National Technology Day celebrations: Open Day at DFRL

45 food products for ISRO’s Gaganyaan Space Mission on display; Hundreds of students visit unique expo

Mysore/Mysuru: Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysuru, has prepared 45 varieties of space food for the impending India’s first manned space flight Gaganyaan of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

It’s a first-of-its-kind venture by ISRO that has planned to send three to four astronauts and DFRL that prepares variety of food products for armed forces, has taken care of the demands of ISRO for the most ambitious space mission, by preparing 45 desi food products including vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

These food products were kept on display at the Open Day organised by DFRL as part of National Technology Day celebrations at its premises in Siddarthanagar, today.

The Lab observed Open Day today to educate the students and the general public on current technological development in the field of processed and packed foods.

Speaking to media persons, DFRL Director Dr.  A.D. Semwal said, “The feedback is good as they (ISRO authorities) have found our food products tasty. Even the leftover food can be kept in a newly devised anti-microbial bag, while in space.”

Explaining about the features of food products exclusively prepared for Gaganyaan, Dr. Dev Kumar, Scientist (E), DFRL, said that “enough care has been taken to check the suspension of food particles in air due to zero gravity condition. In the case of fragmentation of food particles, the chances of pieces of food settling on parts of equipment cannot be ignored. Similarly, separate food and water pouches with a piercing tool has been designed, so that the astronauts can mix water irrespective of hot or cold to the food for rehydration.”

The ‘veg katti roll’ (stuffed chapati roll) has been prepared in such a way that, the stuffed food won’t spill over. The other types of space food include sambar chawal, potato stuffed paratha, chikki, kadhi chawal, moong dal halwa, cashew, sooji halwa, vegetable biryani, chicken biryani, chicken pulav to name a few. 

The other notable feature of the exhibition was the millet based food products, another first-of-its-kind attempt, as part of International Year of Millets 2023.

The food products are millet nippatu mix, millet ada mix, millet kheer mix, millet ragi mudde mix, millet chapati mix, millet flakes, millet idli mix, millet dosa mix, multi-millet chikki, sweetened millet mix etc.

That apart, several other food products regularly made suiting the demands of armed forces and other conditions like Meals Ready to Eat (mre), terrain specific mres, combo meals, chicken pulav, chicken curry, rajma chawal, milk testing kit, bio-degradable cutlery, life sustenance systems and several other products were on display.

Mention must be made of modular SILO for storing army ration, designed and installed by DFRL, the model of which was also on display during the exhibition which concluded at 4 pm today.

Students of various schools and colleges like CRESTA School of Management Science and Arts, Vidya Vikas Educational Institutions, GSSS Educational Institutions and several other institutions visited the exhibition in large numbers.

At CFTRI

CSIR- Central Food Technol-ogical Research Institute (CFTRI), opposite Rail Museum, KRS Road, too has organised National Technology Day celebrations at its premises this afternoon.

Excelsoft Technologies Co-founder and CEO D. Sudhanva will be the chief guest. CFTRI Director Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh will preside over the programme. CFTRI’s TTBD Department Head B.V. Sathyendra Rao will introduce the chief guest and speak about National Technology Day.