All India Coordinated Project for Special Research in Food Quality and Nutrition for TNAU

COIMBATORE: Indian Council of Agricultural Research has sanctioned a new All India Coordinated project on home science to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to brace research in achieving the common goal of food and nutrition security.

The funding was to the tune of Rs 67 lakh per annum, which would facilitate scientists to work in the area of Food and Nutrition and the project will be implemented from the current year at Home Science College and Research Institute, Madurai, a constituent college of TNAU.

Intensive research on value addition of millets, development of functional foods and nutraceutical foods, foods to address micro nutrient deficiency and lifestyle disorders with specific reference to food safety and quality would be taken up in this program, a TNAU release said today.

Sustainability of food security is one of the important objectives that underlie the entire gamut of work of the university and the core of food security is nutritional security--access to healthy food and optimal nutrition for all.

Though India has attained self sufficiency in food production, about 30 per cent perishables and 10 per cent of durables are lost due to improper handling.

TNAU has a mission to ensure food and nutrition security by minimizing post harvest losses and development of value added products through promotion of specific focused interventions, research and advocacy.

As one of its strategies, a new under graduate degree program on B.Sc (Food Science and Nutrition) has been introduced from this academic year.

This program has special emphasis on food safety and quality control that are going to be key players in future food system and nutrition - sensitive agriculture.