New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM‑K) under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has entered into a five‑year Memorandum of Understanding with Massey University, New Zealand to strengthen academic and research cooperation in food technology, processing, innovation and higher education, an official statement said on Friday.

The areas of cooperation include collaborative research projects, joint applications for third-party funding, participation in seminars and academic meetings, exchange of faculty and researchers, student mobility programmes etc.

Dedicated coordinators from both institutions will facilitate the implementation of collaborative initiatives, the statement from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries said.

The agreement may be renewed for another five-year term by mutual consent. The MoU also safeguards the intellectual property rights of both parties and serves as a non-binding framework to foster future academic partnerships.

“This collaboration is expected to enhance international academic cooperation, promote innovation in food technology and processing, facilitate knowledge exchange, and provide greater opportunities for students, researchers and faculty members of both institutions,” the ministry noted.

NIFTEM-K had made headlines with the unveiling of new technologies to fuel growth in the country’s food processing sector.

The Institute’s ground-breaking innovations that underline its technical prowess and commitment to sustainable food processing practices include SARTHI Technology demonstrating the integration of advanced digital technologies with sensors and hybrid Drying and Biodegradable Film — a concept for hybrid drying and the development of 100 per cent biodegradable film without plasticizers.

Further rapid detection kits for detecting pesticides in tea and harmful compounds like acrylamides and aflatoxins using nanosensors and enzyme inhibition principles were also developed at the institute.

NIFTEM-K has also made an important contribution to empowering rural communities through the village adoption programme.

—IANS

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