Crucial role of nutrition stressed

Mysore, Sep 1 (UNI) Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Director Dr V Prakash today emphasised the crucial role of nutrition in synergising the food processing system.

Inaugurating the National Nutrition week celebrations here, organised by the Mysore Clinical Society, he said the demand for quality value-added food products would increase because of the economic elevation of the middle class, who would dominate the urban system in future. There appeared to be a clear demand for processed food products and semi-processed food products, but rural masses continue to be forgotten in this regard, he lamented.

Consumer, being a knowledge partner, would demand quality nutrition in semi-processed foods, Dr Prakash said, adding that ''when we look at food processing itself, we need to worry about food safety and cost-effectiveness.'' He said the focus point from the biotechnology and processing points of view of food technology was the enhancement of nutrients through biotechnological approach on the one hand and retention of nutrients during processing and bio-processing on the other.

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