Food Production Technology Research Articles

The consumer’s perceptions and attitudes toward innovative foods in united arab emirates

The success of innovations in food industry mainly depends on consumers’ involvement in the process. Consumers’ trust on developed innovative food products or food production technologies can enhance acceptance/adaptation of them. Consumer acceptance of innovations in general, and technology-based food advances in particular, have been studied extensively. They cover a wide range of facets of the consumer adoption process, from awareness to actual adoption. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive and systematic overview that includes all potentially influential determinants. To fill this gap, we used a conceptual framework for consumer acceptance and adaptation of food innovations. The question needs to be answered is, how consumers perceive sustainable innovations in food products, the way the perception affects their perceived risk & uncertainty, perceived cost/benefit, and attitude strengths toward the innovations? A questionnaire was developed and implemented via stratified random sampling on 400 selected consumers in UAE consumers. Confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model (SEM) were used to analyze the general fit of the proposed model and test the developed hypotheses. According to the results the perception of sustainable food innovations is directly affected by some contextual factors (relative advantage, complexity, and observability) determined as product characteristics and mediates the relationship between those factors and consumer adaptation of the innovation which is affected by perceived cost/benefit, perceived risk & uncertainty, and attitudes

Gases in Food Production and Monitoring: Recent Advances in Target Chemiresistive Gas Sensors

The rapid development of the human population has created demand for an increase in the production of food in various fields, such as vegetal, animal, aquaculture, and food processing. This causes an increment in the use of technology related to food production. An example of this technology is the use of gases in the many steps of food treatment, preservation, processing, and ripening. Additionally, gases are used across the value chain from production and packaging to storage and transportation in the food and beverage industry. Here, we focus on the long-standing and recent advances in gas-based food production. Although many studies have been conducted to identify chemicals and biological contaminants in foodstuffs, the use of gas sensors in food technology has a vital role. The development of sensors capable of detecting the presence of target gases such as ethylene (C2H4), ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ethanol (C2H5OH) has received significant interest from researchers, as gases are not only used in food production but are also a vital indicator of the quality of food. Therefore, we also discuss the latest practical studies focused on these gases in terms of the sensor response, sensitivity, working temperatures, and limit of detection (LOD) to assess the relationship between the gases emitted from or used in foods and gas sensors. Greater interest has been given to heterostructured sensors working at low temperatures and flexible layers. Future perspectives on the use of sensing technology in food production and monitoring are eventually stated. We believe that this review article gathers valuable knowledge for researchers interested in food sciences and sensing development.

Current Situation, Direction, Policy Support, and Challenges of Plant Factories with Artificial lighting (PFAL) in Thailand

One of the greatest challenges in the 21st century is how to sufficiently and sustainably feed the world population with nutritional and safe food. Plant factory with artificial lighting (PFAL) is a closed plant production system. Regardless of environments outside, PFAL is considered as an alternative technology for food and feed production with high efficiency, high quality and low risk to health of customers. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide the basic information on the current situation, direction, government policy and support and challenges of PFAL technology in Thailand.

A benefit-cost analysis approach for determining the optimal processing of micronutrient-enriched cowpea leaf soup mixes

Cost-effective techniques are usually recommended in the dissemination and adoption of postharvest processing technologies of food products. Due to limited value addition practices for cowpea leaf, the Fruits and Vegetables for All Seasons Project undertook a study to bridge the gap in the seasonal availability of the vegetable in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of Kenya through the production of cowpea leaf soup mix. However, the adoption of these techniques has an economic perspective that guides decision-making. This study utilized a two-stage linear programming methodology using NutriSurvey and the analytic hierarchy process in a seven-step hierarchy for the production of a cowpea leaf soup mix of an optimal nutrition and sensory quality. The optimal inclusion level of cowpea leaves into the soup mix was 49%. With an R2 of 61.36%, consistency, taste, and mouthfeel were the greatest determinants of the acceptability of cowpea leaf soup mixes. The incorporation of blanching in solar drying and sun drying were the least costly options with priority vectors of 0.08 and 0.09 (CR < 0.1) respectively, whereas, in the use of mechanized processing techniques such as oven drying, priority vectors of 0.10–0.19 had higher maximum benefits than the local processing technique of sun-drying that had a priority vector of 0.08 (CR < 0.1). The benefit-cost ratio was maximal without extrusion, with the solar-drying pathway having the highest benefit-cost ratio of 1.5. The study found that resource-intensive pathways yielded maximum benefits in the retention of quality. However, with the exclusion of extrusion, the benefit-cost ratio of the processes improved.

