An innovative idea to preserve tomatoes in the form of sheets proposed by A. Sangeetha, assistant professor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Jamal Mohamed College, has been shortlisted in a competition conducted by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The academic’s proposal is one of three selected from Tamil Nadu in the “Tomato Grand Challenge Competition”, a hackathon to make the best use of tomatoes and add value to them during periods of overproduction.
“The tomato sheet can be stored at room temperature for at least six months and dissolves when cooked with other ingredients. The pulp has been processed to paste consistency without any additives or preservatives, and is packed in high-density polyethlene bags. The sheet can be cut and used with ease. We have been working on the concept for over three months under laboratory conditions and are hopeful of scaling it up commercially, if required. This will stop farmers from dumping their surplus when the crop is overproduced,” Ms. Sangeetha told The Hindu.
The submission (ID NO. 1202) is one of approximately 2,000 ideas presented at this year’s Tomato Grand Challenge. “Based on the committee’s recommendations, our project’s title has been changed to ‘utilise excess fresh tomato available during glut and innovative technology for value addition,’” Ms. Sangeetha said.
The project is funded by All India Council for Technical Education. It has been certified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur.
Published – October 21, 2024 08:26 pm IST
