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Food Technology

From the Desk of HOD, Department of Food Technology

The Department of Food Technology is a popular wing of the Hemnalini Memorial College of Engineering disseminating knowledge from honest and dedicated teachers to our almighty student population. The teaching-learning and evaluation process experiences a sustained positive lookout through the use of modern teaching aids, by a set of skilled teachers with the quest for academic excellence. The books regarding Food Science and Technology can cater to the need of learning resources to all interested students. The Department unfolds a vision of its own, giving priority to the needs, aspirations, and spirit of the students. Though "education" is our main "mantra", we do not encourage mere book-learning and writing examination papers. Our dream is to deliver value-based education, which, in the long run, makes "real men and women" (a concept initiated by Swamiji), and not just money-making individuals. For this, the Department fosters acts of kindness, service, and sacrifice in the students. We envisage a kind of education that would help young learners realize their inner strength and potentialities and know their own selves inside out – "Bear no hatred, sow the seeds of love and friendship," is the message we send out to our students, so that we can contribute, though in a small way, to the formation of a better society. The Key-word in our mission statement is "march ahead", that is progress in an industrial appointment as well as the teaching profession. This is possible only through education, which also, can dispel all kinds of inner darkness, ushering in bright light. One common prayer here, to quote Milton is "What in me is dark – illumine". The illuminated soul inspires the physical body to strive untiringly for perfection, in all endeavors. "Enlightenment" and Empowerment" – the two ideals followed here, aim at making our students knowledgeable as well as suitable for jobs in the larger world. Thus, the vision of a "Complete man" is incorporated in our mission statement, giving a distance place to our College.

Food Production & sustained growth of world population:

In 1889, a prophecy was made by sir William Crookes, then the new president of British Academy of Sciences ; “ The world will run out of food in a few decades because the production of food will not be able to keep up with the population growth because of lack of natural fertilizers”. Sir William Crookes knew that the available natural fertilizers , including the nitrate (Guano) from Tarapaca desert of Peru, Bolivia & Chile will not be sufficient to grow enough food in UK , Europe, and the rest of the world . This was the time when we were still unable to manufacture ammonia from nitrogen in air .

But here we are in 2019 still surviving with a world population exceeding 7 billion.

Fertilizers Production: The Secrecy of Our Survival :

Production of Fertilizers from nitrogen in air by the Haber- Bosch process is probably the main reason why sufficient food can be produced to sustain the human population. This process was developed in Germany around 1916 by the two German Nobel laureates (Haber & Bosch) using a high pressure and high temperature technique. The development of this process was so brilliant that some folks do not hesitate to put it at par with a development of nuclear bomb in the Manhattan project. After Germany’s defeat in WWI, this process was available to the allies which eventually lead to a worldwide boom in food production which was further facilitated by genetically modified (GM) agricultural processes.

Relevance of Haber-Bosch process to Food Technology & Environmental Pollution.

Today, our problem is: “WE ARE DYING OF PLENTY”; we are growing and wasting too much food. Even India, which was facing famine in the 60’s, has now surplus food production. Today, India and China have more Haber-Bosch type plants than many other countries Uncontrolled discharge of excess N-fertilizer to our water bodies resulted in a major problem worldwide. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia in showing the adverse effect of increased fertilizer use. Mediterranean and black sea are showing the effect of excess fertilizer drained into a DEAD ZONE off the coast of Louisiana through Mississippi river and the Atchafalaya River.

India is 20th century, the world has been so concerned about growing food that the Haber-Bosch process can be harmful too. We forgot our environment. Excess production of fertilizer must be stopped to save our rivers. The time has come when we have no choice but to control growing excess food by processing the food grown more efficiently to minimize wastage.

