The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology - IIFPT

About The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology - IIFPT

History of IICPT

The Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (Formerly Paddy Processing Research Centre) is a pioneer Research and Development Institute under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. The Institute has its origin way back in 1967 when it was started as R & D laboratory in the Modern Rice Mill complex of Thanjavur Co-operative Marketing Federation (TCMF) at Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India under the dedicated leadership and the able guidance of late Dr. V. Subrahmanyan. an eminent scientist and founder Director, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore. The mandate of the Institute at its inception was to seek solutions for preserving high moisture paddy because the paddy harvest season in Southern India coincided with the tail end of the South West monsoon. The Institute was later upgraded as a national laboratory with the name Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) in 1972. At the time of up-gradation the mandates of the Institute were also changed and the scientists in the Institute focused their research in identifying technologies for post harvest procession and preservation of paddy. The Institute was moved to it current location at Thanjavur in 1984. Considering the vital importance of strengthening R & D efforts in the post-harvest processing, preservation and value addition of raw agricultural produce, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) strengthened and upgraded the PPRC as a National Institute in February 2008 and was called as Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT).

 The Institute is located at Thanjavur, the ancient capital of Chola Kingdom and the granary of Tamil Nadu. The IICPT with its modern laboratories equipped with hi-tech instruments, is engaged in the R&D of food grain processing, value addition, by-product utilization through bio-processing, process and product development. Our Food Testing Laboratory is NABL accredited. We have a hi-tech and cottage level food processing incubation cum training center. Hands-on-training on different food processing technologies, renting facilities and other supports are offered all thought the year to help the entrepreneurs to put in their innovative ideas for the development of new products. IICPT also offers B.Tech., M.Tech. and Ph.D. programs in Food Process Engineering.

Mission of IICPT

• Gaining an increased understanding of living organisms with a view to increasing its application in the grain industry.
• Developing a strong human resource capacity for the processing industry.
• Providing a sound scientific basis for decision making in food security, safe environment and addressing the concerns of the consumers.
• Generate and upgrade the scientific knowledge in the area of food grains for maximizing, conservation and utilization of food grains.
• Value addition to the food grains and development of food products with safety through the application of newer technologies by R&D work.
• Assist the existing industries for better performance in terms of efficient functioning, by-product utilization and effluent management.
• Promote growth of new food industry, entrepreneurship, upgrading the skill of industrial manpower and management by imparting training programme.
• Storage of grains, insect pest management and safeguarding the quality of food grains and products.
• Shelf-life improvement of food grains/products by packaging and improved technology.
• Environmental protection and work safety measures in food industries

Mandate of IICPT

Mandates of IICPT

• Gaining an increased understanding of living organisms with a view to increasing its application in the grain industry.
• Basic, applied and adoptive research and development in post harvest processing, preservation and value addition of cereal grains, pulses, millets and oil seeds, and crops of wetlands and storm prone regions, including plantation, spices and other important crops.
• Research and development for creating environment friendly methods of utilizing the vast biomass in the country and food industrial wastes for increased economic returns of the producers and processors.
• Education and training for creating strong human resource capacities for the food processing industry and academic institutions in the country.
• Training for upgrading the skills of academicians, research students and food processing entrepreneurs and manpower for promoting growth of new food industry and entrepreneurship in the country.
• Consultancy to existing food industries or for creation of new food industries for better performance, efficient functioning, and for by-product and waste utilization and effective effluent management.
• Act as a National Institute for the information generation and flow on post harvest processing, preservation and value addition of foods and to create linkages with related industries, academic and R&D Institutions across the country and around the world, and
• Analytical services to food industries and research institutes for testing the food and other organic samples and providing reports on the proximate and ultimate compositions.