Development of technology for minced beef products using by-products

The article studies the relevance and necessity of using by-products in the technology of food production, outlines the technology for the production of minced beef products using by-products, in particular, beef lung for the production of cutlet mass. The results of a sociological survey and analysis of consumer preferences of the population of Murmansk in relation to finished products and semi-finished products using by-products in technology are presented. A basic recipe for chopped products with by-products has been developed and its optimization has been carried out using the method of computer modeling. To search for a formulation close to the optimal formulation, the method of rotatable orthohanolic experiment planning was used. The results were processed according to standard methods using the Datafit 9.0 computer program. Experimental results of mathematical modeling are presented. The analysis of the obtained results has been carried out. It was found that chopped products made according to the specified recipe are well formed, during heat treatment they retain their shape, the taste of offal is weakly noticeable.

Risk on the Table: Food Production, Health, and the Environment ed. by Angela N. H. Creager and Jean-Paul Gaudillière (review).

Reviewed by: Risk on the Table: Food Production, Health, and the Environment ed. by Angela N. H. Creager and Jean-Paul Gaudillière Jonathan Rees (bio) Risk on the Table: Food Production, Health, and the Environment Edited by Angela N. H. Creager and Jean-Paul Gaudillière. New York: Berghahn, 2021. Pp. 366. The technology of food production both involves machines that make more food faster, as well as various processes which make that food more desirable to consumers. This is a book that focuses on the second of these categories. The editors deliberately invoke the industrialization of food in the introduction to the book, but the subsequent chapters deal more with chemistry than they do with technology in the mechanical sense. The authors are in dialogue with food and food adulteration literature more than with the broader issues related to industrialization. Nonetheless, since food, food technology, and food science all cross international boundaries, the risks associated with its industrialization and mass production eventually became global. For example, lowering the price or increasing the supply of something might bring the possibility of food poisoning or the long-term risk of cancer from ingesting some food additives. As Heiko Stoff explains in his chapter, a coloring agent like Butter Yellow (for margarine) fell out of favor after World War II in Germany because of the risk consumers faced when eating it. On the other hand, as the book's coeditor Angela Creager explains in her chapter, new food testing technology showed natural carcinogens in foods that Americans consumed every day. In another place at another time, these things might have been banned, but risk tolerance was very high in the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s. Even once these risk perceptions hardened during the late 1980s, the American political system had become too industry friendly to effectively regulate these substances. The second half of the book focuses almost exclusively on the United States. In these chapters, you can see the high risk-tolerance of the U.S. regulatory regime for much of the last one hundred years. Hannah Landecker, for example, writes about the use of arsenic-based drugs in American industrial-scale meat production. These drugs moved growth-promoting hormones through cows, thereby increasing supply and lowering price. Despite some early opposition to these substances on health grounds, it took until 2015 for the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw approval of those drugs because of new discoveries regarding the arsenic that remained in the bodies of chickens. All drugs are poisonous to some degree, but even the U.S. government developed limits to how much it wanted eaters to consume. In their chapter, Maricel V. Maffini and Sarah Voge show the limitations of these regulations by focusing on the holes in the framework created by the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics [End Page 899] Act of 1938. Although inspired by low levels of pesticide residues and other chemicals found in food and milk supplies, substances that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) are still legal in the food supply under the law. While some substances that are potentially harmful simply haven't been tested, others have been grandfathered in despite known risks that they might cause harm. In short, the system set up to regulate food in the United States tolerates risks from various innovations because it favors whatever facilitates production on an industrial scale unless extraordinary proof of harm can be found, and even then action isn't guaranteed. Collectively, the chapters in this collection suggest that the tolerance for risk in the United States has generally been greater than elsewhere for both cultural and political reasons. The book's weak spot is the failure of some of the authors who focus on the United States to make at least a passing attempt at upholding the earlier section's global perspective. Luckily, the editors have brought together enough international work to form a broad picture of changes in the global food system. This is an extremely welcome view of how those changes were received in different places at different times. Jonathan Rees Jonathan Rees is professor of history at Colorado State...

Technology for the production of curd mass enriched with vegetable filler Melissa officinalis L.

