INTRODUCTION

PLANTATION CROPS
• Refers to monoculture crops cultivated on extensive scale
over a large area.
• On the other hand, plantation is a large farm or estate that
specializes in cash crops or commercial crops of perennial
nature.
• They constitute a large group of crops
• The major plantation crops include tea, coffee, sugar cane,
rubber, coconut
• They are generally consumed after being processed
 Importance of plantation crops
• They contribute to national economy through export earnings
• Plantation crop industry provides direct and indirect
employment to millions of people globally
• Plantation crop industry supports many by-product industry.
E.g coconut husk is used to produce fiber
• Plantation crops help to conserve the soil and ecosystem. Tea
planted in hill slopes and waste lands protect the land from soil
erosion during rainy season.
• Provides room for crop diversification
 Major plantation crops and their products
(i) Tea
• Tea is classified into different types based on method of processing
(Black tea, green tea, oolong tea, white tea and yellow tea)
(ii) Coffee
• Coffee is classified into decaffeinated coffee, estate coffee,
monsooned coffee
(iii) Coconut
• Different products can be made from coconut such as milk,cream,
oil, cream, flour and powder.
(iv) Sugarcane
• Sugarcane can be processed into raw and refined sugar after
undergoing several processes.
 Fruit processing
• Fruits can be processed into different products to reduce
post-harvest losses due to their perishability.
• Nutritionally, fruits are good sources of essential
nutrients(mainly minerals) and vitamins
• Processing of fruits is important in producing different food
products for direct consumption, sale as well as ingredients.
• There are different products which can be produced from
fruits such as fruit juice, jams, dried fruits, frozen pulp, fruit
preserves, squashes.
• In terms of processing plants for fruits, they can vary from a
single facility for single juice extraction to a complex
manufacturing facility.
 Fruit juice processing

 A wide range of drinks or juices can be made using extracted fruit juice or

fruit pulp as the base material

 The types of fruit juices made can be categorized into

(a)Those that are drunk straight after opening (in most cases, does not

require preservatives)

(b)Those that are used little by little from bottles which are stored between

use (These normally do require permitted preservatives)

 Equipment used in fruit juice processing
• The type of equipment to be used would depend mainly on
the scale of production or processing and the type of fruits
used.
• However, some of the equipment would include the following:
peeler, knives, cutting boards, juice extractor, thermometer,
analytical balance, scales, measuring cylinders, cutting
boards, strainers and cleaning equipment.
• For example, citrus fruits which are naturally juicy, the best
option is to use a presser
• Generally, juice yield is affected by pressing
conditions(temperature, pressure and pressing aid)
• Typical juice yields range between 75% to 95%
 Some basic requirements for a processing facility
• Sloping concrete floor and proper drainage for washing down
each day
• A portable water supply
• Electricity
• Screened windows and doors to reduce insects
• Good lighting and ventilation
• Facilities for discharge of waste materials
• Should be forward movement of products
• Should have reception area, storage of raw materials,
processing area, finished product storage area
• Toilets for employees
• Should comply to legislations
 Basic production processes in juice processing
• For all fruit-based drinks or beverages , the first stage is the
extraction of juice or pulp from the fruit.
Key manufacturing stages
Selection and preparation of raw materials
• Select mature and undamaged fruits. Select good quality fruits
based on laid down criteria (size,colour, firmness)
• Wash the fruit in clean water possibly chlorinated water
• Depending on type of fruit, peel the fruit and remove stones or
seeds
• Avoid leaving cut surfaces exposed to air for long to avoid
browning
• The fruit juices alternatively can be placed in water containing
lemon juice or citric acid at a recommended rate.
 Cont.
Juice extraction
• There are several methods used to extract juice depending
on the fruit type
• For example, citrus fruits which are naturally juicy, the best
option is to use a hand presser
• Some fruits such as melons and pawpaw are steamed to
release juice
• Apples are pressed and fruits such as mangoes, guava,
pineapple and strawberry are pulped to extract the juice
• Strainers are usually used and for large scale production, an
industrial pulper sieving machine is necessary.
 Cont.
Filtering
• Freshly pressed juice contains suspended solids and
therefore requires removal of the suspended materials.
• Extracted juice or pulp should be filtered through muslin cloth
or stainless-steel filter to make them clear
• Although extracted juice is naturally cloudy, some consumers
prefer a clear product
• In some cases, pectic enzymes can be used to break
down(degrading) the pectin (soluble gelatinous
polysaccharide) to help clear the juice
 Cont.
Batch preparation
• Once the juice or pulp has been collected, a batch can be
prepared according to a chosen recipe. This is a matter of choice
and must be done to suit consumer’s preference
• Juices are sold either as pure or sweetened
• Fruit squashes would normally contain 25% fruit material mixed
with sugar syrup to give a final sugar concentration of at least
40%.
• The addition of sugar to the fruit pulp to achieve recommended
levels of preservation must take into account the amount of sugar
already present in the juice
• Sugar should be added to fruit juice as sugar syrup and the syrup
should be filtered first.
 Cont.
Pasteurization
• All products should be pasteurized at 80 to 95 degree Celsius for
1-10 minutes prior to hot filling
• It is recommended to use stainless steel pans to heat fruit juice as
the acidity of the juice can react with aluminium in aluminium pans
during prolonged heating
• Another option is to pasteurize the juices once they have been
bottled
• The bottles are placed in hot water which is heated at 80 degree
Celsius
• The length of time required in water bath depends on the size and
volume of bottles
 Cont..
Bottle size (litres) Pasteurization time at 80 degree
Celsius

