Processing and Value Addition of Onion in Sindh Province of Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67244/jai.bwo-researches.v4i3.a266Keywords:
Onion powder, onion shelf life, powder yield, quality, Value AdditionAbstract
Onion is largely cultivated in Sindh Province of Pakistan. Most of the fresh onion is wasted due to a lack of market and processing facilities. This study aims to develop new by-products from onion to increase the shelf life and nutritional value and reduce post-harvest losses. The fresh samples of onion were subjected to preparation of different products by following different processing methods, including sample selection, washing, cutting, removal of inedible parts, cutting, drying, curing, and packaging. The selected samples of onion powder, onion paste, onion pickle, and fried onions were analyzed for physico-chemical and sensory analysis. The results obtained for various products have shown significant variation in product quality. The low moisture content results in an extension of onion powder product shelf life and an increase in onion powder yield %. The findings demonstrate that processing method selection is a critical determinant of onion product quality, with dehydration and powdering offering the greatest potential for shelf-life extension and market diversification.
References
Ahamad, S., Sagar, V. R., Asrey, R., Islam, S., Tomar, B. S., Vinod, B. R., Menaka, M., & Kumar, A. (2024). Nutritional retention and browning minimisation in dehydrated onion slices through potassium metabisulphite and sodium chloride pre-treatments. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 59(8), 5794–5805. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.17334
Ali, M., & Bukhari, S. (2020). Economic analysis of post-harvest losses in onion production in Sindh, Pakistan. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, 17(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/ajaad.2020.017001
AACC International. (2000). Approved methods of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (10th ed., Method 76-31).
FAO (2023): FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/faostat
Kumar, R., Singh, J., & Sharma, P. (2021). Post-harvest management and value addition in onions: A strategy for reducing losses and enhancing income. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, 23(2), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrisci.2021.02.003
Singh, V., Kaur, G., & Ahmad, S. (2023). Global market trends for onion powder and other processed onion products. Food Industry Insights, 34(1), 56–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodindins.2023.01.005
Government of Pakistan. (2022). Agricultural policy framework: Strategies for diversification and value addition. Ministry of National Food Security & Research. Retrieved from http://www.mnfsr.gov.pk
Chauhan, A., & Verma, R. (2020). Potential of
essential oils from onion and other Allium species in food and pharmaceuticals. International Journal of Aromatic Science, 19(4), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijas.2020.04.002
Market Research Future. (2023). Onion powder market research report: Forecast to 2030. Retrieved from https://www.marketresearchfuture.com
Khan, M. A., & Saeed, T. (2021). An assessment of the socio-economic impact of value-added agriculture in Sindh, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 34(3), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjar/2021.34.3.202.214
Hossain, M. S., & Rahman, M. M. (2022). Advances in dehydration technology for the production of onion powder and flakes. International Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 28(2), 78–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfp.2022.28.2
Rehman, F., & Shaikh, N. (2020). Analysis of agricultural exports in Pakistan: Prospects for processed horticultural products. Economic Review of Pakistan, 18(1), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.20521/erp.2020.18.1
Hussain, I., Jamil, A., & Anwar, F. (2013). The effects of onion storage on its physico-chemical properties and shelf-life. Food Research International, 50(1), 132-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2013.04.013
Kumar, R., Thakur, M., & Saha, S. (2015). Drying kinetics of onion and its effect on the quality of the dried product. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 39(6), 1293-1300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2015.02.006
Sharma, A., Gupta, M., & Tiwari, S. (2016). Effect of frying temperature and time on the quality of onion rings. Food Chemistry, 211, 121-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.07.074
Kumar, M., Raj, M., & Yadav, R. (2017). Preparation and storage of onion pickle using natural preservatives. Journal of Food Science & Technology, 54(8), 2307-2313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11483-017-9482-0
Kumar, R., Singh, J., & Sharma, P. (2021). Post-harvest management and value addition in onions: A strategy for reducing losses and enhancing income. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, 23(2), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrisci.2021.02.003
Singh, A., Rani, M., & Kumar, R. (2014).
Optimization of drying process and grinding conditions for onion powder production. Food
Research International, 62, 1278-1285.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2014.01.031
Patil, P., Kumar, A., & Thakur, D. (2019). Preparation and sensory evaluation of onion rings from onion slices. Journal of Food Quality Assurance, 41(3), 1091-1099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2019.02.013
Brennand, C. P., & Butterfield, D. A. (1992). Flavor chemistry of fried foods. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 40(5), 865–870. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf00017a001
Lawless, H. T., & Heymann, H. (2010). Sensory Evaluation of Food: Principles and Practices (2nd ed.). Springer.
Meilgaard, M., Civille, G. V., & Carr, B. T. (2006). Sensory Evaluation Techniques (4th ed.). CRC Press.
Mullarney, M. P., & Beach, L. E. (2020). Bulk density measurement of pharmaceutical powders: A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 585, 119456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119456
Market Research Future. (2023). Onion powder market research report: Forecast to 2030. Retrieved from https://www.marketresearchfuture.com.
Ratti, C. (2001). Hot air and freeze-drying of high-value foods: A review. Journal of Food Engineering, 49(4), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0260-8774(00)00228-4
Savitha, S., Chakraborty, S., & Thorat, B. N. (2022). Microstructural changes in blanched, dehydrated, and rehydrated onion. Drying Technology, 40(12), 2550–2567. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2022.2078347
Sablani, S. S., Rahman, M. S., & Al-Belushi, R. (2008). Moisture diffusivity of onion powder during drying: Effects of temperature and relative humidity. Drying Technology, 26(9), 1101–1106. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373930802266258
Tamang, J. P., Watanabe, K., & Holzapfel, W. H. (2016). Review: Diversity of microorganisms in global fermented foods and beverages. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, 377. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00377
Van Boekel, M. A. J. S. (2021). Kinetics of Maillard reactions in foods. In Chemical Changes During Processing and Storage of Foods (pp. 215–256). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817380-0.00006-3
Ziteng, L., Yang, S., Cheng, L., Liao, P., Dai, S., Tong, X., Tian, T., Wang, H., & Jiang, L. (2023). Emulsifying properties and oil–water interface properties of succinylated soy protein isolate: Affected by conformational flexibility of the interfacial protein. Food Hydrocolloids, 136(Part A), 108224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108224
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Agriculture Innovations and Cutting-Edge Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
BWO Research International
Pakistan