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The Faculty of Agriculture (FoA) (University of Mauritius) is the only tertiary Education Institution in the country providing graduate training in Agriculture with an annual enrolment of about 100-125 students. Although the relative contribution of the Agricultural sector to the economy has declined over the past decade--share to GDP: 3.0% in 2014 as compared to 6.4% in 2004[1] the introduction of new schemes in support of Bio- Farming, food processing and value-addition will attract new entrepreneurs to Agriculture. This transformation in the Agriculture sector will create new job opportunities, but has to leverage on skilled human capital. Graduates with good employability skills are of strategic importance to the FoA, in line with the government's vision to develop a knowledge-based economy. This study aimed at mapping out the set of skills, understandings and personal attributes that will increase the job prospects of the fresh graduate from FoA in Agriculture. The main research question centred on the perceptions of employers, alumni and students of the FoA, concerning the most relevant competences for the Subject Area (key general and key subject specific competences), understandings and personal attributes, which enhance the employability of graduates in Agriculture. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explored and triangulated the perceptions from four key stakeholders' perspectives, namely: a range of employers, Industry Placement Supervisors, alumni of the FoA and current students. Both quantitative and qualitative insights of the perceptions on the employability skills of FoA undergraduates were obtained from a wide range of employers from the private and public sector. An analysis of data from the interviews and responses was carried out using SPSS. The key attributes that were valued by the key stakeholders have been used to inform the 'Employability Skills Subject Area Framework', and the 'Curriculum Mapping', proposed for the degree of BSc (Hons) Agriscience and Technology of the FoA.

As the world population is expected to rise to nearly eleven billion by 2050, a concomitant rise in the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV) is expected. FFV are highly perishable and constitute 20% of the global food wastage with nearly 30% of the losses occurring at the post-harvest (PH) phase. This represents a challenge to ensure food and nutrition security for future generations. A proposed solution is the use of edible coatings incorporating natural ingredients that have the potential to reduce PH losses. Rising consumer demands for healthy, safe and sustainable food have translated to a greater acceptance of natural edible coatings. Edible coatings are hydrocolloid-based layers often applied to the surface of FFV to confer physical protection as well as extending shelf-life and consumer attraction. Although there has been extensive research on edible coatings, their widespread use has been limited due to a number of challenges such as a lack of standards and regulations, limited market research on consumer opinion and purchase intent, difficulties in scaling-up for industrial application and environmental sustainability concerns. This article attempts to shed light on the drivers fostering, as well as barriers impeding, commercial uptake of edible coatings in the FFV industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pectin, a polysaccharide, is ubiquitously found in cell wall of higher plants. It is traditionally used in the preparation of jam, jellies, and marmalades as a gelling agent. New applications of pectin continue to emerge, making pectin extraction and commercialisation an attractive investment. Commercially available pectin is extracted from citrus peels and apple pomace worldwide. However, a number of tropical and sub-tropical fruits by-products represent potential sources of pectin which can also be capitalised. It is to be noted that conventional extraction of pectin requires a lot of energy and involves the use of mineral acids. In line with sustainable development goals, studies have been undertaken to assess the efficiency of non-conventional green extraction methods, such as microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and enzyme-assisted extraction, on the yield and characteristics of pectin extracted from tropical and sub-tropical fruits. The present review article compares and discusses the effects of conventional and non-conventional pectin extraction techniques on the extraction of pectin from tropical and sub-tropical fruits by-products, as well as the potential applications of pectin extracted from these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pineapple is one of the most economically important fruit crops of Mauritius and is often sold after being minimally processed (MP). Unfortunately, minimally processed whole (MPW) and fresh-cut (MPC) pineapples are susceptible to microbial contamination that can compromise the quality of the products. It is therefore important that MP pineapples have optimal freshness, nutritional quality, and are free from microbial contamination which would otherwise constitute a public health hazard to the consumers. The main aim of this study was to assess the microbiological, nutritional, and physicochemical quality of MP pineapples sourced from wet markets and supermarkets. Samples of MPW and MPC pineapples collected from open markets and supermarkets were subjected to microbiological, pH, and vitamin C analyses. The MP pineapples were also challenged using the specific spoilage organism (SSO), Pseudomonas fluorescens and subsequently stored at either ambient or refrigeration temperature to simulate storage conditions of wet markets and supermarkets, respectively. Laboratory analyses revealed that the Total Viable Counts (TVC), pH, and vitamin C content for MPW and MPC pineapples sampled ranged from 4.8 – 5.5 Log CFU/g, 4.16 – 4.96, and 21.60 – 28.90 mg/100 g, respectively. Since the population density of TVC was less than 7 Log CFU/g, which usually marks the onset of microbiological spoilage, the products were considered to be of a satisfactory microbiological quality. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference in the microbiological load, pH, and vitamin C content for pineapples sourced from markets and supermarkets. Taken together, this study reveals that MP pineapples sold in wet markets and supermarkets have a satisfactory microbiological, nutritional, and sensorial quality with a shelf-life of >7 hours and >5 days when stored at room (29°C) and refrigeration (4°C) temperatures, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]