India is the second largest producer of vegetable and fruits in the world (thanks to Haber-Bosch process!). But we are still FAR BEHIND in FOOD PROCESSING compared to other countries. Food technologists and food engineers know how to process our food so that we can to minimize wastage. We need more of them in our State of West Bengal. We need more engineering collages to tech food technology in West Bengal. Some other States (e.g., Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu) have lot more good collages offering Food Technology. The Govt. of India in this current 5-year plan has recognized the importance of food processing . Recently, the State Govt. of West Bengal also has been recognizing the importance of Food Processing.

Food Processing , Public Health, and Prevention of Obesity:

Perhaps one can say that food technology started with Louis Pasteur starting pasteurization of milk and learning bacteriology and understanding causes of disease from food. Food Technologists have a major role to play as public health engineers in tune with environmental engineers. Whether diseases are causes from water or Food may not be determined all the time; disease have to be prevented with engineering efforts together with health officials. One big penalty that some developing countries are paying after enhancing food processing is ending up with an alarming rate of obesity including child obesity due to uncontrolled addition of sugar and fats in processed foods. Mexico and China are now beating USA when it comes to obesity. This was hard to believe when President Nixon helped China in late sixties by gifting the Haber-Bosch technology to them to save them from starving. India needs to learn from the mistakes of other countries when it comes to obesity and food processing.

Market Size:

The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with retail contributing 70 per cent of the sales. The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market, one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. It contributes around 8.80 and 8.39 per cent of Gross Value Added (GVA) in Manufacturing and Agriculture respectively, 13 per cent of India’s exports and six per cent of total industrial investment. The Indian gourmet food market is currently valued at US$ 1.3 billion and is growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20 per cent. India's organic food market is expected to increase by three times by 2020.

According to a study published in the noted journal Lancet, India is just behind US and China in this global hazard list of top 10 countries with highest number of obese people.

Food Technologists must work with environmental engineers as well as engineers with many other backgrounds such as mechanical, chemical & biochemical to sustain our growth without adversely affecting our environment and public health. This matches very well with the mission of our collage. FOOD TECHNOLOGY SHOULD TRANSROM INTO A MORE MULTI DISCIPLINARY FIELD AND SHOULD BE MORE IN LIMELIGHT IN ENGINEERING PROFESSION. That’s why we chose to offer the Food Technology course. The new administration of this new college has very carefully studied different aspects of Food Technology program and our position is that it will be an appropriate program to offer in the District of Nadia being adjacent to BCKV (Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya) and Haringhata dairy farm . West Bengal needs more Food Technology programs and this programs must be in tune with public health population control .

Academic objectives:

Educate our graduates to focus on using food technology to minimize wastages of food and there by minimize the necessity of fertilizer production to save our environment. The faculty must make our graduates aware that food technologists have a major role to play to save our environment in public health.

Area of focus :

Agriculture and food processing,

Dairy and food processing,

Public health and environment pollution, and

Food engineering (e.g., Mechanical equipment for processing)

Academic programs:

The curriculum of the University (MAKAUT) will be strictly followed . It has been noted that IIT Kharagpur , the focus is on Agriculture and Food . In Jadavpur University, it appears that there is an emphasis on biochemical aspects of Food Technology. Outside West Bengal, Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology in Tamil Nadu and Queens College of Food Technology and Research Foundation in Maharashtra are two other leading institute. Our emphasis will be on “FOOD PROCESSING AND ENVIRONMENT”, as well as “FOOD PROCSEEING AND PUBLIC HEALTH”.

Seat Matrix & Reservation Policy 2019:

Name Of the Course	Bachelor of Technology in Food Technology
Total No. of Seats for admission in 2019-20	30
Seats Reserved for Jee-Main Candidates in 2019-20	3
General Category Seats	General	General & PWD
	17	0
SC Category	SC	SC & PWD
	3	0
ST Category	ST	ST & PWD
	2	1
OBC 'A' Category	OBC 'A'	OBC 'A' & PWD
	2	0
OBC 'B' Category	OBC 'B'	OBC 'B' & PWD
	1	1
Total Seats for Admission Through Online Counselling	30

Food Technology

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