Food & Nutrition

The Department of Food and Nutrition has a strong multidisciplinary research programme encompassing food science and processing, nutritional quality evaluation, functional and therapeutic foods, food safety and microbiology, community and public health nutrition, food product development, value addition, agricultural and food-processing by-product valorization, nutrition education, and sustainable food systems. Research at the M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels integrates laboratory-based food science with community-oriented nutrition research to develop scientifically validated, nutritionally superior, safe, affordable, acceptable and sustainable solutions for addressing malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and lifestyle-related disorders.

• Nutritional, physicochemical, functional, sensory and cooking quality evaluation of cereals, millets, legumes, soybean, pseudocereals, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, spices and indigenous foods.
• Quality evaluation of improved varieties of cowpea, including nutritional composition, physical characteristics and cooking quality.
• Evaluation of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of selected cowpea genotypes.
• Evaluation of the nutritional composition, sensory quality and functional potential of cowpea sprouts.
• Nutritional and functional characterization of underutilized food crops and indigenous foods of Uttarakhand and adjoining regions.
• Evaluation of antinutritional factors, bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential of selected food resources.
• Characterization of nutritional and physicochemical properties of millets, legumes, soybean, quinoa, black rice and black wheat for food product development.

• Utilization of Mandua (finger millet), Jhangora (barnyard millet), cowpea, black rice, black wheat, soybean, amaranth, quinoa and lentil for development of nutrient-dense foods.
• Development of composite flours, weaning foods and everyday staples using millets, pulses, soybean, quinoa and nutrient-rich plant ingredients.
• Development of foods incorporating moringa, mulberry, wheatgrass and aloe vera to enhance nutritional value.
• Development of cowpea-based extruded snacks and other value-added products.
• Development of lentil-based burger patty mix and lentil-incorporated noodles.
• Development and quality evaluation of black rice-based ready-to-cook snack vadiyalu.
• Development of white bread enriched with selected white and brown finger millet varieties of Uttarakhand.

• Formulation and functional characterization of black wheat, barnyard millet and black soybean-based composite flour and ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook products suitable for management of hyperglycemia.
• Development of low-glycaemic-index amaranth and quinoa incorporated ready-to-eat paratha.
• Evaluation of the nutritional quality and therapeutic potential of rice and barnyard millet incorporated black soybean Jaula.
• Optimization and quality evaluation of nutrient-rich gluten-free Indian flat bread (chapatti) using underutilized grains.
• Evaluation of the nutritional and anti-diabetic properties of Pusa Basmati 1509 as influenced by organic production and parboiling.
• Evaluation of the nutritional and anti-diabetic properties of Pant Dhan 24 as influenced by organic production and parboiling.
• Development of antioxidant-rich beverages and functional foods using fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and bioactive-rich ingredients.

• Development of regular and low-calorie jam and jelly from Gola pear (Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Gola).
• Development and quality evaluation of pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) and barnyard millet incorporated cutlet mix.
• Development and quality evaluation of sorghum and oyster mushroom blended wheat-based vermicelli.
• Development and quality evaluation of lentil-incorporated noodles.
• Standardization and quality evaluation of lentil-based burger patty mix.
• Development and quality evaluation of cowpea incorporated extruded snacks.
• Development and quality evaluation of black rice-based ready-to-cook vadiyalu.
• Development and quality evaluation of white bread enriched with white and brown finger millet varieties.
• Development of antioxidant-rich carrot–aonla beverage.
• Development of antioxidant-rich herbal beverage.
• Development of nutritionally enhanced composite flours from amaranth, soybean and wheat.

• Study of the effect of processing on the nutritional, sensory and cooking quality of durum wheat dalia.
• Evaluation of processing-mediated changes in the nutritional and functional quality of cereals, millets and legumes.
• Evaluation of the effect of sprouting and germination on nutritional and functional properties of food crops.
• Evaluation of the nutritional quality and functional properties of cowpea sprouts.
• Processing of sprouted and popped millets for development of low-viscosity weaning foods.
• Evaluation of the influence of parboiling on nutritional and anti-diabetic properties of rice.
• Optimization of processing methods for improving nutrient bioavailability, functional properties and sensory acceptability.

• Valorization of agricultural and food-processing by-products and processing wastes for development of value-added functional foods.
• Utilization of fruit peels, rinds and pomace as sources of dietary fibre, antioxidants and bioactive compounds.
• Utilization of wheat bran and chickpea/moong husks for development of fibre-rich functional foods.
• Exploration of by-products of papaya, dragon fruit, water chestnut and jackfruit for food applications.
• Development of functional products from agro-processing residues with potential applications in diabetes management and gastrointestinal health.
• Promotion of waste reduction, resource efficiency, circular food systems and sustainable food processing through by-product utilization.

