National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) or National Institute of Technology, Thanjavur NITTNV(Specialization in Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management) formerly Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), is an academic institution with Institute of National Importance (INI) status, functioning under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India located at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The institute offers academic and research programmes in the field of food processing technology. The institute has National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited food quality testing laboratory which is also notified Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Referral Food Laboratory. It is one of the National Food Technology Institutes created to promote better food science education and technology development in the country. Food product development laboratory, food microbiology laboratory, post harvest pest management laboratory, food processing incubation center, Central Instrumentation Laboratory and food engineering laboratories are in its main campus at Thanjavur. NIFTEM-T is operating liaison offices at Guwahati, Assam and Bathinda, Punjab. These liaison offices have facilities to give skill development trainings, incubation and consultancy services to the farmers, entrepreneurs and students in the field of value addition of agricultural produce and food processing technologies.
History Dr. V. Subrahmanyan an eminent scientist and former director of CSIR - Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, started Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) in 1967 with the aim of providing solutions to farmers in the preservation of high moisture paddy. Considering the need of R & D efforts in the post-harvest processing, preservation and value addition of raw agricultural produce, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) upgraded the PPRC and renamed it as Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) in February 2008. Apart from R&D activities, IICPT started offering academic and research programmes in the field of food processing technology from the year 2009. Since the scope of the institute widened from post-harvest processing to value addition of agricultural produce, it was renamed as Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology in March 2017. The institute is located at Thanjavur, the ancient capital of Chola Dynasty. IIFPT has well equipped laboratories and engaged in the R&D of post- harvest technologies, food processing, value addition, by-product utilization, processes and products development. In February 2019, the National Institutes of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The bill aimed at granting Institute of National Importance (INI) status to IIFPT, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu and National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) Sonipat, Haryana , which are the part of National Institutes of Technology , thus granting them more financial and academic autonomy. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 15 March 2021 and by the Lok Sabha on 26 July 2021, The National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Act, 2021 was published in the Gazette of India on 30 July 2021 and the name of IIFPT has been changed to National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management-Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T).
Academics NIFTEM-T offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate degrees in food technology and allied fields.
Admissions Admission to the undergraduate B.Tech programme is done through Joint Seat Allocation Authority using the rank secured in JEE-Main examination. Admission to postgraduate and doctoral programme is done based on the performance of the candidates in their undergraduate studies and the entrance examination conducted by the institute.
Departments NIFTEM-T has following departments for academic and research activities
Food Process Engineering Food Process Technology Food Safety and Quality Assurance Food Business Management Food Plant Operations, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Food Packaging and Storage Technology
Research and Industrial Consultancy
Research NIFTEM-T is engaged in R&D activities in food processing and its allied sectors. Faculty members with their team of students, scholars, Research Associates, Senior/Junior Research Fellows and Project Assistants undertake research and industrial consultancy assignments. Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, Coconut Development Board, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises are the major agencies provide funding for the research activities undertaken by IIFPT. 3D Food printing technology, Sensor development for quality testing of foods, post-harvest processing of small onions, food industry waste and by product utilization, Shelf life enhancements of different food products, functional foods, non-thermal processing of foods, food engineering, food processing equipment design, development of packaging materials and systems, sensory evaluation of foods are some of the niche areas of its research activities. Non-dairy millet ice cream, Mobile Food processing unit, integrated onion processing unit, glycemic index and food degradation kinetics studies of foods, are the major technologies developed and commercialized by IIFPT.
Industrial Consultancy NIFTEM-T is also providing consultancy and R&D services to various food processing industries for new product development, refinement of existing processes & products and food quality testing services.
Collaborations Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with International and National academic institutions, research organizations and industries to carry out R&D activities. This platform creates avenues for joint research activities, capacity building programs, student and faculty exchange programs.
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