Director
Objective: The specific objectives in consensus with the five themes of the proposed Mission ATLAS are: Developing advanced technologies for food safety and security; Exploring alternate analytical approaches and techniques; Development of Innovative and affordable sensors/devices; Exploring and Developing Smart food packaging solutions; Strengthening Digital interventions for food safety
Summary: Food safety is closely associated with health, economy, trade and tourism, thereby stimulating global sustainable development. The storage of food-grains is of paramount importance ensuring food security of the nation by holding massive stocks of food-grains. Food Corporation of India (FCI) aims to meet the storage requirement of India’s public distribution system and other welfare schemes. According to FCI, the storage capacity for central pool stocks amounts to approximately 756 lakh metric tons. India achieved 281.37 million metric tonnes of food grain production during the past period 2018-19 (NAAS, 2019). However, post-harvest food loss is a critical issue and it is a big challenge to mankind to meet the demand of growing population. Food security and post-harvest management is an important aspect in Indian economy. Insect pests are major destroyers causing severe loss to stored food products from raw food grains to processed foods. To take forward the leads and knowledge generated in FOCUS programme, a mission mode programme with an aim to provide futuristic and advanced technological interventions in food safety, concept proposals were invited from various CSIR institutes. After a series of brainstorming sessions with regulatory agencies and industries, a CSIR-Mission Mode Programme on Advancing Technological Leads for Assuring Safety of Food (ATLAS) is proposed with the following themes: Theme 1: Technologies for food safety and security Theme 2: Alternate analytical approaches and techniques Theme 3: Innovative and affordable sensors/devices Theme 4: Smart food packaging solutions Theme 5: Digital interventions for food safety These work packages of CSIR-Mission Mode Programme on Advancing Technological Leads for Assuring Safety of Food (ATLAS) have strong relevance to Make in India, Swasth Bharat, Swachh Bharat, Innovate in India, Skill India and Startup India.