The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), which joined Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in supplying flood-relief food to Kerala and Kodagu, plans to distribute 50,000 meals in the flood-hit regions over the next three to four days.
Relief food material prepared at the CFTRI’s pilot plants as well as manufacturing facilities of local industries, which had taken Institute’s technologies, were sent to Kerala and Kodagu on Sunday and Monday. After supplying 50,000 meals over three-four days, CFTRI will review its operations in terms of supply and product mix, a statement from the Institute said.
The consignments by the CFTRI included rehydrate and consume wheat rava upma and imli poha, chapattis, high-protein biscuits, tomato curry, pickles, jam and chutney, besides water bottles.
All the food products are highly nutritious with a reasonable shelf-life, according to the statement. While the first consignment of 14,500 meals including 3,000 for air-dropping over central Kerala was sent on Sunday, the second consignment was sent on Monday afternoon.
While the food items meant for distribution in Ernakulam/Thiruvananthapuram region of Kerala was airlifted from Mysuru airport in an IAF aircraft along with relief food prepared by DFRL, the food items for Wayanad region in Kerala and Kodagu left by road in separate trucks.
Commissioner of Food Safety, Government of Karnataka, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, and the office of Mysuru MP Pratap Simha had contacted the CFTRI with a request to send relief supplies to the flood-hit regions.
It may be mentioned here that DFRL is also dispatching ready to eat food packets to flood-hit regions of Kerala and Kodagu.
