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FOOD
technology is a field that has ever-increasing prospects in view of
the growing fad for ready-to-eat products, says Dr S.S.Dhawan,
Professor, Centre of Food Science and Technology, Chaudhary Charan
Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. What are the
trends in the field of food science and technology in the country? The
food processing industry has been accorded high priority in the
industrial policy. Food Science and Technology is emerging as
a promising discipline and getting an overwhelming response from the
students. Especially those science graduates who do not want to
tread the beaten path are venturing into this area. With the
fast-expanding food industry, professional food scientists and
technicians are also in demand. Where do the fresh food science
graduates and postgraduates find themselves in the job market? Fresh
graduates stand a fair chance of getting jobs in the food
manufacturing and processing industry, food research and analysis
laboratories, hotels, tourism industry, bakery units, milk plants,
Railways, airlines and the defence forces. They can also start a
unit of their own or go in for higher and more specialized
studies. What are the major areas of specialisation in the
discipline? The field offers a wide range of specializations,
including fruit and vegetable processing, cereal technology, pulses
and oilseeds technology, food chemistry, food microbiology,
post-harvest technology, dairy technology, animal products
technology, food packaging and developing of food-processing
machinery. What kinds of processed foods are in vogue these
days? Ready-to-eat food products based on fruits, vegetables
and cereals are in great demand. Semi-dried intermediate moisture
fruits are readily accepted by Defence forces and airlines etc.
Besides, ready-to-serve beverages and instant upma and halwa
mixtures are showing good sales. High-fibre, low-fat,
low-cholesterol and sugar-free dairy and bakery products are selling
like hot cakes. Readymade gravy mix has also been made at our centre
and is in final stages of testing. When did this centre come
into being? It was started as the Department of Food Science
and Technology under the College of Basic Sciences and became an
independent centre in 2002. We are running an M.Sc course,
admissions for which are through an entrance test. Besides giving
theoretical knowledge and practical exposure to the students, we
earn some money by way of selling our food products at the
Agricultural Technology Information Centre. Buoyed by the good
response, proposals to start undergraduate as well as Ph.D courses
are also under consideration of the higher authorities. —
Sunit Dhawan
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