Challenges in delivering nutritious food discussed

Challenges in delivering nutritious food were discussed at a workshop on “Millet Foods: design, development and sensory evaluation” held as part of the World Food Day – 2022 events at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management-Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T).

Inaugurating the workshop, Anita Praveen, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, highlighted the challenges in delivering high-quality and nutritious food and mentioned the responsibilities of food technology students in meeting the emerging world food supplies, safety and sustainability.

Pointing out that the food processing industry had traversed the boundaries of conventional basic science, the secretary congratulated the NIFTEM-T for its efforts in evolving and spreading the technologies for better processing, preservation and enriching food products.

Delivering the special address, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr.J.Jayalalithaa Fisheries University G.Sukumar pointed out the potential of millets in the alleviation of hunger problems and nutritional security. He called upon the food science students to innovate technologies suitable for making millet food palatable for the younger generation and filling the missing connections that bring back millets part of the daily diet.

Participating in the workshop, the Association of Food Scientists and Technologies India president Alok Kumar Srivatsava said that the food sector was one segment that never went down even during the recent pandemic situation.

Pointing out that presently several food commodities were being exported across the world, he urged the students to build efficient and standardised processes for increasing the shelf life of food products.

The NIFTEM-T Director M.Loganathan, Dean (in-charge), Research, Consultancy and International Relations, N.Venkatachalapathy, Registrar (in-charge), S.Shanmughasundaram and others participated in the workshop which was attended by more than 500 students from educational institutions, according to a NIFTEM-T release.