The paper presents to topical issues of functional food production technology, which has its own characteristics. Since milk and dairy products are initially a source of bioactive substances in the form of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and Ca, from a technological point of view, it is advisable to add functional components rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants to the formulation. At the same time, special attention should be paid to the issues of preserving the beneficial properties of bioactive substances not only in the process of preparing raw materials for introduction into a product, but also at subsequent stages of the production-consumption cycle. Food products made from milk and its derivatives have functional properties aimed at normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, increasing the body's immune resistance to pathogens of infectious diseases and leveling the harmful effects of the environment. Herbal preparations from essential oil plants of the Lamiaceae family are distinguished by a high content of dietary fiber, have high antioxidant activity and have an immune-strengthening effect on the human body. The average annual increase in the output of curd products in the dairy industry is about 8-13%, which indicates the prospects for the development of new recipes for functional curd-based products.

Improvement of technology of pate in the shell with the use of dietary supplement

The article presents the research results of model samples of chicken and liver pâtés using a dietary supplement based on walnuts and pumpkin juice. Scientific work aims to improve the technology of pate in the shell using ingredients containing biologically active substances with a wide range of physiological actions. Meat and vegetable pâtés are created by combining proteins of different origins. Currently, in Ukraine, available protein and fat resources are not fully used for food purposes. This problem must be solved by developing new generation recipes and creating original technologies for food production, with optimal content of proteins, fats, vitamins, macro-and micronutrients, and other essential components. In the scientific work, the research on the influence of the dietary supplement's components in the recipes of pate is carried out. It is proposed to use 10 % walnut paste and 10–20 % pumpkin juice in the pate stuffing. This will enrich the product with the walnut's carotene and unique vegetable proteins. In the study of functional and technological parameters of pâtés, it is proved that with the increasing amount of pumpkin juice in minced meat model compositions, the value of moisture-binding capacity decreases, and the addition of juice up to 20 % does not impair moisture retention compared to control. The pH value of model pates is lower than the control by 0.54… 0.17 units due to the introduction of pumpkin juice into the recipe. Using walnut paste, pumpkin juice, and sunflower oil instead of lard and butter does not reduce the quality of pate, and the plasticity of pate samples № 1 and 2 do not differ significantly from the control. The results of the organoleptic evaluation of pâtés show that the addition of 10 % of walnut paste and pumpkin juice to 20% in the recipe made it possible to obtain a product with good sensory characteristics.

A Risk and Hazard Analysis Model for the Production Process of a New Meat Product Blended With Germinated Green Buckwheat and Food Safety Awareness.

This study was specifically designed for a small-scale meat processing enterprise “DARIYA” to set up a specific HACCP plan for the new product (patties) made from mixed horsemeat with vegetable components developed in the Department of Technology of Food Production and Biotechnology, Shakarim University of Semey. Critical control points (CCPs) were identified and applied in the HACCP plan. The different hazards were detected at each processing step, whereas each CCP in the HACCP plan was identified and accompanied with the appropriate significant hazard, critical limit, monitoring of the CCP, and corrective actions, confirming that the enterprise has fully employed the HACCP methodology and ISO 22000:2018. Our results indicate that during almost 1 year following the implementation of ISO 22000:2018, the coliform level of tested patties significantly dropped (p < 0.05) after 6 months of implementation (coliform count dropped from 4.4 MPN/g to 1.8 MPN/g). The rapid screening of the bacterial count, heavy metals, pesticide residue, and physical contamination levels also improved monitoring assertiveness, allowing them to deal with foreseeable issues linking to resources and guarantee product quality. Cesium-137 was recorded as 5.4 ± 2.9627 Bq/kg in horsemeat and 6.7 ± 2.7045 in poultry. The activity of cesium-137 did not exceed the MAC. This result discloses that prompt screening is the foremost and necessary step for small enterprises. According to this study, the “acceptance of raw materials” is the most important CCP, and their control, particularly in small-scale meat processing enterprises, can actually prevent many negative outcomes. The implementation of both standards improved food quality by declining the flaw rates for patties, and the number of flow inconsistencies needed for correction in the process also dropped significantly (p < 0.05), demonstrating that safety and quality points were improving. If the application of the HACCP plan were to continue over an extended period of time, the Food Safety Management System's (FSMS) benefits would be more substantial improvements to a greater number of items being monitored. The process of implementing HACCP principles and ISO 22000:2018 could be arduous but achievable enough to be used in small industries with significant outcomes.

