CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, has signed an MoU with the Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Ltd. (KSMD and MCL) under the Department of Horticulture, for establishing a mango development centre (MDC) at Chintamani.
According to the agreement, CFTRI will function as a technical consultant for creating infrastructure for post-harvest handling of mangoes.
The plant with unit operations such as washing, sorting, pre-cooling, cold storage, pulp extraction and processing will be commissioned by CSIR-CFTRI under the agreement.
The institute has developed a number of technologies related to mangoes which include technology protocols for shelf-life extension that enable export of mango; alphonso by ship; fortified mango bar; osmo-air dried mango slices; ready-to-serve fruit beverages, fruit syrups and squashes, pickles and chutneys, jam and jellies, according to a CFTRI release.
A few of these technologies will be transferred to MDC, whose personnel will be trained on processing and quality analysis of products. In turn, MDC will also impart training to farmers and entrepreneurs, the release added.
CSIR-CFTRI has been working with various State government departments for catalysing the growth in nascent sectors such as nutraceuticals with the Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS); skill development in association with the Karnataka Council for Technological Upgradation (KCTU); Department of Industries and Commerce, ensuring nutritious meal to hostel mates with the Department of Social Justice, providing nutritional supplements to Anganwadis with the Department of Women and Child Development.
These food supplements had been prepared by the premier food research lab to address nutritional deficiencies among the pre-school children.
Besides fortified mango bar, other nutritive products include rice mix, high protein rusk, energy food, nutri chikki with spirulina, nutri sprinkle and sesame paste.
The products are comprehensive in nutrition profile with requisite macro and micronutrients for pre-school children. The products had been developed for complementing the existing Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) feeding solution via anganwadis since pre-school children are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. The MoU documents were exchanged between Ram Rajasekharan, Director, CSIR-CFTRI and Kadrigowda, Managing Director, KSMD and MCL at a function at CFTRI here recently.
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