Mysore:  Two food consignments of two-and-a-half tonnes each, which were sent from CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute), has reached the Cyclone Fani ravaged State of Odisha. The first consignment, airlifted to Bhubaneswar from Bengaluru, was received by a team from the Institute of Minerals and Materials Management (IMMT) on Monday. This team will coordinate with authorities in Odisha in reaching the food packets to the needy.

The second consignment of two-and-a-half tonnes, which has 20,000 meal packets, was also sent on Monday night and it reached Odisha yesterday at 11 am, said Coordinator, Information & Publicity A.S.K.V.S Sharma speaking to Star of Mysore  yesterday.

The relief food items include ready-to-eat chapathi and tomato chutney; poha upma and wheat upma; high protein biscuits and rusks.

Nearly 600 to 700 staff, students, research scholars of CFTRI are working round-the-clock to prepare and pack food and hence only a skeletal staff is working in the office, Sharma said.

Asked about keeping one lakh meals ready, he said that they were fully geared up to meet the demand and as soon as the demand for more food comes from Odisha they will keep sending.

He also informed that the demand from West Bengal and other States hit by Cyclone Fani has not yet come and once it  comes they would be ready to send the food.

“The chapathis made in our Institute contains natural preservatives and tastes better. The new innovation includes ready-to-eat broken wheat upma, which has been included in the relief foods,” said CFTRI Director K.S.M.S. Raghavarao.