BY SAJAD MOHAMMED WANI

Food know-how is a discipline that mixes the elements of science, engineering and diet to enhance the standard, security and sustainability of meals merchandise and processes. It entails research of traits of meals, its dietary composition, reactions and modifications that happen at numerous ranges of processing and storage, microbiological facet of meals to stop spoilage and improve shelf life. Food technologists intention to develop new merchandise or applied sciences to enhance the current situation of meals processing industries. Besides a meals technologist can also be concerned within the security and regulatory elements of the developed product, inspection and accreditation of the meals plant.

India has achieved self-sufficiency in meals manufacturing and is now shifting in the direction of dietary safety. Due to extend in client consciousness, persons are aware in regards to the security, high quality and dietary elements of meals they eat. The meals processing trade has to fulfill the aspirations of customers by making then accessible secure and healthful meals. This is the place the function of meals technologists is available in. Food processing is a dawn trade and offers promising profession alternatives to the younger technology. However, one has to accumulate the required expertise and possess detailed data of the topic for working within the trade.

Job alternatives for meals technologists

During the final 5 years, meals processing sector has been rising at a median annual development fee (AAGR) of round 11.0 per cent as in comparison with round 4.0 per cent in agriculture. Food processing sector has additionally emerged as an necessary phase of the Indian economic system by way of its contribution to GDP, employment and funding. Food trade contributes to round 14% of producing GDP and 13 % of India’s whole meals exports. Food and grocery retail market in India is the biggest on this planet valued over 500 billion. Due to inhabitants, development, urbanization and altering client preferences, the market is projected to extend. Therefore, there’s a excessive demand of skilled meals skilled in each authorities and personal sector. One can enter these areas after commencement or post-graduation in Food Technology.

Some of the job profiles embrace meals product growth scientists, high quality assurance supervisor, meals security specialist, meals processing engineers, analysis and growth scientists, sensory analysts, meals packaging technologist, meals regulatory specialists, meals consultants, meals security auditors, nutritionist and dietician, meals analyst in meals testing laboratories and tutorial or researcher.

Food processing sector may be very dynamic and entails quite a few interlinked actions from uncooked materials dealing with, processing, and equipment operations to high quality management for the merchandise. Several kinds of firms provide profession alternatives to meals technologists which primarily embrace meals manufacturing firms, meals analysis laboratories, meals high quality & certification organizations, meals packaging firms, meals equipment & devices manufacturing firms, flavour homes, agricultural commodities export ventures and meals wholesalers.

Owing to the dynamic scope of traits in meals science and know-how, there may be rising demand of meals improvements at international degree that continues to rise. Ensuring the protection and high quality of the processed merchandise is of paramount significance. Sustainability of meals programs, lower in meals waste, well being and diet consciousness are essential for the rise of world meals trade. Keeping this into consideration, a meals technologist can cater all of the wants of variety to be achieved in current industries and future startups. Food technologists due to this fact are indispensable elements of prime non-public recruitments. Some of the highest recruiters are MTR Foods Limited, AMUL, Dabur India Ltd, PepsiCo India Holdings, Britannia Industries Ltd, Nestle India Pvt. Ltd, ITC Limited, Agro Tech Foods, Parle Products PVT Ltd, ITC Limited, Cadbury India, Hindustan Liver Limited, Milk Food, MTR, Nestle India, Godrej Industrial Limited.

With respect to Jammu and Kashmir, there may be an ample availability of uncooked materials within the type of temperate fruits, greens, spices, medicinal, crops, meat, and milk. There are a number of established meals processing industries in J&Okay which might be concerned in processing of those meals merchandise. Besides, there a community of Controlled Atmospheric Stores for dealing with and storage of recent horticultural produce. A variety of agro-food commodities together with apple, saffron, dairy, meat, fish, poultry, spices, walnut and many others have been assigned to completely different districts of J&Okay underneath ODOP scheme in an effort to promote processing of those commodities. Govt. schemes are additional anticipated to offer impetus to this sector which is able to open extra alternatives for meals technologists.

In profession variety, a wider prospect is being operated by authorities sector additionally. Government sector in India additionally gives some profitable job alternatives to meals technologists. They can get absorbed in organizations like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Food Safety Officer/Food Inspector in State Govt, The Food Corporation of India (FCI), State & Central Food Laboratories, Scientist/Assistant Professor, ICAR (ARS) Scientist, APEDA, MPEDA, NABARD, NAFED, MAFED, BARC.

Pursuing a level in meals know-how and gaining related expertise by way of internships and analysis tasks, staying up to date on trade traits and networking inside the discipline will assist the graduates and publish graduates to face out in a aggressive job market and open up a variety of alternatives in ever evolving meals trade.

Sajad Mohammedd Wani, Division of Food Science and Technology. He might be reached at: wanisajad82@gmail.com