Mysuru: The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) has plans to distribute 50,000 meals in the flood-hit regions of Kodagu and Kerala over the next three to four days. After supplying 50,000 meals, CFTRI will review its operations in terms of supply and product mix, a statement from the Institute said.

CFTRI had also done similar exercises during Chennai Flood, Uttarakhand Flood and Tsunami. After an internal discussion with the Senior Scientists on Aug.17 and in consultation with Director Jitendra J. Jadhav, it was decided to prepare selected food items at CFTRI’s pilot plants. The manufacturing facilities of local industries who have taken CFTRI’s technologies were also utilised. All the products identified are highly nutritious with a reasonable shelf-life.

The consignments by the CFTRI included rehydrate and consume wheat rawa upma, mill poha, ready-to-eat chapathis, high-protein biscuits, rusks, tomato curry, pickles, jam and chutney and water bottles.

While the first consignment of 14,500 meals including 3,000 for air-dropping over central Kerala was sent on Sunday, the second consignment was sent yesterday afternoon. While 3,000 meals were supplied to Ernakulam/ Trivandrum, 6,000 meals were transported to Kodagu and 5,500 meals were transported to Wayanad yesterday.

The first consignment was flagged off by Dr. R. Subramanian, Director-in-Charge, CFTRI, along with other senior officials from DFRL and Apollo Hospitals on Sunday.

While the food items meant for distribution in Ernakulam/ Thiruvananthapuram region of Kerala was airlifted from Mysore Airport in an IAF aircraft along with relief food prepared by DFRL, the food items for Wayanad region in Kerala and Kodagu left by road in separate trucks.

Commissioner of Food Safety, Government of Karnataka, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, and the office of Mysuru MP Pratap Simha had contacted the CFTRI with a request to send relief supplies to the flood-hit regions.