Contents: Preface. I. Emerging trends: 1. Emerging trends in food processing/S.S. Arya. 2. Post harvest management of horticultural crops: an overview/J.K. Sandooja. 3. The coming age of probiotic foods/N. Khetarpaul. 4. New processes and the products for the millennium/A.K. Bakshi. II. Processing and utilization of cereals, pulses and oilseeds: 5. Trends in cereal processing/B.S. Khatkar. 6. Quality parameters in rice processing/P.C. Grover. 7. Physical and chemical evaluation of wheat flour quality/Shashi Madan and B.K. Misra. 8. Processing and utilization of coarse grains/Sudesh Jood. 9. Processing and food uses of grain legumes/Umaid Singh. 10. Processing and utilization of soybean/R.B. Grewal. 11. Functional properties and their applications in food formulations/G.S. Chauhan. 12. Role of oilseeds in human nutrition/D.R. Sood. III. Processing and utilization of fruits and vegetables: 13. Post harvest handling of fruits and vegetables/S.S. Dhawan. 14. Controlled and modified atmospheric storage of fruits/J.K. Sandooja. 15. Drying and dehydration of fruits/S.S. Dhawan. 16. Freezing of fruits and vegetables/S.S. Dhawan. 17. Processing and utilization of underutilized fruits/Suneel Sharma. 18. Processed products from tomatoes/A. Kumari, P. Boora and R.B. Grewal. 19. Nutrient losses during post harvest processing/Darshan Punia. IV. Technologies for value addition of plant foods: 20. New applications of extrusion cooking technology/Narpinder Singh. 21. Hurdle technology for shelf stable food products/J.S. Berwal. 22. Biotechnology in post harvest processing of foods/C.P. Malik and Alka Sharma. 23. Molecular manipulation of quantity and quality of starch in food crops/Randhir Singh. 24. Trends in technology of drying/Y.K. Yadav. 25. Different types of dryers/Surjeet Jain. 26. Value added baked products/Sudesh Jood. 27. Food packaging/M.K. Garg. V. Miscellaneous: 28. Food additives their need, importance and safety evaluation/N. Khetarpaul. 29. Pesticide residues in different foods: effect of processing on their reduction/T.S. Kathpal. 30. Integrated pest management in stored grains/Shiv K. Singal. 31. Naturally occurring antinutritive substances in plant foods/Raj Bala Grewal. Subject index.

"The post harvest losses in our country for cereals, pulses and oilseeds are about 10-12% and these are much higher for perishable food items viz., fruits and vegetables. These losses are quite large for our kind of economy. Under the present scenario, it is rightly believed that the future of agriculture is safe in increasing the productivity, diversification and value-addition—the last being the most important activity that can come to rescue of the farmer/grower when he is passing through bad phase. The value addition can be done through primary/secondary/tertiary processing by which the produce is transformed into a product that fetches higher prices, is able to hold little longer and is available out of season, etc. Thus, the processing is a major value addition activity to the farm produce. Processing also adds value to the by-products, co-products and residues that also have considerable economic importance.

This edited book entitled, "Emerging Trends in Post Harvest Processing and Utilization of Plant Foods" has been divided into five sections-emerging trends, processing and utilization of cereals, pulses and oilseeds, processing and utilization of fruits and vegetables, technologies for value addition of plant foods and miscellaneous. They include various contributed chapters like processing and utilization of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, extrusion technology, post harvest handling of fruits and vegetables, biotechnology in processing of food, value addition and nutritional improvement through food processing and food packaging. The scientists having vast experience in their respective disciplines have written all the chapters.

The book deals with fairly advanced techniques of processing and utilization of plant foods, will be suitable for post-graduate students. In addition, it is hoped that the book would also serve as a useful companion for teachers engaged in teaching and research." (jacket)