DFRL to sell special food tech

Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore, has developed starters, in the form of beverages and toffees, for defence personnel posted in high altitudes.

The product is now being used in Leh in Ladakh, where high altitude often results in loss of appetite.

The toffee or the beverage is to be taken one hour before the meal.

Amrinder Singh Bawa, director of DFRL, said at a seminar in Kharagpur that the laboratory may go for commercialisation of the product, by transferring the technology to food and beverage companies.

"The products can have civil use also through technology transfer. Over the years, DFRL has transferred nearly 550 food related technologies to about 220 corporates. Annually, DFRL does about 10-15 technology-transfers," said Bawa.

DFRL is best known for developing the technology for ready-to-eat food items, a process which it owns.

More than 40 food companies have borrowed the technology from the laboratory.

"Over the last four to five years, there has been a particular increase in the number of technology-transfers from DFRL. This is best exemplified by the example of ready-to-eat food products, pioneered by DFRL about 15-20 years ago," said Bawa.

Till now, the laboratory has filed patents for about 70 products, and 12 have been granted so far.

Some of the other products developed by the laboratory in the recent days includes chappati machine, which can make up to 1,200 chappatis per hour, milk based sweet dish (Rabdi) using freeze drying technology and a process for preserving fresh meat up to 4-6 days using natural plants and seed extracts among others.