Food processing is a sunrise sector in India having tremendous prospects in present times. Processed edibles have shown a double-digit growth during the recent past. To continue with the pace of growth, the industry requires competent food technologists to carry out technology-driven need-based researches along with decision-making ability in agri-food businesses. As such ample job opportunities for ambitious food technologists are lurking in different government-private ventures. Considering the importance of food technology in this era, the Food Science & Technology (FST) Programme was started at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat under the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture during 2013-14. Presently, the programme offers a two-year Masters programme in Food Technology with a capacity of 10 seats per batch. Since inceptions, it has so far produced about 60 qualified food technologists, those include three foreign students one each from Ghana, Afghanistan and Syria with the sponsorship from the Indian Council of Cultural Research (ICCR), and also from other states of India backed with meritorious fellowships from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Most of the passed-out students have either joined in different managerial and R & D positions in industries and government sectors or pursued higher education in some of the reputed institutions in the country. Besides teaching, the FST programme undertakes basic and applied research on processing and allied arena of food science, namely, value addition and product development, food fermentation and quality evaluation, process improvisation and optimization, minimal or fresh-cut produce along with their suitable packaging for shelf-life extension, etc. In this milieu, two ad-hoc projects, funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has been successfully executed and completed under the programme. Currently, the faculty members are also engaged in conducting various training programmes for the hand-holding of farmers and entrepreneurs, enthusiastic to work in the food processing division.
Assam Agricultural University sponsored project on "Bitterness-oriented germplasm screening and preservation of Assam lemon (Citrus limon) juice", projcet cost Rs.5.75 Lakh
DBT, New Delhi sponsored project on "Value addition and Product Diversification in Tea", projcet cost Rs.3.82 Crore
Indian Institute of Soybean Research sponsored project on "Popularization ad commercialization of the soybean crop in NEH region",
DASD, Calicut, Kerala sponsored project on "Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) as PI from 2015-2018 and as Co-PI from 2020 till date", projcet cost Rs.1.50 Crore
DBT (New Delhi) sponsored project on "Identification of the genetics associated with Resistant Starch content in Rice for nutraceutical benefits", projcet cost Rs.1.005 Crore implemented in 2018. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manashi Das Purkayastha)
DBT, New Delhi sponsored project on "Developing bioactive compound-enriched functional food ingredients from Dillenia indica and valorization of its pomace", projcet cost Rs.25.29 Lakh implemented in 2017. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manashi Das Purkayastha)
DBT sponsored project on "Development of tea polyphenols-rapeseed protein microencapsulate for delivery of bioactive ingredients in functional foods: in vitro and in vivo study", projcet cost Rs.1.25 Crore implemented in 2017. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manashi Das Purkayastha)