Fermenta Biotech has inaugurated the Fermenta – Centre of Excellence for Food Fortification at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management – Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T).
According to Fermenta Biotech, the Centre is designed to bring together government, academia, industry and nutrition expertise to support the development of effective fortification approaches relevant to India’s nutritional needs.
The Centre was established through a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), NIFTEM-T, Fermenta Biotech, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
Dr Ranjit Singh, Joint Secretary, MoFPI, inaugurated the Centreon Thursday in the presence of Prof V Palanimuthu, director, NIFTEM-T; Prashant Nagre, managing director, Fermenta Biotech; and Dr Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian, country director, GAIN India.
Fermenta Biotech said the Centre will focus on translating fortification science into practical applications through the development, demonstration and dissemination of fortified food technologies.
By bridging research with real-world implementation, the Centre aims to facilitate scalable and application-oriented solutions for commonly consumed foods. The initial focus will include fortification opportunities across staples such as edible oil and wheat flour.
The Centre is also expected to facilitate industry exposure for students, sponsored research, technology transfer, and engagement with food startups and innovators.
Commenting on the inauguration, Prashant Nagre, managing director, Fermenta Biotech said the Centre would emphasise bridging the gap between scientific development and practical food applications.
“The real measure of innovation in food fortification is its ability to move from the laboratory into foods that can be produced, adopted and consumed at scale. Through the Fermenta – Centre of Excellence for Food Fortification, our focus is on helping bridge that critical gap—from scientific development and validation to practical food applications,” he said.
Prof V Palanimuthu, director, NIFTEM-T, said the Centre would provide a platform for applied research, technology development and demonstration, capacity building, industry–academia collaboration and knowledge exchange in food fortification.
“By bringing together the complementary strengths of NIFTEM-T, Fermenta and GAIN, we aim to develop scalable and industry-relevant fortification solutions for commonly consumed foods and facilitate their effective adoption,” he said.
Palanimuthu added that the Centre could emerge as a national platform for innovation, skill development and technology transfer in food fortification.
Dr Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian, country director, GAIN India, said the Centre marks a milestone in the partnership between Fermenta and NIFTEM-T, which began more than a year ago to accelerate innovation in food fortification and strengthen research, development and knowledge exchange in food processing and nutrition technologies.
She said GAIN had supported the partnership by facilitating collaboration between the organisations and highlighted the role of public-private partnerships in addressing malnutrition at scale.
