Minimally Processed Foods Technologies for Safety, Quality, and Convenience

The safety and efficacy of minimal food processing depends on the use of novel preservation technologies. This book first examines what is meant by minimally processed foods, including fresh-cut, cooked-chilled, and part-baked products. Next explored are the technologies or methods to produce quality products in terms of safety and nutrition, including: edible coating, natural preservatives (i.e., antimicrobial, flavour enhancer, anti-browning), advanced packaging (active, antimicrobial, and modified or controlled atmosphere), and selected non-thermal techniques (high pressure, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, light).  Preservation of food is crucial to achieving a secure and safe global food supply with the desired sensory quality. In addition, the increasing consumer demand for safe, ready-to-serve, ready-to-eat-and-cook products with minimal chemical preservatives has raised expectations. However, foods deemed minimally processed, such as fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, cooked-chilled, and half-baked foods, are delicate products that need special care in preparation, processing, storage, and handling. As a result, new technologies to develop minimally processed foods have aggressively advanced. Minimally Processed Foods: Technologies for Safety, Quality, and Convenience explores both the definition of minimally processed foods and the methods and technologies used to achieve the safety and nutritional value consumers demand.

About the Editors

Mohammed Wasim Siddiqui, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, India

Mohammad Shafiur Rahman, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-khod, Oman

1. Minimally Processed Foods.-  2. Hurdle Technology in Food Preservation.- 3. Packaging Methods for Minimally Processed Foods.- 4. Washing, Peeling, and Slicing of Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables.-  5. Technologies in Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables.-  6. Trends, Convenience and Safety Issues of Ready Meals.- 7. Processing, Storage and Quality of Cooked-Chilled or Cooked-Frozen Foods.- 8.  Part-Baked Products.- 9. Processing, Quality and Storage of Part-Baked Products.- 10.  Minimally Processed Meat and Fish Products.- 11. Processing, Quality and Safety of Irradiated and High Pressure-Processed Meat and Seafood Products.-  12. Food Security: Challenges and Perspectives in Minimally Processed Foods.

Dr. Md. Wasim Siddiqui is an Assistant Professor and Scientist in the Department of Food Science and Technology, Bihar Agricultural University, India and author or co-author of 25 peer reviewed journal articles, 13 book chapters, and 16 conference papers. He has 30 books to his credit published from Apple Academic Press and CRC Press, USA. Dr. Siddiqui has established an international peer reviewed ‘Journal of Postharvest Technology’ and serving as Managing Editor. He has also been serving as an editorial board member of several journals. Dr. Siddiqui is an Acquisitions Editor in Apple Academic Press, New Jersey, USA for Horticultural Science. He has been honored to be the Editor-in-Chief of a book series entitled “Postharvest Biology and Technology” being published from Apple Academic Press, New Jersey, USA. He has also been serving as an editorial board member of several journals. Dr. Siddiqui has been associated to postharvest technology and processing aspects of horticultural crops. He is dynamically indulged in teaching (graduate and doctorate students) and research, and he has proved himself as an active scientist in the area of Postharvest Technology.

Professor Shafiur Rahman is the author/co-author of over 300 technical articles including more than 100 journal papers and 8 books. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed and award-wining Food Properties Handbook, and editor of the popular Handbook of Food Preservation published by CRC Press, Florida. First editions received the bestseller recognition and the second edition is now released. First edition was translated into Spanish. He was invited to serve as one of the Associate Editors for the Handbook of Food Science, Engineering and Technology, and one of the Editors for the Handbook of Food and Bioprocess Modeling Techniques published by CRC Press, FL. He has initiated the International Journal of Food Properties and serving as the founding Editor-in-Chief for more than 15 years, and serving in the editorial boards of 10 international journals and book series. He is a member in the Food Engineering Series Editorial Board of Springer Science, New York. He is serving as a Section Editor for the Sultan Qaboos University journal Agricultural Sciences. He has initiated and served as the Founding Chair of the International Conference on Food Properties (iCFP). He received the HortResearch Chairman's Award, BRAP Award, CAMS Outstanding Researcher Award 2003, and SQU Distinction in Research Award 2008. In 2008, Professor Rahman has ranked among the top five Leading Scientists and Engineers of 57 OIC Member Countries in the Agroscience Discipline.