Value Addition in Horticultural Products II Flora EduPower

Nutritional well-being is a sustainable force for maintaining individual’s health and development and maximization of human genetic potential in society and nation as a whole. Active ingredients in food which are effective in promoting human health include amino acids, fats, dietary fibres, antioxidants, pigments, vitamins and minerals which are present in different fruits & vegetables, MAPs and flowers. These horticultural products, so called as ‘protective food’, play a significant role in human nutrition, especially as a source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres. Value addition of such fruits and vegetables by formulation of different value-added products are an important source of nutritional security. Thus, value addition in horticulture is the process in which a high price is realized for the same volume of a primary product, by means of processing, packing, upgrading the quality or other such methods, e.g. making processed fruits & vegetable products, to improve the profitability of farmers and/or producers. Value-addition ensures high premium to the grower, while providing more acceptable quality products for the domestic and export market, and it provides the most important aspects of marketing and give the customers a reason to buy such products. The fruit and vegetable processing industry in India is highly decentralized having widen capacities. It is envisaged that India should be the food factory of the world so as to generate income, employment and foreign exchange in a big way, through significant increase in level of processing and achieve higher growth through value addition. Profit potential is increased when an in distinctive raw commodity is converted into a unique product. Even if not currently, but slowly and gradually we are in the process of becoming competitive for value added & secondary stage processed horticultural products.