Formation and analysis of structured solid foam patties based on crosslinked plant cell suspension cultures

Cellular agriculture is a new alternative food production technology that combines the cultivation of plant, animal or microbial cells with biotechnology. However, it can be challenging to manufacture cell-based products that reproduce the texture and organoleptic properties of conventional foods. Here, we developed a strategy to design the architecture of food products making use of plant cell suspension cultures derived from arctic bramble and rowan. Cellulose and pectin in the plant cell walls were cross-linked with citric acid and subject to partial alkaline hydrolysis under different conditions, followed by freeze drying in molds to form structured solid foam patties. We used a range of structural and mechanical characterization techniques and a trained sensory panel to show that highly nutritious plant cell cultures can form edible matrices with appropriate sensory qualities. The addition of citric acid without a base achieved a more acidic and berry-like flavor, whereas high doses of hydroxide and high temperatures conferred greater bite resistance. This new understanding of food structure design will facilitate the development of sustainable, healthy, and nutritious alternative food production technologies largely decoupled from conventional agriculture.

Exploration of efficient water, energy and nutrient use in aquaponics systems in northern latitudes

Efficient energy and resource management are essential for a more sustainable food production system. On-demand coupled multi-loop aquaponics, containing at least a fish, plant and anaerobic digester unit, has shown great potential for optimizing nutrient use. However, balancing the nutrients for both fish and crop production becomes increasingly complex at higher latitudes. In these areas also significant reductions in energy use are required. Hitherto, the effects of energy-saving strategies on the dynamics of an aquaponics system have not been explored.The objective of the study was to investigate and mathematically model an aquaculture-hydroponic (aquaponics) system with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) or tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and to verify it for the Netherlands.In the mathematical model several physical and operational parameters were varied to find their influence on water and nutrient use efficiency, energy use and the growing environment, in particular in the greenhouse.The variation in crop transpiration was found to be a simple, yet effective, indicator for the influence of greenhouse settings on the performance of on-demand coupled multi-loop aquaponics systems. The correlation between water or nutrient use efficiencies and transpiration variation (0.98) is stronger than the correlation with energy use (0.78). The maximum allowed humidity (70% to 90%) and use of artificial lighting (0 – 200 W/m2) has the largest effect on both performance and energy use. Other settings, such as inclusion of thermal insulation of the cover, minimum temperature, addition of heat storage, and use of screens, have effect on the energy efficiency, but have little effect on the nutrient dynamics. To counter the negative effects of variation caused by other energy-saving strategies or climatic variations, the use of a buffer tank, placed between anaerobic digester and hydroponic system, was found a feasible option.Aquaponics is an emerging technology in sustainable food production and this research supports the introduction of on-demand coupled aquaponics systems in northern latitudes.

Better sustainability in the food supply chain through technology: a consumer perspective

ABSTRACT The achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is pushing towards improving the sustainability of food supply chains. Food waste and food safety are among the most critical sustainability issues in the food supply chain. Previous studies have analysed the use of supply chain 4.0 technologies for reducing food waste and enhancing food safety but have neglected consumers as direct users of technology, not studying their preferences and buying behaviour. Through a survey study, this research aims at providing insights about ways in which those supply chain 4.0 technologies that can be used by consumers could be exploited for better sustainability. We investigate consumer openness to technology and consumer buying behaviour for food products in relation to sustainability. Results indicate that consumers can be ready to embrace technology. Their awareness of sustainability represents an opportunity for companies to offer tailored products and accessible services that can influence consumers towards more sustainable choices.

Influence of Differential Substitution of Nutrients through Organics on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Content of Green Gram (Vigna radiata) in Irrigated Sub-tropical Region of J and K

Background: Green gram is the important pulse crop of India and grown under extensive agroclimatic condition in India for its versatile uses. Moreover, extreme and inappropriate use of inorganic nutrients deteriorated the soil quality by reducing the soil microbial population and also declined the quality of crops. Now a days, majority of population living in urban and rural area had demand for safe and healthy food for which inclusive food production technology needs to be developed with priority on quality enhancement and yield stability. In fact, it is not possible for farmers to directly shift from inorganic source of nutrients to organics in their crop production as it may lead to decrease in crop yields in the initial years. This may be possible due to substitution of organic sources of nutrients in place of inorganics to fulfil the crop nutrient requirement for accomplishing higher and stable crop yield of better quality with upgradation in soil health. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the influence of differential substitution of nutrients through organics on growth, yield and nutrient content of green gram (Vigna radiata) in irrigated sub-tropical region of J and K. Methods: The experiment was conducted for two consecutive years in field during summer 2016 and 2017 at research farm of division of Agronomy located at latitude and longitude of 32°40' N and 73°64' E at Skuast-Jammu. Experiment was laid out with 16 treatments and three replications. Green gram variety “SML-668” was grown as per their respective recommended packages of cultivation except for the nutrient-N and its organic sources which were applied as per the treatments. Nutrient content of green gram was worked out in the laboratory following standard procedures. Result: The pooled result of the two-year study of green gram concluded that significantly highest growth parameters and yield of green gram were recorded with treatment 100% recommended dose of fertilizer whereas significantly lowest value of all these parameters were recorded with treatment 100% NPK through FYM. Numerically highest value of NPK content in seed and stover of green gram after two-year experiment was recorded with treatment 100% NPK through FYM whereas highest gross returns, net returns and b:c ratio were recorded with treatment 100% recommended dose of fertilizer when compared with other treatments.

