The exhibition that got off to a start as part of the 9th International Food Convention (IFCoN-2023) here on Friday offers a peek into the world of food technologies, including the new launches by young scientists, besides the innovations by the CSIR labs that have come together to showcase their scientific expertise.
The exhibition on the premises of CSIR-CFTRI saw delegates from different parts of the country who had come to explore the innovations and achievements made in the area of food technologies. The expo was open to public from afternoon and will be open the entire day on Saturday.
CSIR-CFTRI Director Sridevi Annapurna Singh inaugurated the expo in the presence of Association of Food Scientists and Technologists president and IITR Director N. Bhaskar and other dignitaries.
The highlight of the expo is an exclusive pavilion on millets that showcases the technologies developed on millets by the CSIR-CFTRI and DRDO-DFRL and others. Those who availed the millet-based technologies from the CFTRI and launched the products commercially with value additions were also on display.
The expo also has a pavilion by the CSIR labs which have showcased their technologies and innovations. CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, showcased technologies it developed in recent years which include innovations for checking adulteration in milk and fruit juices.
Entrepreneurs have developed health drinks based on millets using the technologies developed by the premier food lab and visitors were showing interest in the products since there has been a major push to encourage people to consume millets considering their health properties. The exhibitors were seen explaining their products to visitors.
Sahaja Samrudda, which preserves neglected crop varieties working with small farmers, has displayed a diverse variety of millets at the expo.
The essential oil-based bio fumigation technology is the innovation by the CFTRI that uses eco-friendly fumigants for safer applications for the protection of stored foodgrains from insect pests. The developed technology could be useful for bulk grain storages at warehouses, rural farms and other food grain storage depots, a note from the CFTRI said.
At rural farms, the technology may be useful for seed storage protection from insect pest infestations. Also, grain storage corporations, hotels, food processing industries, retails shops, hostel mess, midday meal schools, ration shops and others can use the technology for safe storage of food grains without any harmful impacts, the scientists said.
We Mill, an initiative by the rural women from Bilikere near Mysuru, whose efforts were cited at the inaugural session of the IFCoN-2023, has put up its stall displaying a diverse varieties of millet products. The products have been developed using the CSIR-CFTRI technologies by the SHG members and include bakery products, beverages and so on. Ragi mudde mix and ragi huri hittu are among the products on display besides cookies.
Ice cream from coconut milk was another product that caught the attention of visitors. An initiative by a local entrepreneur from Koorgalli here, the products under the name ‘Abhay’ that include coconut are virgin coconut oil, flavored coconut milk, coconut cream and so on, made using the technologies developed by the CFTRI.
