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ICT Mumbai – Hub for food technology studies
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Monday, 03 January, 2011, 14 : 55 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Mumbai University’s Institute of Chemical Technology (MUICT), earlier known as the UDCT, is the most outstanding institute for food & beverage technology studies. It enjoys a unique and prominent place amongst the premier institutes that are engaged in education, training and research in the field of chemical engineering, f&b technology, chemical technology and pharmacy in India.
“ICT is a jewel in the crown of the University of Mumbai,” exclaim Dr Uday S Annapure, associate professor – food chemistry, coordinator – food biotechnology at Food Engineering and Technology Department, ICT Mumbai, and also vice president of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) – Mumbai Chapter. In an exclusive online interview from Washington US, Dr Annapure talks about ICT’s latest food technology courses, achievements and future objectives for the betterment of food technology studies in the country. Excerpts:
How many food technology courses are available at the ICT Mumbai?
At present, there are about eight courses, namely Bachelors, Masters and PhD in food engineering and technology, Masters and PhD in food biotechnology supported by the department of biotechnology (DBT) and other Under Graduate (UG) courses. We also have a PhD course in biochemistry, microbiology.
Recently, we started a new course in food biotechnology which is a blend of food technology and biotechnology. In an era of genetically modified (GM) foods, food biotechnology offers plethora of opportunities in biotech agriculture. It is a two-year post-graduate course, supported by the DBT, Government of India. Our current intake capacity for this course is only 10 students who also enjoy a fellowship of Rs 8,000 per month.
So far how many students have passed out from the ICT Mumbai?
ICT was founded in 1934 and was awarded the status of the Institute on January 26, 2002, and renamed MUICT. Since 1936, on an average our institute produces over 15 food technologists every year.
The current academic year encompasses about 64 under graduate students, 20 post graduate students in food technology, 20 post graduate students in biotechnology, and about 25 students have applied for doctorate.
Do students patent food innovations at the ICT?
Yes, students can patent their innovations but hardly anyone does. There are many hitches for patenting: First, the innovation should be worth patenting. Second, as students mostly work on food chemistry and technology they get less time to work on innovation and lastly many of our researches are industry sponsored. So we do not get an opportunity to patent the innovation.
Does the industry benefit from your research?
Of course, the sponsoring industry uses the researched technology. If they are putting money in research then they should get all fruits.
According to you, what is the scope for food technologists in India?
Food technologists in India have excellent scope these days. Huge number of foreign brands flocking in and other multinationals tying up with national brands, help fresh food technologists to earn at least Rs 5-8 lakh per annum.
Last week, two of our students got appointment letters from Nestle – they are in their final year and will complete one more semester. The students are getting jobs before they complete their graduation.
Further, we at the ICT also organise campus recruitment every year. Multinationals like Cadbury, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Mapro, Godrej and ITC participate in our campus recruitment. Last year, we placed 3 students abroad, i.e. in New Zealand, and Malaysia. This year, Malaysia-based Kerry Flavours also participated.
What is the objective of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists?
This Association was established in 1957, it is one of the largest food technology professional and educational organisations. It aims to bring all food technologists on a single platform. There are members from academics, as well as the food industry. It is a voluntary individual membership for all food technologists and professionals related to food technology industry. The food technology students can also become members of the AFSTI.
Our major objective is to stimulate and advance knowledge-base on various aspects of food science and technology by organising national and international conferences and bringing out technical publications.
Why has the ICT sent you to Washington. What is the purpose of of your Washington trip?
My six-month US visit is supported by department of science and technology, ministry of science and technology, Govt of India.
Here at Washington DC, I am working on an application of Pulsed Electric Field in fruit juice preservation, particularly in grape juices. It is some kind of pasteurisation process but non-thermal processing. With this technology pasteurisation is done at room temperature instead of 72° Celsius which is quite high. The beauty of this process is that one can kill microorganisms at the room temperature.
One more technique which I am learning here is the UV treatment to reduce surface load of microbes on fruits. It is also non-thermal. Recently, I also visited the University of California, Davis and Prof. R Paul Singh’s state-of-the-art laboratory. He is working on simulation of food digestion in stomach.
So the purpose of your visit is to bring some knowledge about non-thermal processing in India?
Yes. The simple principle behind this is electroporation of cell membrane of organism. Once I return to India, I can give them first-hand knowledge of these new technologies as I have personally worked here. It will not only be theoretical but also some practical experience of the latest food technologies.
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