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CSIR-CFTRI National Nutrition Week presses to minimise nutrient loss during food processing
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Thursday, 05 September, 2024, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
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CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, is now calling to minimise nutrient loss during food processing. At the National Nutrition Week 2024 and Global Bio India Roadshow 2024, the institute highlighted that this could be possible through using right processing methods, temperature control, considering fortification and using fresh ingredients.
At a day long event with the theme ‘Nutritious diets for everyone’, Professor S Kowsalya, Department of Food Science Nutrition, Avinashilingam Institute, Coimbatore, noted the importance of developing technologies that minimise nutrient loss during food processing.
She referenced a study involving 111 food items from various regions in India. The study found that these foods were totally deficient in 11 essential nutrients. Based on these findings, Prof. Kowsalya advocated for a preference for traditional foods over fast foods to ensure better nutritional outcomes.
Calling for policy interventions and behavioural change to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables, Prof. Kowsalya said that even though cost may be involved in the transformation towards consumption of fruits, at least seasonal fruits need to be consumed.
Noting the overdependence on processed foods, energy drinks, artificial sweeteners and fast foods, she said these were the cause of lifestyle diseases. It is here that she emphasised the need for greater collaboration between food technologists and nutritionists as the link was dependable. Even now nutritionists are dependent on food technologists for advice.
According to Dr Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI, diet and disease were ‘inter-related’ and there was a need for people to be eating the kind of food that makes them immune to diseases. In the earlier days of food processing, food scientists were looking towards enhancement of shelf life. For, a large quantity of food produced in India was going waste due to poor shelf life.
“We started removing brawn and polishing the rice and refining oils and wheat. All of this probably compromised the quality of nutrients that were present. At least 40 to 50 years down the line, the so-called non-nutrients we were removing from the grains, were actually giving health benefits”, stated the CFTRI Director.
Nevertheless, food processing now has to not only extend shelf life of food but also retain its nutrients. "Food technology now has to cater food to a large population with convenience and less cost while also ensuring health as well as nutrition to the people," she said.
Currently, it is common that fewer people were cooking food at home in India and referred to advertisements of houses put up for rent or sale in Bengaluru where the kitchen was missing in Bedroom Hall Kitchens (BHKs). "It means kitchens were not present in houses that were put up for rent or sale. It means that eating processed food available in the market was the trend,” she said.
Prachi Agarwal, Senior Manager, Technical, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Government of India, who was the guest of honour, spoke about the upcoming Global Bio India Roadshow 2024 scheduled from September 2-14, 2024, at New Delhi. She highlighted the funding opportunities for the food and beverage start-ups in the country.
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