• Assessment of consumer acceptability and microbial quality of street-vended chowmein in Rudrapur city.
• Evaluation of microbial quality of boiled rice with specific reference to Bacillus cereus in restaurants and roadside dhabas of Pantnagar.
• Assessment of the microbial quality of salads served in restaurants and roadside dhabas of Pantnagar.
• Detection of pathogenic Escherichia coli in raw fruits and vegetables.
• Detection of Salmonella in raw fruits and vegetables.
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of acetic acid treatment in reducing microbial load on raw fruits and vegetables.
• Research on food hygiene, safe food handling practices and consumer food safety.

• Development and evaluation of IEC specific to nutritional anaemia among adolescent girls in U.S. Nagar, Uttarakhand.
• Development of a participatory video for educating adolescent girls on anaemia and testing its effectiveness.
• Assessment of nutrition- and health-related practices of schools and their association with the nutritional status and nutrition knowledge of early adolescents in Dehradun district.
• Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) related to nutrition, hygiene and food safety among adolescents, food handlers, street food vendors and consumers.
• Baseline assessment of malnutrition among women, children and elderly populations.
• Dietary assessment, dietary mapping and evaluation of supplementary food interventions.
• Community-based nutrition education, action research and behaviour-change interventions.

• Evaluation of the effect of cowpea-supplemented biscuits on the nutritional profile of preschool children.
• Evaluation of the effect of cowpea-supplemented biscuits on cognitive development of malnourished preschool children.
• Development of nutrient-dense composite flours and supplementary foods for vulnerable population groups.
• Development of weaning foods using millets, pulses, soybean and other nutrient-rich ingredients.
• Development of low-viscosity foods from sprouted and popped millets for improved acceptability and nutrient utilization.

• Study of obesity among school-going adolescents in Rudrapur city.
• Development of a simple screening measure for identification of obesity among school-going adolescents.
• Development and evaluation of improved anthropometric indices for early screening of adolescent obesity.
• Assessment of nutritional status and associated dietary and lifestyle factors among children and adolescents.
• Development of simple and field-applicable approaches for early identification of nutrition-related health risks.

• Comparative evaluation of organic and conventionally produced grains and pulses for nutritional quality, antioxidant potential and safety.
• Evaluation of organically produced ginger and turmeric for nutritional and functional quality.
• Evaluation of the influence of organic production and parboiling on the nutritional and anti-diabetic properties of Pusa Basmati 1509.
• Evaluation of the influence of organic production and parboiling on Pant Dhan 24, a selected coarse-grain rice variety.
• Assessment of the potential of organic production systems for improving nutritional density, antioxidant activity, shelf life and food safety.
• Research on sustainable food production and processing practices for health and nutrition security.

• Value addition of Gola pear, carrot, aonla, oyster mushrooms, amla, aloe vera and ashwagandha for development of functional and value-added foods.
• Development of antioxidant-rich fruit and herbal beverages.
• Utilization of mushrooms for development of nutrient-rich and functional food products.
• Value addition of high-loss and seasonal produce such as kiwi, persimmon/kaku, plum, apricot, amla, carrots, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
• Development of shelf-stable products such as jams, bars, pickles, instant soups, halwa and ready-to-use mixes from perishable and seasonal produce.
• Evaluation of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and medicinal plants for their nutritional, antioxidant and therapeutic potential.

• Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) related to nutrition, hygiene and food safety.
• Development and evaluation of IEC materials, participatory videos and other nutrition education tools.
• Nutrition education and behaviour-change interventions among adolescent girls, school children, food handlers and consumers.
• Action research and dietary mapping related to nutrition, food processing and food safety.
• Rural training programmes on food processing, preservation, nutrition education and value addition across different districts of Uttarakhand.
• Community-oriented interventions for improving nutrition knowledge, dietary practices and food safety behaviour.

• Development of affordable, high-value and consumer-acceptable food products with potential for commercialization.
• Development of products such as sev, vermicelli, biscuits, nankhatai, Mysore pak and ice cream using potato flour, defatted soy flour and other locally available resources.
• Development of millet-, pulse-, mushroom- and soybean-based products suitable for small-scale processing.
• Promotion of technology transfer and micro-enterprise development through food processing and value addition.
• Development of food technologies with potential for income generation and livelihood enhancement, particularly among rural women and community groups.

The Department has linkages with many food processing industries, the well-known govt. and private hospitals and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) where final year B.Sc. Community Science Professional Elective students go for In-Plant-Training. Below is the list of organizations in which linkage has been developed for the benefit of students in the last 10 years:

• Establishment of NSI Pantnagar Chapter

MoU signed between Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand and M/s Green Cibus International (OPC) Pvt. Ltd., Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on January 1, 2025. Under this MoU, technology entitled ‘Low GI Amaranth and Quinoa incorporated wheat flour’ has been commercialized.

• Instant Sweet Vermicelli (Inventor(s): Vineeta Kharakwal, Sarita Srivastava and S.K. Sharma)
• Pant Low Glycemic Index Instant Pulav (Inventor(s): Shweta Joshi and Sarita Srivastava)