This centre of CFTRI opened in 1972 as the Department of Lipid Technology, with the objective of initiating R&D activities for augmenting the net availability of edible oils in India and for increasing the shelf life of edible oils and fats. Later, the department came to be designated as the Department of Confectionery and Convenience Foods, before it received the present name: Department of Lipid Science and Traditional Foods.

The departmental objectives are
-  To respond innovatively to the growing demands on oils and lipids
   from traditional and convenience food markets, in terms of quality;
   functional, sensory and nutritional strengths; novelty; and value for
   money.

-  To provide and develop processes and technologies for enlarging the
   edible oil pool.

-  Convenience and ready-to-eat food products including snacks (e.g.,
   instant mixes for Jamun, Idli, Vada. Dosa, Sambar, Rasam).

-  Speciality fats for confectionery and bakery.

-  Low-sugar confectioneries.

-  Stability of oils and fats.

-  Recovery of value-added by-products such as wax, lecithin, vitamin
   E, oryzanol and fatty acids, from the vegetable oil refining industry.

-  Alternative methods for extraction and processing of oils.

-  Preparation of traditional foods of nutraceutical value.

-  Lipid oxidation
-  Antioxidants
-  Refining & bleaching
-  Oil extraction
-  Membrane processing of oils
-  Lipid chemistry
-  By-products recovery technology
-  Modified fats
   -  Fractionation and blending
   -  Inter-esterification
-  Convenient mixes technology
-  Confectionery technology
-  Deep-fat frying technology
-  Deep-fat frying chemistry
-  Oils and fats analysis

Technologies Transferred/Developed
-  Speciality fats (e.g., cocoa butter, for use in chocolate and
   confectionery) and value-added products from under-utilized
   non-traditional oils and fats, to boost production and export potential
-  Low-fat spreads suitable for traditional breakfast foods and bakery
-  Low-sugar Indian traditional sweets for diabetics
-  Bakery fats with zero transfatty acids
-  Stabilization of rice bran
-  Dewaxing, refinement and recovery of by-products from rice bran oil
-  By-products recovery from oil refining industry
-  Refining procedures for edible oils
-  Partially defatted desiccated coconut
-  Processing and functional properties of ingredients in traditional
   sweets.
-  Roasting and salting of nuts
-  Potato chips
-  Papad processing
-  Emergency ration for lifeboats on ships
-  Cashew spread (by-product)
-  Instant mixes

-  Offering regular short-term programmes on Chocolate & Sugar
   Confectionery, Traditional Breakfast & Snack Foods and Vegetable  
   Oil Processing & Analytical Techniques in Lipids

-  Participating in the institute's teaching programmes for M.Sc. and
   Ph.D.

-  Demonstration and training related to simple processes and
   convenience foods for rural entrepreneurs.

Technical Services Offered

-  Sample analysis of oils and fats for the industry
-  Technical guidance and consultancy for the industry
-  Development of processes for traditional foods and ready mixes

-  Laboratory model hydrogenator (for hydrogenation of vegetable oils).
-  Forming extruder for pasta products.
-  Chocolate making machinery.
-  GLC, HPLC, DSC, UV/Visible recording spectrophotometer,
   viscometer, TLC-densitometer and Karl-Fischer titrator.

Head
Lipid Science & Traditional Foods,                                                 Central Food Technological Research Institute,
Mysore - 570 013, India
Ph: + 9 1- 821 - 2514153
Fax: + 91 - 821 - 2516308/ 2517233

E-mail: lstf @ cftri . res . in                                              Top