Development
of Research Projects:
The
Institute of Food Technology realizing
the needs of procuring hi-tech equipments
and developing laboratories facilities
required for installation and operation
of these equipments three development
projects were developed on prescribed
PC-I format and submitted to the Higher
Education Commission for funding to
strengthen the capability of food
technology department on modern basis.
The details of these projects are
as under:
1.
Food Technology: A Tool for Poverty
Alleviation for Rural Areas.
Project duration: 3 years
Approved Project Cost 36.404 Million
Rupees.
Status Approved & Running
2.
Development of Fruit & Vegetable
Processing Center.
Project duration: 3 years
Approved Project Cost 29.985 Million
Rupees.
Status Approved & Running
3.
Mycotoxin in Agriculture Produce &
Food Safety
Project duration: 3 years
Approved Project Cost 39.125 Million
Rupees.
Status In process for Approval
Achievements of the Project:
As
per objectives of development project
Food Technology: A Tool for Poverty
Alleviation for Rural Areas, the repair
and renovation of the laboratories,
and offices of Institute of Food Sciences
& Technology, were carried out
in accordance with the requirement
of installation facilities of hi-tech
equipment and completed. In total
eight laboratories i.e Post harvest
technology, Food microbiology, Computer,
Food analysis, New product development,
Processing and preservation, Cereal
technology/Bakery Technology, and
Cold storage were repaired. Apart
from this Institute library were also
established. The hi-tech equipments
such as HPLC, Autoclaves, Computerized
Microscope, Walk in type cold storage,
Kjeldal apparatus, Refrigerated centrifuges,
Dehydration Chamber, Pulper, Baking
Oven, Dough mixer, Sindle and Double
distillery, Shakers, Water Baths,
Atomic absorption, Spectrophotometer,
Refrectometer, Texture analyzer, Bacteria
colony counter, Jello meter, Polati
meter, GCMS, Bread Cutter, Computers,
Printers, Air conditioners, etc. All
the equipments were installed and
functioning satisfactory. The analytical
and research work are in progress
and carried out by students and staff
members. The significant research
achievements have been published in
national and international repute
journals. The summary of these achievements
of research are incorporate in the
upcoming pages.
Books of Current edition on different
disciplines of food technology have
been procured. These have been placed
in Institute library for references.
The total number of books procured
is more than 400 copies. The furniture
and fixture required for offices,
laboratories, computer lab and library
have been purchased and placed properly
as required.
As
per one of the objective of PC-I of
Food Technology Project : A Tool for
Poverty Alleviation for Rural Areas,
technology developed by the Institute
on processing and preservation of
fruits and vegetables, production
of various bakery products and product
preparation of Dairy and Agriculture
Commodities were disseminated through
short trainings to the rural women
and men. Hopefully these trainings
will help the rural masses in carrying
out the product preparation for sale
in the community and to earn income
to reduce poverty. The 87 number of
participants who participated in first
training started from 18-23 Sep, 2006.
Where as in second training 50 number
of participants participated from
various places of Sindh. The training
started from 15-17 Feb, 2007, and
in third training which started from
19-21 March 2007, 30 male participants
participated and in fourth training
105 rural women participated. The
training started from 26-28 March
2007.
Research
Achievements:
Research
studies carried out on different aspects
of extending shelf life of fruits,
improving quality of ice cream, exploring
suitability of wheat flour of different
wheat varieties for bread, biscuits
and pizza preparation, Storage of
mango pulp using different chemical
preservatives, effect of boiling /
frying on the quality characteristics
of potato and effect of various drying
methods of nutritional quality of
okra vegetable. As the department
has initiated research on need of
the time. Through these studies very
interesting results have been achieved.
These findings have been published
in research journal and some of the
finds have been presented in science
conferences. Through adoption of these
findings farmers, processors and exporters
will be benefited. Through these studies
shelf life of some of the fruits have
been prolonged for 6 to 7 days. Apart
from this, effect of various temperatures
has also been determined. This study
will also help in export of fruit
under specific temperature and avoid
spoilage.
