Every year we see how many blockages are formed in the drainage system by waste, so that waste is a loss of national and personal wealth. 

The researchers discover dehydration for food preservation can be done in a very healthy way under artificially controlled temperatures. 

In India, there are various traditional methods of food preservation. Still, it is extremely limited. The chemical methods of food preservation are failed, the real reason is that they tried to use European techniques of food preservation as it is. 

In fact, many factories were shut down due to the environmental conditions in India, the changing airspace, air humidity, and temperature. The motives of some were not honest. 

More importantly, the technology, which is basically simple has not been promoted for food preservation... the government lags behind.

Dehydration not only increases the life of the farm goods (at least 2 years) but also reduces the cost of transportation due to weight loss. As the flavors also increase, they can quickly become popular among the masses. Slightly damaged goods and foods are also preserved by dehydration and used in the market.

Drying used to preserve food:

From cilantro to all leafy vegetables, tomatoes to all kinds of fruits, meat, fish, etc.

The process of food preservation for each substance is quite different. Each substance has different natural water levels. The ratio can range from 50% to 90%. 

Not only water levels, but their position in the same type of vegetables vary according to geographical conditions. It has been according to harvesting order, frequency of rain or the humidity... etc. Factors are making an impact. Therefore, before starting the drying process, it is important to know the average water content of the material.

 drying fish preservation

It takes an average of 3-6 hours depending on the thickness of the material to dry the vegetables with 50% water content at 80⁰ temperatures. That is, cilantro will take 3 hours, and cauliflower will need 6 hours As the water content increases, drying parameters changes.

The capacity of the food preservation plant can be determined only by taking into account the average number of fruits and vegetables available in a village or locality. The food preservation plant should be designed for a minimum of 8 to 10 months, even if it is not for 12 months.

The purpose of this primary article is to:

• To establish small dehydration units for food preservation on the farm.
• Increasing local employment.
• Establish a mechanism for the marketing of processed goods.
• To maximize the value of the commodity through food preservation.

Food preservation will provide a huge financial boost to the farmers. If a project like a village to village (or one to two villages) is set up, a big farming revolution can happen. This technique of food preservation is really easy. No need for big capital. No need for skilled technicians. The government has to provide training/techniques and establish companies that can build this equipment in the workshop with sustainable prices.

In the following articles, I will provide the following information:

• Processing Methods (for various fruits and vegetables).
• Technician
• Indian and global markets
• Marketing
• How do you get started?

Small food preservation projects that can process 1 tonne to 10 tonnes of raw material a day will be more successful.

१  Cutters/slicers:

This work is convenient for a small capacity food preservation plant with human labor. Cutters/slicers can be used according to the required thickness of vegetable. It should have aluminum covering tables. After washing the vegetables first, unwanted grassroots should be cleaned. Then cut them in such a way that they remain smooth, single dimension. Make slicing potatoes, tomatoes, and fruit vegetables. Suppose there is a food preservation plant of 1 tonne of capacity per day, it will have to be ready for processing at 100 kg per hour.

     Bleaching:-

For bleaching, an average of 20 to 25 kg of goods is kept in boiling water for 3-5 minutes to increase the quality of the goods produced. It will require any metal, such utensils that can contain so much material ... just like cooking food at a wedding.

३   Steel sieve:

Once the material is boiled, it should be poured in a steel sieve and washed with water. This water can be recycled. Let it dry for some time at natural temperature. If there is rain, moisture in the environment, and lack of sunlight, it does not make sense to dry it ... Let the goods go straight to the drying process.

४     Dryer:

There are two types of dryers, I suggest. Both are tunnel dryer but the design is different.

      Conveyor Belt Dryer:

It consists of a rotating belt in the dryer that is made of mesh stainless steel. This belt is rotated through the middle of the dryer body on rollers. The speed is extremely low (5 to 10 inches per minute), so it can be done with human labor or controlled by a timing speed controller. The higher the volume of water in the material, the slower it is. On this belt, the average layer should be evenly spaced about 2 to 2.5 inches high. As the belt moves forward, the cargo should be constantly dispersed. Within 8 to 10 hours, the cycle is complete ... the dry goods come out on the other side.

      Tray Tunnel Dryer:

It has the same dryer but its height is higher. It consists of the trolley that can be placed on the tray. The goods are to be spread evenly as stated above. There is no change in velocity but this work has to be done not only with human labor but also with extreme care.

