Around 30 retailers from the poultry and fish sectors here on Tuesday attended the exposure day organised by the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) to demonstrate newly-invented technologies including fish descaling machine, hand tool,fish processing table-cum-display unit and poultry processing table for poultry and fish retailers at its campus.
These technologies have been developed for providing safe and hygienic environment, while providing better quality products for customers, according to a press note issued by CIPHET.
Notably, in India, majority of fish and poultry products, which are more than 90 per cent, are consumed directly without processing. “Most of the cutting of meat is done openly and using unhygienic instruments and platform, the present condition is unfavourable for both retailers as well as consumers,” said Nilesh Gaikwad, scientist, CIPHET, who along with Tanbir Ahmed developed a complete package of technologies for providing safe and affordable processing environment for small and medium retailers.
“We have developed a fish descaling machine, which could remove the scales in less than 40 seconds as compared to conventional unsafe hand tool taking more than two minutes,” revealed Gaikwad, adding that for very small retailers they have also developed a safe hand tool for keeping user injury-free.
Ahmed said that open slaughtering of animals for meat was a big issue of concern for certain sections of the society and also hygiene of the cities. “We have developed stainless steel food grade poultry processing table at just Rs 12,000 for making the entire process very safe and closed from public view. Similarly, another table has been developed for processing of fishes with display unit,” he said, adding, “Meat retailers in future would require to adopt hygienic methods due to stringent safety norms of the Government of India and competition from MNCs.
Besides presentations, retailers were also given hands-on-practice on newly developed technologies. Suresh Devatkal, senior scientist, revealed details on vegetable-blended meat products and fish transport vehicle developed by the institute.
Bhupinder Singh, president, poultry association, said that adoption of safe and hygienic processing technologies would benefit both the poultry industry as well as consumers. He showed interest in buying the technologies developed by the institute.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, S N Jha, officiating director, CIPHET, said that these technologies would especially benefit the consumers by providing safe and hygienic meat products. S K Nanda, project coordinator (PHT), lamented that even today slaughtering of animals is done in the open.
“The retailers would benefit in long term if they invest some amount in upgrading infrastructure,” he said, adding, the retailers should also adopt safe and hygienic technologies in the interest of society. P R Bhatnagar, project coordinator (APA), and senior faculty members of the institute, were also present on the occasion.
