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.
Source : The Hindu
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