On the occasion of the National Technology Day, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru on Monday announced that it has developed 12 new technologies during the year 2023-24. With this, the number of technologies developed by the premier food technological institute has gone to 432.
The new technologies include ragi-based malt hydrolysate, malted ragi-based ready-to-eat weaning food, a process for production of multigrain waffles, and multigrain pizza base. The focus of the technologies was on millets since 2023 was the International Year of Millets.
Other technologies are finger-millet semolina, instant finger-millet ragi rava idli mix, instant finger-millet halwa mix, instant finger-millet upma mix, millet and multi millet puttu podi mix, cleaner process for biotechnological production of spirulina, and ready-to-use multigrain idli and dosa batter in retail packs.
According to the scientists who have developed the technology, the ready-to-eat malted ragi-based weaning food is suitable for children of the age group of six months to three years. Notably, fruits like apples, mangoes, oranges, and vegetables like carrots or tomatoes can be incorporated in the food.
CFTRI scientists say the new improvised multigrain pizza base is developed using the combination of wheat and millet by prudently reformulating and optimising processing conditions. The pizza base has shown significant improvement in protein and dietary fiber by 1.4 and 1.2 times respectively compared to wheat flour pizza, apart from improvement in other nutrients. The pizza base has a mould free shelf life of five days when stored at room temperature.
“Since most teenagers and middle-aged people eat pizza, refined wheat flour which looks to have a low nutritional value, may be used to make most pizzas. This might result in nutritional deficiencies for future generations. Therefore, the institute reformulated the ingredients of pizza base to incorporate sources of high-quality protein and fiber to help prevent the nutritional issue,” a note on the technology said.
