IIFPT supports the battle against COVID-19 by manufacturing and supplying nutrient-rich foods to Covid-19 patients
New Delhi: Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), a pioneer Research and Educational Institution under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), is supporting India’s fight against Covid-19. Union FPI Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal appreciated the initiative taken by IIFPT to manufacture nutrient rich foods for COVID-19 patients at a time when the need for healthy and immunity boosting foods is indispensable.
The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) has been manufacturing such nutrient-rich foods for COVID-19 patients under medical examination and those who recently recovered from the pandemic after treatment at Thanjavur Medical College, Tamil Nadu.
The IIFPT has been supporting the efforts of the District Administration, Thanjavur and Thanjavur Medical College (TMC) in combating COVID-19. Director. Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan said that focusing on nutrition to improve immunity in wake of Covid-19, scientists from the IIFPT have come up with novel food product formulations that have been packed with a range of indigenous foods. Breads, cookies, rusks and millet pops are being prepared on a daily basis at IIFPT’s HACCP and ISO Certified Food Processing Business Incubation Center (FPBIC) and are being supplied to the Medical College and Hospital. The initiative kicked off on 21st April, 2020 in the presence of the District Collector and the Dean, TMC. All products are being prepared and packed carefully by IIFPT staff.
Bread loaves are being enriched with dried moringa leaves, groundnut powder and whey protein to make up to around 9.8% protein and 8.1% fibre, apart from natural immunity-boosters like garlic, turmeric, ginger, pepper, and other spices. Cookies have around 14.16% protein and 8.71% fibre, apart from the benefits of spice extracts. With around 12.85% protein and 10.61% fibre, the rusks were equally good in terms of organoleptic attributes. Importantly, no synthetic additives are being added to these products and they are sent to the hospital soon after manufacturing (packaging and labelling).
In addition, IIFPT also houses a FSSAI referral laboratory and the Department of Food Safety and Quality Testing is preparing hand sanitizers for the District Police Department and other officers who are involved in various duties during this period. These hand sanitizers are being formulated as per WHO protocols.
The IIFPT is a national level academic and research Institution under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India. Through its main campus at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu and liaison offices at Bathinda, Punjab and Guwahati, Assam, the IIFPT offers various services in areas of food processing, value addition, food quality and safety, and business incubation.