It is easy to make both types of tunnel dryers. It does not require a very high level of technical ability. It is important that the heat released into the air should be rotated and distributed equally. Otherwise, it could have the opposite effect on the final product. These dryers are kept with 2-3 inspection windows. Quality can be checked by color. Also, the conveyor belt dryer is designed in such a way that the goods can be adjusted at certain intervals so that all the goods can be dehydrated in equal heat by getting enough heat.

५  Hot Air Blower:

The heat required for each substance is different. This blower is preferably electrical as it can be adjusted through the desired temperature controllers. It does not require much electricity as the required temperature is a maximum of 150 degrees. However, the capacity of the blower should be 15 to 16 kilometers per hour. The hot air coming out of this blower allows breathing in four different pipes at the beginning of the tunnel.

The hot air that comes out is completely saturated because it removes water from the vegetables. Do not reuse it.

 Inspection

Dried goods should be checked in two ways:

A. To see if the color is the same, separate out dry and moist residual product manually.

B. The average water content should be checked with an electronic device.

If the quantity of useful material is less than 90%, then it is required to change the process speed/temperature.

  Packing:

Packing should be done considering the customer who is using the goods here.

A. If the hotels, spice manufacturers, food processing industry are customers, then pack them in plastic bags of 2 to 5 kg capacity and seal them.

B. If this product is intended for the direct consumer (end consumer), then pack it in very attractive pockets. Of course, the packing will have to be extremely careful.

Never pack goods when they are not at natural temperatures. Then it should be stored in curtains so that the material does not absorb moisture again in the air .... and spread packets of vapor-absorbent material.

Marketplace:

The market for dehydrated goods is huge. The market is worldwide, in every house, for trekkers, just as it is for the military.

dried-food

Why do we need to preserve food?

Importance (Reason) of Food Preservation 

But first, let's understand the characteristics of dehydrated goods.

1.     When the dehydrated material is kept in plain water for 5 to 10 minutes, it absorbs the water and becomes like fresh material again.

2.   Even though there are slight differences in the taste, the vegetables are tastier when cooked.

3.     Dry tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, etc. The dishes can be used directly as a snack.

4.  Dried cilantro can be used as like as fresh cilantro. The waste is zero. However, even if you bring fresh, 60 to 70% (even with kept in freeze) is wasted.

5.     Dehydrated goods can be used directly in soups, biryani, and pulao.

6.     More proteins and fewer fats... In the modern age, that is more appropriate ... isn't it?

7.     Many seasonal foods that are not available for 12 months become available by the food preservation process.

8.    Since these dried substances have a minimum life of 2 years, the changing prices of the market do not matter.

9.     Lighter in weight than fresh vegetables ... picking ... slicing is not a hassle, so it is extremely useful for instant cooking in today's fast-paced era.

10.    Available in the market when needed ... No need to wait for the season.

Advantages of Food Preservation:

1.     National savings of around Rs. 70 to 80 thousand crores annually due to the fact that no commodities will be wasted.

2.   There is no need to throw away anything doe to lack of market. This will increase the economic prosperity of the farmers with the help of food preservation.

3.     Employment of at least ten to fifteen people if there is at least one industry running in the village. No need to go to the cities for service. Lower the burden on cities.

4.     The agrarian economy will go into the hands of the real owners because of the participation of the commission agents is minimal.

5.   Hotels are benefitted due to decreased labor costs, reduced preparation time, and personal customer time when they use to preserve food.

6.     There will be no food-starvation in the nation.

7.     Troops/trekkers will have to carry extremely lightweight ... no need to carry bags, full of food. The weight of the dehydrated material is very less compared to fresh food.

8.  The manufacturer always has at least a 25% financial advantage over the production cost.

9. The government has to spend big to overcome the drought ... it will be reduced... that is to make economic prosperity again!

Project idea of Food Preservation

I'm not talking about big project-building especially in the food processing industry. It is not easy to obtain large quantities of raw materials for food preservation. Even the peasants are not sure that they will cooperate.

What can be done locally is going to last forever. In a sense, rural development is going to happen with such micro-industrialization. One thing to note ... today is big

The time has come ... but we never understand that small is beautiful. None of us will be malnourished ... we can feed the world with the help of food preservation.

And in the future, there will be a superfood system. 

What the Internet and Facebook do ... is not going to feed the world.

Human Population Growth reasons for food preservation

Reading this all you will able to understand the principles of food preservation. what are the importance and reasons for food preservation? how to achieve that using the drying method?  Are you ready for a new food revolution?