0.33 10

0.5 15

0.75 20
 Cont.
• This method has both benefits (reduces re-contamination) and
problems (requires glass bottles for pasteurizing and it is difficult
to ensure the internal temperature of bottles reaches the desired
pasteurization temperature.
• There is minimal changes caused to sensory characteristics or
nutritive value of the food.
• There are different methods of pasteurization used such as:
 Low temperature short time (63 degree Celsius for 30 minutes)
 High temperature short time (72 degree Celsius for 15 seconds)
 Ultrahigh temperature (138 degree Celsius for 2 seconds)
 There is a test to determine the effectiveness of pasteurization.
 Cont.
Filling and bottling
• In all cases, products should be hot-filled into clean, sterilized
bottles
• Can be done manually or use of machines depending on
scale of production
• Normally after hot filling, the bottles are capped and laid on
their sides to cool prior to labelling.
 Fruit preserves
• Fruit preserves are thickened products made from small, whole
fruit or uniform-sized pieces suspended in a slightly gelled syrup

• The fruit pieces should be plump and tender

• The type of the fruit used will determine the sensory

characteristics of the preserves as well as the preparation
methods

• However, the following are required raw materials: fruits, boiling

water (for preparation of the fruits), sugar and lemons (optional)
 Preparation methods
In general, these are some of the basic methods used in preparation of
preserves:

• Preparation of the fruits by pouring hot water over them and draining (15-20
minutes)

• Rinsing of the fruits in cold water

• Preparation of the syrup and dipping of the prepared fruits into syrup and
letting them to stand for some hours (6-8 hours)

• Filling of the reheated fruits in syrup into jars leaving a quarter inch head
space

• Process the preserves in jars for five minutes in boiling water

Fruit preserves in pictures
 Dried fruits
• Most fruits are more acidic compared to vegetables

• Some fruits are more acidic than others:

(a) Very acidic fruits (<pH3): grapefruit, lemon, orange, tamarind, tangerine

(b) Moderately acidic (3.7-4.5): Guava, mango, pineapple, strawberry, tomato

(c) Less acidic (>pH 4.5): Banana, breadfruit, melon, papaya and squash

• The classification of fruits based on acidity is important because food

poisoning bacteria cannot grow in more acidic fruit products

• In general, dried fruits are low-volume, high value foods that can be profitable
for small scale processors if there is sufficient demand.
 Cont..
• Drying preserves fruits because it removes most of the water needed by enzymes
and micro-organisms to spoil them

• However, drying can also cause unacceptable changes to the colour, flavour and
texture if the drying conditions are not properly controlled

• The fruits can be dipped in water containing chemicals such as sulphur dioxide for
5-10 minutes to protect the natural colour of some fruits

• About two thirds of the weight of sodium metabisulphite is present as sulphur

dioxide when it is dissolved in water

• For example, 0.001% (1000 ppm or 1g/litre) solution is therefore made by

 Cont.
• The residual sulphur dioxide is important if dried fruit is made
for export because many importers specify either low levels or
do not allow its presence
• Dried fruits absorb moisture from the air and should therefore
be packed in airtight, moisture-proof containers
• Some also need protection from light to maintain their colour
• In general, these are some of the production processes to be
followed in dried fruits production:
(i) Inspection of fruit: remove mouldy, rotten and damaged fruits
(ii) Wash using clean potable water
(iii)Sorting and grading: In terms of colour and size
 Cont.
(iv) Peeling/cutting/slicing/coring: This depends on the type of fruit
(v) Dipping in accepted or recommended chemicals/lemon juice
to preserve the colour
(vi) Drying: The time needed to adequately dry the fruits depends
on temperature, humidity, air speed, type of dryer and size of food
pieces
(vii) Packing: The dried fruits should be packed in airtight plastic
bags
(viii) Labelling: The package should be labelled in accordance to
the national requirements as dictated by the bureau of standards
specifications on labelling
(ix) Storage: Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight