Food engineering involves the application of engineering principles and concepts to the handling, storage, processing, packaging, and distribution of food and related products. The objective of the food engineering section at NIFA is to develop new food products and conceive, design and operate food processes, and equipment for effective preservation and value addition of foods. Food Engineering provides a sound basis for the development of a viable food industry. In countries where food engineering is a well established discipline, food industry is an important and in some cases the largest sector of the economy.

1. Amal Badshah, PS (Group Leader)
2. Nizakat Bibi, PS
3. Dr. Maazullah Khan, SE (Agric)
4. Shahid Akbar Khalil, SS
5. Zahid Mahmood, JS

• Technological Studies on Different NIFA Wheat, Chickpea and Mungbean Varieties
• Nutritional enhancement of cereals and grain legumes through germination techniques
• Extrusion Cooking
• Solar Dehydration/Drying of Fruits and Vegetables
• Fruit and vegetable product development
• Effect of different treatments on the Post harvest Quality of Sweet orange cv. Blood red

Extrusion cooking is continuous process of mixing, shearing, heating/cooking and shaping. Its major advantages include Continuous high throughput processing, energy efficiency, processing of relatively dry materials, improved textural and flavor characteristics, control of thermal changes, and use of unconventional ingredients. Its has potential industrial applications in production of ready to eat cereals, snacks and Pasta (Macaroni), oil expelling, Pre-cooking of pulses, protein texturization, poultry feed, and fish feed.

At NIFA, the over all objective of extrusion cooking programme is to establish extrusion cooking research programme at NIFA. Specific objectives are:

• Design and fabrication of laboratory size screw extruder
• Devlop this technology for prodcuttion of cereal based value added products
• Utilize this technology in oil expelling from rape seed
  
  A single screw extruder has already been developed and fabricated at NIFA for processing of cereal based products (Picture attached). Further more a R&D project has been awarded by PSF for design and fabrication of a laboratory size single screw extruder. This project will contribute to the national economy in a number of ways including savings on machinery import, development of value added food and feed products, and expansion of Agro-Industrial Sector.

The removal of water from a product under controlled conditions of air flow, temperature and humidity is called dehydration. Fresh fruits and vegetables have high moisture contents (~90%) providing a favorable environment. At NIFA,the over all objective of this programme is to devlop an efficient solar dryer for large scale drying of fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products. Specific objectives are:
                        1). Design and fabrication of an efficient pilot scale solar dryer
                        2) Determine optimum drying conditions for various products

A pilot scale solar drier has already been developed at NIFA. A number of fruits and vegetables have been dried in this drier. Efforts are underway to improve its efficiency.This project has the potential to add value and preserve value to large quantities of fruits and vegetables that are other wise of low quality or wasted. It will result in increased earnings for the farmers and other related enterprises. Dryers capable of drying large quantities of fruits and vegetables in relatively shorter periods of time will have substantial economic benefits for the growers and industry.