Investigating determinants of willingness to buy genetically modified foods: an approach of structural equation modeling

PurposeThe tendency towards genetically modified (GM) food consumption and production is increasing worldwide. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing the general population's willingness to buy GM foods in Iran.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was derived and tested via the primary data gathered from 450 individuals recruited from ten districts of Tabriz, Iran. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out to identify the relationship between related constructs and willingness to buy GM foods.FindingsResults indicated that attitudes towards GM technology and foods along with trust in GM institutes were positive determinants of willingness to buy, while knowledge had a significantly negative impact. Accordingly, the most potent factors influencing consumers' willingness to buy include attitude, which is affected by moral and ethical concerns, and trust followed by knowledge.Originality/valueThe results of this study can help policymakers, farmers, and food industries to make appropriate decisions about the application of gene technology in food production and also cultivation of such products in developing countries such as Iran, where people have little information about these products, despite the import and supply of GM foods.

The Influence of Smile Ball Media on Student Learning Outcomes on The Theme of Technology Development For Grade III Elementary School

This study aims to determine the effect of using smile ball media on student learning outcomes in thematic learning of class III Islamic Elementary School Al-Washoya Ngoro-Jombang which is based on the theme book 7 Technological Developments Sub-theme 1 Development of Learning Food Production Technology 1. The problems“in education is the implementation of learning is less interesting, therefore the teacher is required to use the media during learning process. The smile ball is one of fascinating media. The research used the smile ball media in thematic lesson wich held in even semester of 2020/2021 school year. This research included all Al-Washoya Islamic Elementary School grade three pupils, a total of 16 kids (9 males and 7 girls). The experimental class received thematic learning with Technology Development material and used smile ball media. While the control class received thematic learning with Technology Development material without using smile ball media. The results of the study can be seen from the test-t. The result of t-test between the experimental“class and control class was (5.7298) &gt; (3.8129) indicating that there is a difference“between the experimental“class using smile ball media“and the“control class without using smile ball media. Also, the effect of using smile ball media with the material Development of Food Production Technology is greater than learning without using smile ball media.

Gene-Edited Meat: Disentangling Consumers' Attitudes and Potential Purchase Behavior.

Novel gene-editing (GE) technologies provide promising opportunities to increase livestock productivity and to tackle several global livestock production sustainability and food security challenges. However, these technologies, as with previous genetic modification technologies in food production, are very likely to generate social controversy and opposition toward their use in the meat industry. Here, we explored public attitudes and consumption predisposition toward gene-edited meat products and their potential added benefits to livestock farming. Our results show that societal perception currently comes as a package, where the use of gene-editing technology acts as an extrinsic cue of meat products quality, and is used to make a range of inferences about all quality facets at once. Although consumers with anti-GE attitudinal positions generally were not sensitive to price discounts or added benefits, added benefits increased the consumption predisposition of most moderate and pro-GE consumers, where benefits related to animal welfare had larger effects than those relating to the environment or human health issues.

Incorporation of novel foods in European diets can reduce global warming potential, water use and land use by over 80.

Global food systems face the challenge of providing healthy and adequate nutrition through sustainable means, which is exacerbated by climate change and increasing protein demand by the world's growing population. Recent advances in novel food production technologies demonstrate potential solutions for improving the sustainability of food systems. Yet, diet-level comparisons are lacking and are needed to fully understand the environmental impacts of incorporating novel foods in diets. Here we estimate the possible reductions in global warming potential, water use and land use by replacing animal-source foods with novel or plant-based foods in European diets. Using a linear programming model, we optimized omnivore, vegan and novel food diets for minimum environmental impacts with nutrition and feasible consumption constraints. Replacing animal-source foods in current diets with novel foods reduced all environmental impacts by over 80% and still met nutrition and feasible consumption constraints.

