Nashik to Kota: Entrepreneurs boost food processing with technology

Entrepreneurs in Nashik and Kota are using technology to enhance food processing. One uses dehydration to extend the shelf life of produce, reducing waste. Another creates value-added peanut products, boosting local agriculture and creating jobs.

From shelf-life innovation to protein-rich foods, technology transforms food processing (Photo: ANI)

Technology is opening new possibilities in food processing, helping extend the shelf life of everyday foods, reduce post-harvest losses and turn locally grown crops into value-added products.

From an automated food processing facility in Nashik to a peanut-based nutrition brand in Kota, entrepreneurs are exploring ways to combine convenience, nutrition and better utilisation of agricultural produce.

Innovation in Nashik: Extending Shelf Life

In Nashik, Divine Delicacy is using food processing technology to develop ready-to-eat products from everyday foods such as poha and sprouts. Its automated facility integrates production processes into a digital system, while an osmotic dehydration and drying process is used to preserve products for longer periods.

Kunal Jagtap, an R&D engineer at the company, said dehydration could significantly extend the shelf life of food without adding preservatives. “Dehydration is a technology through which the shelf life of a product can be extended to one or two years without adding preservatives,” Jagtap said.

The technology also has potential applications in reducing losses when farmers struggle to secure remunerative prices for perishable produce. Fruits and vegetables that might otherwise go to waste can be processed and stored for use or sale when market conditions improve.

Dr Ramnath Jagtap, founder of Divine Delicacy, said the system was developed with this challenge in mind. “When farmers do not get the right price for their produce, they often end up throwing it away. To address this problem, we developed an osmotic dehydration and drying system. Fruits and vegetables can be dried and stored, allowing them to be sold later when prices are better or when there is demand from the processing industry,” he said.

Value Addition in Kota: The Peanut Venture

While Nashik's innovation focuses on preserving agricultural produce, a venture in Kota, Rajasthan, is adding value to another widely available crop: peanuts.

Chidatman Jain, founder of Muska, began experimenting with peanut-based products in his home kitchen in 2020. The venture has since expanded into a larger manufacturing operation, producing peanut butter and other spreads designed to offer a convenient source of protein.

Jain said Rajasthan's substantial peanut production inspired him to explore the potential for value addition through processing. “We saw that Rajasthan produces a large quantity of peanuts, of which around 70 per cent is exported. I researched the opportunity and started experimenting in my home kitchen. Friends in the neighbourhood liked the products, so we set up a small factory and gradually expanded into a much larger facility,” Jain said.

The company now uses modern machinery for processing peanuts and manufacturing a range of spreads. Its approach emphasises clean-label ingredients and avoids palm oil in the products described by its research team.

Bhagyashree Pathak, a researcher at Muska, said ingredient selection and nutritional evaluation were central to product development. “We select ingredients that are palm-oil-free and meet our clean-label approach. We also check the nutritional information of every ingredient to identify unwanted additions and assess factors such as cholesterol and sodium content,” Pathak said.

The venture's focus on processing locally available peanuts also illustrates how agricultural commodities can be transformed into branded consumer products, creating opportunities beyond the sale of raw produce.

The company says its operations are also generating employment opportunities for local women.

Connecting Agriculture with Consumer Needs

Together, the initiatives in Nashik and Kota highlight two important developments in India's food processing sector: technologies that can help preserve perishable produce and businesses that create higher-value products from locally grown crops. By improving storage possibilities, developing convenient food options and expanding value addition, such enterprises are exploring ways to connect agricultural production with changing consumer needs while creating new opportunities across the food supply chain.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)