Thiruvananthapuram: Science and technology could revolutionise the making of puttu, the breakfast dish highly popular in Kerala. The agro-processing and technology division of CSIR-NIIST is helping entrepreneurs modernise the processes involved in making ‘puttu’ and other foods so that the cost of production comes down without compromising on quality. The institute recently signed MoUs with a couple of food manufacturers to modernise the commercial processing facility. The most recent MoU was signed with Sreedhareeyam, an Ayurveda firm that plans to diversify into functional foods and neutraceuticals.
The company had got to know about the success of ‘puttu making’, a project NIIST had executed for Brahmin’s food products. Though they mechanise the process, that is just part of the story. Some of the famous brands employ food tasters who can gauge the goodness of their product, merely from the aroma wafting from it. Now is it possible to replace human instincts, with a machine? M.M. Sree Kumar, chief scientist, Agro-processing and Natural Products Division, says that they manage it by ensuring product optimisation.
“In the case of puttu, the texture is important. It boils down to maintaining consistency in parameters like particle size. The slightest difference in it can change the texture. Not just that, the amount of ‘puttu’ you can make will be dependent on this." The concepts of agro-processing can be utilised in the mass production of Ayurveda products. That’s their next pursuit.
“Kerala’s own Ayurveda can benefit from the modernisation of the process,” says Sree Kumar. In addition to improving the efficiency of production, it will improve the quality of the product. Initially, the division’s work was fully focused on agro-industry. They have developed technology to make ginger oil from fresh ginger. The time-consuming traditional method of extracting oil from dried ginger was developed to deal with distress sale in Wayanad. The technology is now used in plants set up in other states.
