Prof. Jamuna Prakash stresses urgent need to integrate nutritional science with product design

Mysore/Mysuru: The Department of Traditional Foods and Applied Nutrition (TFAN), CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysuru, organised a half-day symposium on “Insights in Food Product Development” recently bringing together experts to deliberate on emerging trends and challenges in development of nutritious, consumer-oriented food products.

Prof. Jamuna Prakash, Retired Professor from the University of Mysore, who was the chief guest, delivered an insightful address on “Positioning and Optimising Nutrition in Food Product Development.”

She emphasised the need to integrate nutritional science with product design, highlighting how careful ingredient selection, processing techniques and fortification strategies can enhance the health value of foods while maintaining taste, affordability, and consumer acceptability.

Dr. P. Giridhar, CSIR-CFTRI Director, in his presidential remarks, underscored the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and innovation in addressing challenges involved in the nutrient rich food formulations.

He stressed the role of sensory science in winning the consumers acceptance and also successful marketing of these products. He also mentioned the necessity of institutions in translating scientific knowledge into practical, scalable food solutions that cater to diverse population needs.

The symposium featured technical sessions by domain experts. Dr. R. Chetana, Principal Technical Officer, TFAN Department, spoke on “Commercialising Food Innovation: A Technology Translation Approach.”

She elaborated on the pathway from laboratory research to market-ready products, discussing aspects such as product standardisation, pilot-scale trials, regulatory compliance, AI considerations and industry  collaboration.

Dr. M.R. Asha, Principal Technical Officer, TFAN Department, delivered a lecture on “A Sensory Science Framework for Consumer-centric Product Development.” She emphasised the critical role of sensory evaluation in product development, explaining how attributes such as taste, aroma, texture, and appearance influence consumer choices.

The symposium provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and reinforced the importance of combining nutrition, technology, and consumer insights in the development of innovative and sustainable food products.

Dr. R. Babylatha welcomed and Dr Sudheer Kumar Yannam proposed vote of thanks.