The developed product deals with development of instant fish soup powder.  The soup can serve as nutritious instant food with goodness of fish and fresh vegetables. The product is shelf stable for 12 months at ambient temperature with acceptable microbiological and sensory qualities.

SALIENT FEATURES OF INSTANT FISH SOUP POWDER

• Instant- Easy to prepare - Just mix with hot water/boil & serve
• No other additive/ingredient needed to reconstitute soup
• Rich source of healthy nutrients, proteins, poly un-saturated fatty acids (ω-3) like Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) &     Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
• Nutrient rich appetizer with less calories
• Suitable for domestic markets as well as export.
• Easy to store- Can be stored up to 12 months in packed condition at room temperature

APPLICATIONS

• Convenience food- can serve as “Heat & Serve” food product.
• Instant fish soup powder can complement other similar products available in markets.
• Useful during natural disaster management as emergency food.
• Useful for other target groups like defense personnel, school lunch program, expeditions and astronauts
  
  

INTRODUCTION

The current technology deals with the development of Instant fish soup powder conceptualized on a similar product called ‘Instant Veg or Chicken soup’ which is predominantly available in markets across India. The developed product has a better over-all quality & can be stored at ambient temperature for 12 months. The shelf life of this product can be further extended by 6 months using radiation processing (5 kGy) at ambient temperature. Radiation processing of food is a well-known technology based on physical energy where no chemical preservatives are involved and does not increase the temperature of the food. It has been approved by various international and national organizations to ensure ‘Food Security & Safety’

ADVANTAGES

• Instant- Easy to prepare - Just mix with hot water/boil & serve
• High quality, nutritious instant food rich with goodness of fish and fresh vegetables
• Nutrient rich appetizer with less calories
• Soup tends to provide satiety with fewer calories than other forms of food.
• Rich source of healthy nutrients, proteins, poly un-saturated fatty acids (ω-3 & 9)
• Having combined effect of various processing methods (hurdles)
• Export quality product & suitable for domestic consumption
• Shelf stable up to 12 months in packed condition at room temperature; Shelf-life can be further extended to 6 months at room temperature using  radiation processing (5 kGy)
  

APPLICATIONS

• Food processing industries involved in Instant/Convenient/ Ready-to-Cook (RTC) or Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food commodities for domestic consumption & export
• As emergency food during natural calamities/disaster management & can be served as military ration.
      

REQUIREMENTS

A)  Raw Material requirement
•    The raw materials (Fresh fish, fresh vegetables, oil, spices, etc.) required for preparation of Instant fish soup powder are available locally.

B)  Equipments required
•    Steaming & cooking vessels
•    Conventional air or Infra-Red dryers
•    Homogenizers/Mixers
•    Packaging machines/sealers
•    Gamma irradiation facility (optional)
•    Storage facility (ware house).

C)  Infrastructure requirement
•    A covered room of 500 sq. ft. area (25 ft. x 20 ft.) with raw material storage and processing area, refrigerators, steaming & cooking facility, dryers, packaging instruments and ware house (storage) facility.

D)  Power requirement  
•    Both single & three phase power connection.

E)  Manpower requirement
•    One skilled worker and two un-skilled workers would be adequate for production of 100 kg per day. Actual manpower would depend on production capacity.

F)  Statutory requirement
•    Statutory clearances related to food industry and a minimum of a small-scale industries registration.