A CURRENT OVERVIEW OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

Hunger is defined as “the inability to reach the sufficient amount of food necessary for people to survive”, and the need for food is increasing day by day. Food that forms the basis of human nutrition, and agriculture, from the past to the present, threaten food security and agricultural practices with many problems such as excessive population growth released as a result of activities in today and negatively changing climate, environmental conditions and other compelling factors. The continuation of the current situation makes us think that the emerging/starting to emerge threat will increase and cause much bigger problems in the future. Considering today's developments, it is an undeniable fact that biotechnological methods, especially molecular techniques, provide advantages in increasing agricultural production. From this point of view, agricultural and plant biotechnology are a multidisciplinary field that can accelerate the developments in agriculture in line with the developments in the world and solve the problems in a short time by growing different perspectives by making use of different disciplinary areas. The aim of current biotechnological developments in this framework is to increase the yield of product by removing the restrictions of products (abiotic - biotic stress, diseases, economic factors, etc.). Also, an interdisciplinary process operates in this field, where the notion of sustainability gains importance. Sustainable agriculture is based on agricultural production practices and the efficient use of natural resources for the foodstuffs produced. In agricultural terms, it is of great importance that this notion is compatible with plant biotechnology. For this purpose, it is known that various technologies, starting from classical biotechnology under the name of biotechnology to modern biotechnological methods and increasing in complexity as time passes, are used in agriculture in different ways depending on the development status of countries in science and technology. In addition to all these, although biotechnological approaches have enormous potential to contribute to the world's food security, they have also brought several concerns that genetically modified crops pose a threat. Within the scope of this review, approaches have been made about biotechnology for plants, historical perspective from old to new, modern techniques of biotechnology, gene technologies, new food production technologies and food safety

The potential of using electrochemically activated water on meat systems

The article presents results of scientific research of determining the possibility of using an alkaline fraction of electrochemically activated water at the salting stage of pork roulade. The influence of this liquid on the technological parameters of minced meat and the organoleptic qualities of the finished product has been studied. Objects of the study were samples of a new balanced pork roulade produced in educational and scientific center “Kolbasniy tsekh “Tekhnolog“” of the Food Production Technology Department of the Volgograd State Technical University, according to recipe developed using a computer model. Electrochemically activated water of the alkaline fraction used in the study was obtained in the complex laboratory of Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production. The use of a brine containing such water during salting led to an increase in the water holding capacity of the minced meat and the yield of product. At the same time, no deterioration in organoleptic properties of the samples was revealed. Calculation of production cost showed feasibility of introducing the developed roulade into production.

EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN FARMERS AND FOOD PRODUCTION IN IMBULPE DS DIVISION IN SRI LANKA: A HOUSEHOLD LEVEL ANALYSIS

Women empowerment and gender equity are two significant aspects of the sustainable development of a country. As Sri Lanka is on the way towards sustainable development, this study was conducted to identify the current situation of women farmers’ empowerment and food production in Imbulpe (Divisional Secretariat) DS division of the country. A sample of 300 women farmers was randomly selected for the study, from seven selected Grama Niladhari divisions (GN) of Imbulpe DS division. A field survey was carried out to data collection through a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire from April to July 2019. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis were used as the data analysis methods. Results convey that most of the women farmers were middle aged, married and had two children within their family. Furthermore, most of the respondents had secondary level of education and their average family size was four, 1.25 acres was the average farm land size. They had about 16 years of experience in the field of agriculture sector. The average monthly income of the respondents was 25,000.00 LKR (Sri Lankan Rupees). Women empowerment was measured by using the models of Rahman and Naoroze (2007); Praveen and Leonhauser (2004) with necessary modifications according to the study area. Most of the women farmers were showed social empowerment aspect and political empowerment aspect reported as the least empowerment aspect according to the unit empowerment measures. Out of the socio-economic factors size of the farm land, number of agricultural training programs participated, monthly income of the family, respondents level of education and number of agricultural training programs attended were indicated significant and positive effect for the empowerment of women farmers. Accessibility of credit facilities and agricultural extension program participation showed that there was a considerable impact on food production rather than the cultivable land size and utilization of modern farming technologies for food production. Therefore, providing of timely important agricultural education and training programs, enhance awareness level of modern farming technology utilization, better micro finance programs and agricultural credit facilities will be able to upgrade the level of empowerment of women farmers in Imbulpe DS division furthermore.