The FAO survey indicates that average "post harvest wastage in India ranges between 10-26 per cent" in respect of various food products. For fruits and vegetables, the figures vary between 18-33 and for roots and tubers between 12-26 per cent. Also a huge amount of foodgrain is lost every year due to improper packaging and storage. About 5 to 10 per cent of grains are lost in rural storage structures and about 2 per cent are lost in transit and storage under the procurement operations.

Chief regional manger, Indian Petrochemicals Corporations Limited, A Guha and general manger (Polymer Business group) PR Singhvi, who presented papers on applications of plastics in post harvest agriculture during the Agro-Tech, was of the view that in a country like ours, where over 50 per cent of population was belowpoverty line, half of the battle against hunger could be won, if we could prevent this enormous wastage by introducing proper packaging during storage, transport, distribution and retail sales.

The experts were of the opinion that the major causes of wastage were inadequate storage facilities, improper packaging during storage and transfers and human factors including carelessness. Notions like that the processed and packaged food do not remain fresh food, processing reduced the food value, packaging was only for aesthetics and advertisement and other myths had also led to these wastage.

experts said that it was possible to extend storage and shelf life of post harvested fruits by 200 per cent-400 per cent by use of appropriate plastics packaging.Flexible plastics films and laminates used for packaging of food products imparted suitable barrier properties to the package to protect the content from either loss or gain of gases, moisture and aroma while being compatible with the content.

The fresh fruitsand vegetables contained upto 75-90 per cent waster in them. Loss of moisture from these products results in product spoilage. Gain of moisture in certain food products like biscuits, bread, potato chips etc makes the product soggy and there may be fungus growth in bread and cakes. Caking of milk power and instant coffee were examples of product spoilage due to moisture gain. Vegetable oil, ghee and various fatty products like desiccated coconut power, chips gain free fatty acids on exposure to atmosphere due to oxidation of unsaturated molecules and eventually become rancid. Tea, coffee and spices lose their aroma and quality unless these were packed in barrier packaging. The experts said that use of plastics in packaging could offer quality products with longer shelf life, reducing wastage,thereby increasing the total availability, processed foods means more convenience and higher value addition, better realisation for farmers through processed food, minimal price fluctuation of seasonal products round theyear and better packaging would boost exports and bring in precious exchange. Another expert Naom Issacharov, director, Adamit Resources International Limited observed that the Xtend-Freshness Preservation Bags(FPBs) present a new era of innovative patented packaging, implementing modified atmosphere technology for the increase of storage and shelf life of assorted fruits and vegetables.