Students bag prize in design contest

Students bag prize in design contest

Tiruchy: Two students of the Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Kumulur, have won the second prize, for their fruit and vegetable washer model, at the national-level design competition for students of agricultural and food engineering held at the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal.

Students from about 20 agricultural universities across the country demonstrated their models for mechanizing agriculture-based industries in the 21st century.

According to the students, K.Ganeshamurthy and M.Govindraj, who are doing third year B.Tech (Agriculture), fruits and vegetables are currently sold raw, unclean and unwashed. Due to the soil deposit on them, fruits and vegetables took unattractive while microbes from the surroundings and soil make them unhealthy for consumption.

The latex on fruits like sapota and mango breeds microbes. Washing makes them safer for human consumption besides enhancing their look. Fruits and vegetables meant for further processing and overseas market have to wash.

Washing and packing are called minimal processing techniques by which the marketability and market value of fruits and vegetable washers,’ they said.

The students and their guide Dr.K.Alagusundaram, National Fellow of Food and Process Engineering, claimed that their model was unique and automated. It required minimum labour forces for bulk washing.

The loaded process is initially washed in a water bath and by a set of bristles and a water jet before being dried using moderately heated air.

According to Dr.K.Rangaswamy, Dean, the device would be well suited to packing houses and fruits and vegetable processing units.

Students bag prize in design contest

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Students bag prize design contest |  Agricultural Engineering College Research Institute |  Central Institute Agricultural Engineering Bhopal |  National Fellow Food Process Engineering