Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is a Research & Development organization, A Council Of Scientific and Industrial Research. Those who want to take up their job in Food and Technology field, food science field or research institute, then they must surely visit this place.
When ideas for establishing CFTRI was made in the late forties, IIFT combined with the CFTRI along with the training activity. The first bunch of graduates passed out from CFTRI in October, 1958. The Diploma course was upgraded to Associate ship course to keep pace with the upcoming needs.
It has been paying equal importance to education and training convenient to the needs of the people and country. During the fifties, guidance was mainly in the domain of fruits and vegetable processing which was led to Post-Graduate Diploma. This teaching had its source at the Indian Institute of Fruit Technology (IIFT), Lyallpur, which then moved to Delhi.
The Regional Seminar of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations for Asia was held at CFTRI in August, 1959. It took up a decision to build an International centre for training of personnel from the member countries of the region to complete their needs for ensuring food security, and expansion of food industry. It was determined that the International Food Technology Training Centre must be established at the CFTRI. The Canadian "Freedom from Hunger" Foundation offered to fellowship for the international participants. The USAID programme in India contributed instruments and equipment worth $5000. Government of Canada made a great contribution for the construction of the International Hostel for the participants of the course. A new stream named as International Food Technology Training Centre (IFTTC) was started. The pioneering contributions of Dr. Joseph H. Hulse in the establishment of IFTTC needs special mention. The University of Mysore, considering the implementation of the activity consented to affiliate IFTTC as the postgraduate centre, and to award the degree from the University. The centre was inaugurated in April, 1965, by Sri. V.V. Giri, then Governor of Karnataka. M.Sc. (Food Tech.) Course was initiated in 1965 and till date has trained more than 800 students from South and South East Asia and Africa. The IFTTC complex with the stylish hostel facility, dining hall and auditorium was inaugurated by Sri V.V. Giri, the then President of India.
The Centre was financed for the first five years through the Canada-Mysore activity. From 1969, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) provided support for directing a few International short-term courses but not for the post-graduate course. The Government has provided fellowships for higher-studies in M.Sc. (Food Technology) under different Aid Programs, to the nominees of other countries in addition to South and South-East Asia nations. The Indian participants of M.Sc. (Food Tech.) courses were granted scholarships from the National and State governments and economical support by the Indian Food Industry towards board, lodge and incidentals.
The institute has an idea with the National Disaster Management Authority. This performs its actions under the Ministry of Home Affairs,and has requested to establish the plant if it can get funding from the government. Since the tsunami in 2004, CFTRI is been supplying foods during calamities. In Kerala and Kodagu, the most recent disaster was flood. Relief foods were prepared at four of its pilot food plants and sent to the affected areas.
