The diverse agro- climatic zones make India as the second largest producer of fresh fruits and vegetables granting fruit and vegetable prepared goods, such as oils, preserves etc. to number along that leads to generation of large amounts of wastes, both solid and liquid. This waste is incautiously being thrown without any treatment promoting environmental deterioration. However, these wastes hold immense potential nutritionally which can be utilized for producing cheaper value added ingredients that bear economic benefits.
Carica papaya Linn is a widely known as “the Fruit of Angels”, serves as an ideal, low cost food. It ranks second as a source of beta carotene and is an excellent source of natural sugars, vitamin C, and potassium, with fair amounts of calcium and phosphorus. Low in calories, this exotic fruit holds immense medicinal value since ancient times for treating innumerable disorders and conditions like toothache up to the prevention of cancer.
To substantiate the potential of fruit wastes, proximate profiles of papaya peel were analyzed using bench science experiments. The peels were bio valorized to procure commercially important acetic acid which in its own holds several health benefiting attributes. Further in order to project the organoleptic appeal of the fruit vinegar under study, invasive and non-invasive sensory evaluation was carried out by a semi-trained panellist. This was executed with a recipe. The data were subjected to biostatistical analysis which demonstrated high appreciation of the novel recipe. Critical control points were established during the process of novel product development and hazard analysis at critical control points was carried out. The commercial appeal of the recipe was also speculated using value for money (VFM) studies. Future prospects include determination of anti- nutrients and anti-microbial activity of vinegar. The use of this waste utilized novel product as a functional food and development of novel products keeping in mind the nutritional profile and organoleptic acceptance needs to be explored.
Food; the cradle for human sustenance; appeals to the senses, nourishes the body and satiates the soul. Food is not just a medium of nourishment, but also a mode of elevating the physical, emotional and spiritual quotient of an individual, thereby acting as the epicentre of human living. Fast paced lifestyles, hectic schedules and workaholic cultures have made our ability to make healthier food choices plummet to a great extent. Sedentary lifestyles have kindled the Spectrum of nutrition from balanced diets to more convenient, but imbalanced diets. Therefore, emphasis on quality nutrition is need of the hour.
To somewhat address this problem; a new trend of convenience foods has evolved. Convenience foods greatly reduce the time required in procuring, processing and preparation of foods, thus are poised on the fulcrum of consumer convenience. However, this manufacturing initiative may be considered as a double edged sword. Albeit the boons of extended shelf life, novelty to unfamiliar ingredients, great exposure to non-indigenous cuisines etc. have been made possible through processing operations, the bane of inception of wastes, both solid and liquid, which is incautiously been discarded in environs cannot be neglected. These wastes constitute untapped sources of valuable compounds which can act as functional ingredients in enrichment of pre-existing products or development of a novel product as a whole.
