29 October 2007
It is a matter of great privilege and prestige to me to be honoured with the Seligman APV Fellowship by SCI, for the year 2007. This fellowship has not only enabled me to visit various universities, research institutes and food processing facilities in the UK, but also provided an opportunity to work in the Department of Food Bioscience at University of Reading (UoR) for six months.
Since my arrival on March 1, 2007, I spent my time at UoR going through the food processing facilities available for research, and exploring various non-thermal food processing technologies available specifically for fruits and vegetables. My first project involved studying the factors which influenced the formation of potato glycoalkaloids. I compiled the published information available on this topic into a review article which will soon be forwarded to JSFA for publication. I then went on to complete a detailed experimental project investigating strategies for reducing oil uptake during frying. The results of this project are also being written up for publication.
Visits
- ‘Essential Oils: How essential they are’, SCI Oils & Fats Groups, University of Reading, 14 April 2007
- ‘Optimum Frying for Health and Quality’, SCI Oils & Fats and Food Engineering Groups, University of Reading, 18-19 April 2007
- ‘Food and Drink in Archaeology 2007’, Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham, 18-19 May 2007
- ‘Developments in Heat Transfer’, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 19 June 2007
- ‘NovelQ: Novel processing methods for the production and distribution of high quality, safe food’, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA), Chipping Campden, 9-10 July 2007
- Steven Grace, Process Design Manager; Bill Kirkland and Darran Beckinsale, Invensys APV, Crawley, West Sussex, 3 August 2007
- Graham Byars, Weetabix Ltd, Kettering, Northamptonshire, 4 August 2007
- Simon Kiener, PM Project Services Ltd, Rugby, Warwickshire, 10 August 2007
- Dr Andrew Stapley Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Loughborough, 13 August 2007
- Phillip Effingham, Marshalls (vegetable producer and processor), 20 August 2007
- Roger White, Westhorpe Flowers and Plants Ltd, 20 August 2007
- Ian Wilson, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge, 22 August 2007
Achievements and benefits
The fellowship has given me a unique exposure to the food processing and engineering related activities in UK which will be very helpful in future for technology-development, transfer and implementation. I have also gained knowledge and experience and established contacts with scientists working in universities and industry for developing collaborations in the future.
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the Seligman Trust for funding the fellowship for the scientific advancement of young food engineers. I would like to thank SCI for wonderfully and efficiently managing the whole fellowship programme particularly Graham Byars (Seligman Trust Chairman) and Monica Iglesias who deserves a lot more than mere thanks. Thanks are due to all the staff of SCI. I am very grateful to Prof Niranjan (University of Reading) who has not only supported and encouraged me with his able technical guidance but also for his personal efforts in making my stay fruitful. Thanks are due to all the persons who I visited during my fellowship, those who helped in making the visits possible and meaningful.
I am also very thankful to have received help from staff of the Department of Biosciences, UoR, Nidhi Ramayya (PhD student, UoR) and J K Sahu (Seligman Fellow). Lastly I want to thank one and all who have directly or indirectly brought me to this stage. I am also obliged to my university for their cooperation.
Prabhat Kumar Nema
Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University
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