Food Science and Technology Education in India was initially masterminded by pure scientists in the field of chemistry, applied chemistry and bio-chemistry. The boderline between the basic science and technology and engineering was therefore not clearly demarcated at the initial stage. As a result, research projects that were undertaken in most of our premium food research institutions including Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) were designed on the line of basic science exploration in the areas of biochemistry, protein chemistry, nutrition and food processing. Those who have ventured into the processing and technology also focussed only on physio-chemical changes of food during processing and process parameters optimization.

Those who have ventured a little ahead thus incorporated process conditions standardisations to improve product quality. Nothing therefore happened in terms of any major breakthrough in process technology in India. Our food research institutes including universities did very little in terms of technology upgradation and new product development which are of any commercial significance. Whatever little we have seen in new product development and product quality upgradation is the result of the efforts on the part of the industry largely triggered from the need as a survival strategy in the face of competition.

Some of these research institutions also suffer from the syndrome of reinventing the wheel. Crores of rupees have been spent by young food researchers reproducing the knowledge which are either known and or explored elsewhere. This therefore has put the industry, in particular and the nation, in general into the back gear.

We have to painfully observe in various conferences and seminars that the research findings are presented with lot of gusto which are nothing more than the age old findings and established processes.

Another factor that has marked the failure of food research activities in India to create any dent in terms of value addition in the processing and technology is due to the fact that there was little or no collaborative efforts between industry and research institutions. The mutual mistrust and lack of confidence on the part of the industry leaders on the ability of the institutional research to deliver value has increased with the passage of time. As a result, researchers have ventured into their own chosen subjects while industries have decided to go it alone. Formation of an independent Ministry of Food Processing Industry which has now been reduced to the status of a department did not help change this scenario.

The result is inevitable. While we can see a sea change in other industry categories in terms of product quality and value addition, in case of processed food industry changes are miniscule to say the least, and that too largely due to the efforts of the industry. On the top of it, some of our premium institutions are in reality in a state of decay in terms of quality of research and education.

The research activities that have been initiated earlier by the pioneers in food research and education have lost the inertia in the later years and thus died down. In this context we can remember the name of Prof. V. Subramaniam, first Director of CFTRI, Prof. A.N. Bose, first Director of Central Marine Product Research Institute in Cochin, Prof. A. Sreenivasan - First Director of Food Technology Dept. of BARC. Prof. Gopalan, first Director of Nutrition Research Institute (NII) at Hyderabad etc. CFTRI has seen some of the stalwarts in later years which include the names like Mr. C.P. Natarajan, Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, Dr. B.L. Amia and few others. National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in my reckoning, do have a creditable record of quality research output and in that also contribution of Dr. K.K. Iya and most importantly that of Dr. N. Ganguly are noteworthy. In oil technology Dr. K.T. Acharya's and Prof. M.M. Chakraborti's contribution is also significant. In the areas of biotechnology and biochemical engineering Prof. T.K. Ghose's contribution is pioneering. He has, in fact, given the shape to biochemical engineering education and research in India and was associated with Jadavpur University, HBTI-Kanpur and IIT-Delhi. Defece Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysore also worked on projects of specific interest to our defence forces.

In the areas of research and education we now have a generation gap. After the retirement and or passing away of some of these above mentioned stalwarts most of these food research institutions have been reduced to insignificance. If I describe some of those as "in a pathetic state of affairs" it will not be any exaggeration and in that list my old institution namely, Jadavpur University also features. The reasons of such state of affairs are many. One, – relatively inferior quality of people have come into the research and education, two, – the system has made them dull and non motivated, and most importantly, our stalwarts have not taken any pains to leave any legacy to continue. As a result, with their disappearance from the scene the things have drifted and ultimately came to a grinding halt. And that is a major failure.

There are enthusiastic scientists like Prof. A. Sreenivasan who developed protein food by name 'Spert' – a product manufactured and marketed by Sandoz. Prof. Sreenivasan also developed the process for production of egg powder at Foods and Inns where he was a consultant. Foods and Inns share still is quoted at Rs.60 today and the company is still doing the same thing that they used to do during Prof. A. Sreenivasan's time. When 'Spert' was launched during the late seventies I was discussing, one evening, with Prof. Sreenivasan at his Gautam Apartments flat in Bandra in Mumbai and asked him whether he really believed that there was a need of any protein food for those who can afford to buy 'Spert'. He confided in me and told me "Look Rajat if one takes full meals of only dal and rice one's proteins requirements is met and these are all humbug". I responded by saying that "then the consumers for these so called protein foods are really taken for a ride." The marketers like us know that if there is no permanent value proposition, products do not have a long term prospect in the marketplace. Possibly, for this reason protein foods gradually disappeared from the market like fads. Of late, I see the decline of the sales of Complan in the hands of Heinz. Prof. Sreenivasan changed jobs in public sector research institutions like one changes or sometimes forced to change in private sector. He used to be a man of very strong conviction and a forceful character and as a result nobody liked him. But his contribution to the industry is significant.

Prof. Bose was a strong disciplinarian and perfectionist. His contribution in food research and education in noteworthy. He used to come to the department in Jadavpur University exactly at ten in the morning and used to take a round of the laboratories and classrooms. During his time a lot of research projects were there in the department which was in the global map with respect to food research and education. Today one cannot find a teacher in the department till twelve noon. No one comes before that. Jadavpur University did pioneering work in rice process technology, marine products processing and protein technology etc. in earlier years.

As it stands now the future development thrust for the processed food industry therefore largely has to be provided by the private sector industries itself. As the market is becoming increasingly competitive the innovations in terms of quality, cost, packaging and product variants and new products will be the name of the game. And private sectors will have to provide the support for their own survival. This is possible. For example, Pepsi Cola in USA has kept on their roll over a dozen very senior level scientists specialised in each area of their activities to support the company's competitive strategy. This team of specialists are basically the technical backbone working for various ongoing and existing and future projects of Pepsi. In that team Dr. Shanti R. Bhowmik, a close friend of mine and a former director of CFTRI is there. Dr. Bhowmik spent 2-yr. time at CFTRI and having got fed up of the bureaucracy and the inner politics of the institution and poor level of research activities decided to return to USA again. This was narrated to me by Dr. Bhowmik. Of course, he has also praised some of the research scientists for their quality of work and dedication and in that list the name of present Director of CFTRI Dr. V. Prakash's name featured.

I wonder if India has to be the leader in this new millennium, technical competency has to be improved for our domestic industry so that we can have more Tata-Tetly kind of organisation being created in global scenario. And that can happen only with private sector initiatives. Let us not keep much hope on our institutional and govt. run organisation's research effort. That has not happened in the past and I don't see that is happening in future either. The reality is that past of food research in India was more glorious than what it is now.

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