India is one of the most important food producers in the world. Although food processing is one of the biggest industries in India ranking fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth, it accounts for only 1.7 % of world trade in this sector. However, the changing lifestyles, food habits, urbanization, organized food retail, increased agricultural production, higher disposable incomes, trade liberalization and the preference of women for jobs in government/ private sector have been driving the growth of processed food sector and is poised to become one of the highest yielding sectors in India. In the recent years, there has been amplified focus on this sector and Food technology has been identified by the Government of India as sunrise industry due to its gargantuan impact and significance in the Indian development sector. The importance of food technology lies in the verity that it has immense the potential to provide food to our population through scientific conservations, eliminating losses and making available more balanced and nutritious food.
The department of Food Technology at Maharshi Dayanand University is committed for quality education and research in the areas of food processing and technology. The department has been laying its emphasis in generating the technical and scientific manpower to cater to the needs of growing food industry in addition to the technology development for food preservation and value added processing.
WHAT IS FOOD TECHNOLOGY?
Many people are under the misconception that in food technology we either teach our students how to cook, or how to formulate and paln diets. This is very far from the truth, since food technology is about the science behind the manufacturing of food products on industrial scale. It incorporates many disciplines such as food microbiology, food chemistry and food engineering. Food technologists fulfil important positions in food manufacturing companies such as quality control, production management and new product development. We pride ourselves on the fact that our students are competently prepared for this exciting career and that they are well sought after in the food industry.
Philosophy
Food Technology is aimed at the application of science and technology to the analysis, processing, utilization, diversification, value addition, packaging, distribution and preservation of foods. The department is committed to produce technologically, skilled graduates capable of working in the existing food industries, using locally available raw materials to set up food processing industries to process and make nutritious, wholesome food available to consumers.
OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT- to produce skilled technical and managerial manpower for operation management in agro-allied industries
- to produce graduates with entrepreneurial capabilities
- to produce graduates who will be involved in consultancy services in food product development, research and development, processing and preservation
- to cater the need of modern food industry by developing innovative food processing and preservation technologies
WHO EMPLOYS FOOD SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS
Food scientists and technologists are employed in both public and private sectors national and multinational food processing ventures including dairy, meat, cereals, bakery, horticultural, breweries, confectionaries and snack food processing industries and other industries related to processing and production of food based primary and secondary products and by-products. There is a great demand of food technologists in the service sector also including the food packaging, ingredient and equipment suppliers, advertising agencies and market research companies, research establishments and universities and other government departments.