India is one of the largest producers of fruits and vegetables in world. However a substantial proportion of this fresh produce is wasted due to inadequate preservation facilities. This gap offers abundant opportunities for food processors and agribusiness entrepreneurs. Investment in fruit and vegetable dehydration plants enables businesses to transform perishable produce into conservable high-value products.
In this blog, we’ll highlight the major business prospects these plants bring along, who stands to gain from them and how our equipment solutions can aid in achieving the set objectives.
Dehydration of fruits and vegetables does not only extend the shelf life but also enhances its importance by extracting moisture without compromising the nutrients, taste and appearance. When done with the right technology, this process guarantees the highest possible quality and marketable products geared toward various uses.
Some uses of dehydrated produce include:
• Snacks and other packaged shelf-stable foods
• Cookable packaged meal kits
• Ingredients in health supplements and nutraceutical blends
• Large-scale kitchens serving institutions (airlines, hotels, hospitals)
• Export markets for lightweight, long-shelf-life ingredients
Use of dehydration plants enables producers to add value near the source of the product, lower wastes and make additional profit.
1. FPOs and Cooperatives: Dehydration Plants enable small farmers to collectively get their surplus harvest processed and marketed as value added Powders, Flakes and Dried Slices.
2. Agro and Food Processing Industries: Firms active in food production can add a dehydration line and widen their product portfolio. It allows them to introduce new products while significantly decreasing raw material waste.
3. Exporters and Dealers: There is a huge international market for dehydrated Indian products like Onion, Garlic, Mango, Amla and Tomato. Having a dehydration plant which fulfills export requirements, broadens opportunities to access foreign markets.
4. Startups and Brands Focused on Health: Such entrepreneurs can use dehydration technology to formulate and manufacture healthy snacks like fruit snacks, smoothie powders, and veggie based blends.
Using modern dehydration techniques, you can process:
• Dehydrated vegetable flakes and powders (e.g. garlic, onion, tomato, beetroot)
• Dried fruit slices and powders (e.g. banana, mango, amla)
• Herb and leaf vegetable powders
• Ready-to-cook dried mixes for soups, curries and gravies
• Dried custom blended powders for nutraceuticals or health foods
Dehydrated food products can be sold to different markets– retail, bulk, or even export which drastically increases the commercial viability of the dehydration process.
Having operational dehydration plant can create multiple revenue streams if it is planned well. You can produce food for brands under contract manufacturing, create your own product line or sell bulk ingredients to exporters or even offer B2B dehydration services to other producers.
The lightweight nature of dehydrated products lowers transportation and storage costs making them more cost effective, giving you logistical advantages as well.
As a fruit and vegetable dehydration plant manufacturer, we assist our clients throughout the entire process, from the initial planning to the installation. In order to get your plant started here is the first step:
• Uninterrupted Supply of Raw Materials: From your end, you will also need uninterrupted access to good quality fruits or vegetables based on product of your choice. It makes sense to collaborate with local farmers or APMC markets.
• Appropriate Equipment: We provide complete dehydration systems which can include washers and cleaners, slicers/dicers, dryers (tray and belt, or even solar hybrid), pulverizers and packaging systems. We design these systems to your input capacity and product requirements.
• Infrastructure: 2 to 5 thousand sq. ft. of covered area is what is expected from a mid-size plant along with other basic amenities such as electricity, water and drainage system.
• Quality Compliance and Licensing: Certain mandatory registrations such as FSSAI and GST are also important for intra-nation commercial sales. For exports you may also require ISO, HACCP or other certifications.
If you are interested in setting up a Fruit and Vegetable Dehydration Plant in India, then BlackNut is a prominent Food Technology Solutions provider, focused on meeting all your processing needs. While we create a variety of machines for food processing, we also offer comprehensive, unique and dependable solutions which help food processors improve product quality, safety and yield.