A literature review on crop-slicing research

Abstract

Nigeria is experiencing food insecurity and an alarming rise in food prices because of disturbing postharvest crop losses and other factors. One way to solve the aforementioned problems is the hygienic processing of crops into storable forms, which is in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2. Crops commonly come in varying forms that may necessitate slicing (a fundamental unit process) before consumption, further processing, or handling. In spite of substantial efforts to develop crop-slicing machines, significant research gaps remain in the field. This study presents the review of crop-slicing research across the globe and untapped research opportunities in the study area as part of the measures to improve the technology up to component standardization level to mitigate food: losses; price hikes; and insecurity. Validated and standardized models as well as experimental setups for designing and evaluating crop-slicing machines are still lacking. Slicing-machine design using established crops’ characterizations remains an untapped research opportunity. An automated, flexible, or reconfigurable crop-slicing machine that can slice any crop (regardless of geometry) with the provision to select the desired slice thickness to be cut is necessary. Optimal crop slicer speed, and the relationship between slice thickness, machine throughput, and efficiency, still remain unknown