In the recently concluded MSME fair in Bhubaneswar, CFTRI amply demonstrated its capability and many local entrepreneurs and start ups were showing interest in these prototypes.
Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Make in India initiative has boosted the prospects of at least one sector. The food processing and beverages industry has lapped up the opportunity. Entrepreneurs and businessmen across the board are readying themselves to make it a happening enterprise.
Over the past several years, the food processing sector has emerged as a profit-making area because of its immense potential for value addition. Clearly, product development and innovation has been engaging the attention of many industrial bodies, particularly the Confederation of Indian Industry. For the government’s part, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi has been in the forefront to boost up the sector. Being the premier national R&D organization, the efforts of CSIR has been noteworthy in pioneering the food processing sector.
Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore is one such institution that is working for research and development in the food processing sector. Being a constituent laboratory of the CSIR, CFTRI has developed several protocols and processes relating to pre and post-harvest handling of fresh produces. Its thrust has been on value addition of fruits and vegetables. Take for example the technology protocol for export of alphonso mango and banana. Dehydration of fruit and vegetable (including mushroom), fruit juice pulp, fruit juice concentrates, fruit juice beverages, fruit bars, garlic and onion powders have become hugely popular.
Pectin from pertinacious materials, minimally processed vegetables as well as traditional products like jams, jellies and preserves, pickles and chutneys, candy or tutti-frutti has been released. Industries – both in domestic and export markets – are using these technologies for commercial exploitation.
What’s more, CFTRI is working ad infinitum to minimize economic loss in the agro 
sector. Understanding the structural diversity is another important task of CFTRI. To develop functional foods for nutritional security, it has taken up three major research activities: postharvest technology of fresh produce, processed product development and emerging technologies.
CFTRI’s objective has been to provide know-how at a very low cost or no cost for those engaged in agro and food processing sector. These technologies are open and new- age agro start ups can receive training and high- end knowledge while making a profit.
In the recently concluded MSME fair in Bhubaneswar, CFTRI amply demonstrated its capability and many local entrepreneurs and start ups were showing interest in these prototypes.