Development of human resources is an area of prime importance for the food processing industry today, owing to the explosive potential of the agro-based sector, and the consequent spurt in its investments. In India, food has become a high-profit industry by reason of the scope it offers for value addition, particularly with the food processing industry getting recognised here as a high-priority area in the liberalised era. In order to achieve the expected returns on investment through good quality and right value addition, application of high technology has become imperative, leading to an unprecedented demand for scientists, technologists and other professionals who can manage the emerging challenges of the food processing industry effectively.
This role of professionals and trained personnel in the food industry as well as in the various R&D areas of food science and technology was, however, anticipated long ago at CFTRI through major educational and training initiatives. These initiatives have now translated into the growth of a whole world of learning in food science and technology at the institute, involving international standard institutions. The institute today offer an extensive range of programmes of academic as well as industrial importance that attract participants from many regions of the world.

_{International Food Technology Training Centre (IFTTC)}

The need for establishing a centre for training of professionals in Food Science and Technology for South and South-East Asia was felt by the Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) as early as in 1960. Considering the excellent infrastructural facility and expertise in this field, it was decided to establish this centre at CFTRI and the International Food Technology Training Centre was formally opened in 1964. The funds for establishing the centre was mainly from Canadian Freedom from Hunger programme routed through FAO and with general support from CSIR and Government of India. The scientists in the R and D departments of CFTRI participate as faculty in the various academic programmes conducted at CFTRI. The state-of-art facilities of the R and D labs, pilot plant and food engineering centre of CFTRI are used for giving an excellent training to the participants of the various training programmes conducted at CFTRI. A brief of the various training programmes is as follows :

M.Sc. [FOOD TECHNOLOGY] PROGRAMME

*  A two year programme consisting of four semesters starting in the third week of August every year. 
* Consists of the following 16 subjects.

SEMESTER-1
   Basic And Food Microbiology
   Chemistry Of Foods
   Applied Mathematics And Statistics
   Basic Principles Of Engineering

SEMESTER-2
   Biochemistry And Nutrition
   Principles Of Food Processing
   Infestation Control And Pesticides
   Food Engineering-I

SEMESTER-3
   Food Engineering-II
   Packaging Technology
   Technology Of Foods : Meat, Fish And Poultry Products
   Industrial Microbiology And Biochemical Engineering
   Dissertation Seminar

SEMESTER-4
   Technology Of Foods [Elective A: Grains, Legumes And Oilseeds,

    Elective B : Plantation Products and Flavour Technology,
    Elective C: Fruits and Vegetable Technology)

    Advanced Food Science

    Operations Research., Food Plant Organization And Management

     Investigational Problem

* Admissions to the course is announced in third week of May every year

* Excellent boarding, lodging, sports and recreational facilities available at the IFTTC Hostel

Eligibility criteria of application 
* Admission is based on the merit as evidenced by academic records of the qualifying degree exams and also on the performance in the entrance examination.

* Minimum qualification for applying to the course is a Bachelor's Degree in:

• Science with Chemistry as one of the major subjects with 55% in optional subjects of B.Sc. pass course (50% for SC/ST category) / 50% for B.Sc.(Hons.) course (45% for SC/ST category)

• Agriculture with minimum second class

• Engineering / Technology with minimum second class

• Mathematics at the Higher Secondary / PUC level is compulsory for the admission>

• International students are required to apply through the Indian Embassy / Consulates in the respective countries.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MILLING TECHNOLOGY

The International School of Milling Technology (ISMT) was established in 1981, with the objective of providing roller flour mills in India and other developing countries with professional-grade personnel who can improve the quality of milled products, produce specific flours, minimise energy requirements, and improve overall milling productivity. It was brought into being by the active collaboration of the Government of Switzerland and the Roller Flour Milling Federation of India. CFTRI was selected for locating the school on account of its infrastructural strength, reservoir of expertise and importantly, its specialised and vast experience in running international training programmes designed to meet the unique requirements of South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. The Government of India has provided the building, basic infrastructure and manpower, while the Government of Switzerland has given away a 20-tonne capacity roller flour mill and laboratory equipment required for hands-on training.

The department school has so far run 19 one-year (this includes a 2-month in-plant training at commercial mills) Certificate in Flour Milling Technology programmes for 291 participants, including 71 from other developing countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, U.A.E., Uganda, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The school has also offered 17 short-term (15-day) programmes in flour milling technology and quality control for millers and mill managers. People trained at ISMT have held responsible positions as milling technologists in the roller flour milling industries of different countries, and continue to enhance the performance and image of the industries they represent.
 

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Industry-Oriented Short Courses

As part of our continuing education programmes, we offer national as well as international level short-term courses (of 1-3 weeks duration) on a continuing basis for technical staff from food and allied industries, academic centres and R&D units, to keep them updated on the current and emerging trends in specialised as well as general areas of food technology. These courses also provide a forum for the R&D scientists to interact and build synergy with the industry. The international courses are essentially for candidates nominated by the member-countries of international bodies, whereas the national courses are for participants from India, and occasionally from the neighbouring countries.

Broad Areas of Short-term Courses

· Analysis and quality standards
· Technology of fruit and vegetable products
· Post-harvest handling of fresh fruits and vegetables
· Technology of meat and fish products
· Infestation control and pesticides
· Wheat milling and baking technology
· Microbiological quality control of foods
· Rice technology
· Food packaging
· Confectionery technology
· Production of secondary metabolites through cell and tissue culture
· Food processing equipment
· Storage of food grains
· Food flavours and spices
· Instrumental methods of food analysis
· Processing of oilseeds for value addition
· Processing and analysis of spices and spice products
· Quality Management System (ISO 9000-related) for food industries
· Food biotechnology

The department conduct about 30 short-term courses every year in the above areas, for over 400 industry representatives. In all, we have offered 320 short-term courses between 1965 and 1999 for 5000 participants. We have also conducted 3 international courses in Malting and Brewing for the benefit of technical personnel from various breweries in India and abroad. The faculty for these courses was drawn from the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling [ICBD] of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh [Scotland].

M.Sc. (FOOD SCIENCE)

As part of our continuing education objectives, The department also enable in-service personnel (with minimum 5 years of research experience) from academic, research and corporate centres to secure the M.Sc. (Food Science) by Research degree of the University of Mysore, by providing them with special coaching classes in the theory papers and other necessary facilities. A large number of technical workers with B.Sc. degree have been able to benefit from this programme, in terms of career prospects and knowledge upgradation.

CONTINUOUS TRAINING OF CFTRI PERSONNEL

Apart from the above programmes, CFTRI has kept the capabilities of its R&D and other staff updated by continuous internal and external training in various ways:
· Ongoing orientation programmes specially designed for the newly recruited staff at various levels
· Internal training programmes on a continuing basis in specific topics of current interest (e.g., the Lead Assessorship qualification programme connected with ISO 9000, the HACCP-related internal and external programmes, the NABL accreditation programme) for selected staff
· Visits by the institute's young scientists to reputed institutions abroad for exposure to the frontiers of knowledge in their specialised areas of work, on fellowships from several national and international agencies
· Sponsoring senior scientists to management programmes conducted by reputed institutions or noted management educators, for more effective management of the institute's R&D laboratories
· Training facilities for college students on project work at the institute

DOCTORAL PROGRAMME

Doctoral programme have always been a distinctive feature of CFTRI's educational model. Under this programme, about 80 persons have so far earned the Ph.D. degree and a few have even received the D.Sc. degree from various universities of India, in various subjects of food science and food technology. CFTRI is recognised by the University of Mysore as a Centre for Advanced Research in Food Engineering, for the award of its Ph.D. degree.

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National and International Workshops

Organising national and international workshops and brain-storming sessions in the specialised topics of its field has always been an integral part of CFTRI's human development endeavours. We have organised several such major workshops in the last 50 years and some of the recent ones carried these themes:
· Supramolecular and colloidal structures in bio-materials and bio- substrates
· Nutritional labelling of foods
· Lactic acid and bacteria
· Traditional food technologies
· Improving nutrition of the rural poor through community-based food processing

Countries Covered by CFTRI’s Educational Programmes

Conclusion

Prior to the recognition from the University of Mysore in 1965, 140 trainees had received our PG Diploma and/or Associateship awards. Now, since the inception of the IFTTC, both the number of programmes and the number of Indians and foreigners participating in them have grown remarkably. People trained here since 2 to 3 decades under the various programmes have played-and continue to play- a key role in the development of food processing industry not only in India but also in several other countries in the South Asian region, Africa and Latin America. Many of our alumni have pursued academic and R&D careers too, and made impressive contributions to advancement of knowledge and skills in multiple areas of food science and technology.

Head Human Resource Development,
Central Food Technological Research Institute,
Mysore - 570 013, India.
Ph: + 91 - 821 - 2514310/2514760

E-mail : hrd @ cftri . res . n                                                   Top