National Institute of Food Science and Technology - The Pakistan Society of Food Scientists and Technologists (PSFST)

National Institute of Food Science and Technology comprises of six sections and one centre. Each section has its own mandate. The brief description of each is given below.

UAF
  1. NUTRITION AND FOOD SAFETY
    Research Focus
  • Developing community-based technologies to combat micro-nutrient deficiencies
  • Therapeutic modification of diets for various lifestyle related health disorders
  • Optimizing processes for the production of wholesome and nutritious foods
  • Developing nutraceutical foods and diet planning programs for vulnerable groups
  • Assisting food industry to develop and implement quality assurance systems to meet WTO requirements

2. GRAIN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
Research Focus

  • Basic research on chemistry, biochemistry & quality of cereals, pulses/legumes and their products
  • Determining the impact of genotypic and environmental factors on quality of cereals and pulses
  • Micronutrient fortification strategies for cereals to combat malnutrition in Pakistan
  • Development and application of technologies for value-added products through diversification & characterization
  • Provision of technical & advisory services for capacity building of food related industries (milling & baking)

3. DAIRY AND MEAT TECHNOLOGY 
Research Focus

  • Developing appropriate technologies for pasteurized and UHT milk, cream, butter, cheese, fermented milk products, ice cream, dried milk, baby foods and whey processing
  • Developing technologies to extend shelf life of dairy, meat, poultry and fish products for local and export markets
  • Developing designs and methods for hygienic processing of milk, meat, poultry and fish
  • Introducing modern processing technologies for dairy and meat industry

4. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TECHNOLOGY 
Research Focus

  • Developing pre- and post-harvest technologies for extension in storage life, better handling and transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Developing low-cost appropriate technologies for fruits and vegetables processing
  • Preparing processed and value-added products from fruits and vegetables
  • Utilization of processing wastes for value addition and reduction in environmental pollution.

5. OIL AND SUGAR TECHNOLOGY 
Research Focus

  • Developing appropriate technologies for extraction and processing of vegetable oils
  • Exploration of non-commercial oil sources to fulfil the consumer’s demand
  • Application of food industrial wastes for value added edible oils
  • Utilizing sugar industry by-products for value added products
  • Development and utilization of low-calorie artificial sweeteners

6. FOOD MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 
Research Focus

  • Use of microorganisms and their metabolites for food production.
  • Development, value-addition and up-gradation of agro-industrial commodities by the use of biotechnology.
  • Ensuring food safety of ready to eat food products
  • Designing and delivering competency-based trainings related to food microbiology and biotechnology

 7.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER (FTTC) 
This section has been setup with the help of Agro campus Rennes, France. It is comprised of five components.
Currently processing facilities related to milk, meat, fats and edible oils and cereal based infant formulae are functional.

  • Milk Processing Unit
  • Meat Processing Unit
  • Vegetables & Fruits Processing
  • Fats & Edible Oils Processing
  • Processing of Cereals; baking plant