Plans skill initiatives on spice processing and post-harvest technologies for horticultural crops this month under CSIR Integrated Skill program
CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is organising two Skill Development initiatives in Spice Processing on September 20 and Post-Harvest Technologies for Horticultural Crops on September 30 under CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative for the benefit of the budding entrepreneurs, micro-entrepreneurs, startups, SHGs and entrepreneurial aspirants. The registration fee for the programs is nominal, it said.
Founded in 1950, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, is a well-regarded research and development institution in the field of food science and technology which is actively engaged in the creation of novel and sustainable solutions for national development. The institute has expert faculties who have considerable years of experience in the area of food science and technology, a release said.
India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices — the country produces about 75 of the 109 varieties listed by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) and accounts for half of the global trading in spices. Indian spices are the most sought-after globally, given their exquisite aroma, texture, taste and medicinal value. India has the largest domestic market for spices in the world.
According to the CFTRI, the workshop on Spice Processing will be conducted in a hybrid mode — both offline and online mode. As many as 30 participants can visit the Institute for offline participation on a first-come-first-serve basis. The workshop will cover in detail about the current status and opportunities in spice processing, spice nutraceuticals and trends towards their value addition, analytical methods in spice processing, encapsulation of flavours and colorants, fumigation and infestation control for safe storage of spices, food safety standards and regulation in spice processing etc., the release said.
According to APEDA records, India is the world’s top producer of vegetables like ginger, okra and the leading producer of fruits including bananas, papayas, and mangoes. Utilising India’s capacity for processing fruits and vegetables into frozen (IQF), canned, pulp, puree, paste, sauces, dressings, flakes, dices, dehydration, pickles, juices, slices, chips, jams, and jellies etc. presents a significant opportunity.
The key topics in the one-day workshop on “Post-Harvest Technologies for Horticultural Crops” covers role of pack house in post-harvest handling of horticultural products, technologies for estimation of shelf life and pack house operations of fruits and vegetables, packaging requirements for fresh fruits and vegetables, equipment for fruits and vegetables processing, dehydration and canning of fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and beverage manufacture, cold storage for fruit and vegetable products.
The last date to apply for the workshops is September 18 (for spice processing) and September 26 (post-harvest technologies).
Those interested to attend these workshops may go through the details available online at https://www.cftri.res.in/sdp
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