Agricultural production is on a rising trend across the globe, which is putting pressure on agro-processing industries to timely handle the produce and keep it safe for a longer duration. The agro-processing industries deal with various unit operations from receiving harvested crop to the finished product. The textbook entitled Agro-Processing and Food Engineering: Operational and Application Aspects has been conceptualized with a view to cover the most relevant topics in the area for graduating students. In the book, simple illustrations are used in every chapter for easier understanding of the involved fundamentals, concepts, and processes. A number of solved examples are also included in different chapters to provide emphasis on problem solving. Efforts are made to simplify technological aspects, mathematical derivations, etc. to the maximum extent so that young minds could easily understand. Similar approaches are adopted in solved examples, so that concepts can be better understood by students/academicians. Several unsolved questions are also provided at the end of every chapter to review the progress made by students/readers.
The text in the book starts from presenting a comprehensive production status of different popular agricultural commodities. Further, the engineering properties of food materials are presented. The knowledge of the properties remains essential in clearing the understanding with respect to design, operation, and control of various processing equipment and quality of finished products. Material handling systems are used in agro-processing industry to increase the level of mechanization, which improves the consistency and quality of the produce, and therefore the knowledge with respect to designing of efficient material handling system becomes very important to students. The moisture content of the agro-produce, which can be optimally retained through drying/dehydration in cereals, pulses, and oilseeds, assures safer storage for longer duration. The desired size of agro-produce can be achieved by different milling equipment to obtain the material in the form of flour, powder, etc.
The effective mixing is an important unit operation to cater to the need of nutritious substitutes of existing food items and to create uniformity and homogeneity during the operation. The cleaning of grains is performed before other unit operations, and grading of the finished product can be achieved using different graders/separators to control the quality. The storage life of the foods can be enhanced by using various traditional and modern storage structures. The processing can add value; therefore, processing of cereals, fruits and vegetables, oilseeds, and pulses is covered and presented in such a way that the concepts and technological aspects are easier to understand and beneficial to students and the scientific fraternity. The technical manpower involved in various capacities in agro-industries can also get first-hand knowledge through the technological concepts and mechanisms covered in the book.
All the chapters have been written by Teachers/Researchers, working in the field; therefore, the concepts are made simpler and easier to understand. Efforts are made to simplify every aspect; therefore, this handbook is expected to be unique for students. However, feedback in any form from any corner shall be encouraged to further strengthen the quality of the book in the time to come. Since the idea for conceptualization of the book emerged out of the need of students on the various topics covered in this book therefore it is anticipated that this book will cater to the need of students, technicians, academicians, and researchers working in the area of Agro-processing, Food Engineering, Agricultural Process Engineering, Food Technology, and allied fields.
[EBOOK] Agro-Processing and Food Engineering (Operational and Application Aspects), Harish Kumar Sharma and Navneet Kumar, Springer
Keyword: ebook, giáo trình, Agro-Processing, Food Engineering, Chế biến nông sản, kỹ thuật thực phẩm, công nghệ thực phẩm, bảo quản nông sản, bảo quản sau thu hoạch
