Enhancing the quality of Indian food
The project 'Food research exchange programme between India and Europe (EASTWESTFOOD) aimed to strengthen the research capacity in India and Europe. This goal was accomplished through an exchange programme between two institutions in Denmark, two in India and one in the Netherlands. The programme's focus was on research training for early-stage and experienced scientists. The fields of interest were healthy diets, dairy technology and metabolic engineering. European researchers benefited from building their knowledge of Indian food culture, indigenous Indian dairy products, and plant-based Indian foods and food extracts. In turn, the Indian partners from Banaras Hindu University were trained in designing and running experiments for high-tech dairy plants. Their goals were to increase the shelf-life and health benefits of traditional products. Researchers from Anna University actively participated in planning and teaching of joint PhD courses focusing on different food cultures, health and innovation in food science. By training early-stage researchers, scientists from both Europe and India have supported the development of the food industry. The trained researchers are now positioned to help market existing and new European-designed products. The project also built a foundation for continued collaboration. EASTWESTFOOD made other significant contributions. The trained researchers will be able to develop food products for the Indian public that are healthier and have a long shelf-life. In Europe, interaction with Indian researchers improved knowledge of traditional Indian foods, forming the basis for introducing foods with an 'Indian touch' to the European market. Overall, the project has made European and Indian researchers more aware of health-related issues that can arise from eating different foods. An additional project benefit was the focus on innovation, which has increased the probability that scientific achievements will reach the general public and improve its quality of life.
Keywords
Indian food, food quality, food sciences, food research, research exchange, healthy diet, dairy technology, metabolic engineering, food extract, shelf-life, health
