The increased awareness on the health benefits of organic foods led to the development of many organic foods and food products. Thus the present technology made available the perceived nutritional benefits of organic fruits and to produce a healthier, tastier nutritious product using solar dehydration technology satisfying customer desire to consume the fruit and perceive its taste even in off season and derive health benefits. Conventional agriculture produce are grown with excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and the products produced from conventional produce tend to have a safety concern with increasing awareness on health, food safety and food consumption patterns. This impact led to the growth of organic farming which is defined as a “holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity”. The production of organic fruits led to the development of organic food products without use of any chemicals, do not contain genetically modified organisms and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents/chemical additives. Organic plant raw materials contain less nitrates and pesticide residues, but more dry matter, vitamin C, secondary substances, total sugars, certain mineral components and essential amino acids and β-carotene.
Current Status: The technology for Development of Organic Fruit Bars by Solar Dehydration was standardized. This technology will be disseminated through training programs/workshops organized by SEED.