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| Department of Foods and Nutrition |
A WHO Collaborating Centre (No. 122)
Research And Training In Promoting Nutrition In Health And Development
Institution of Excellence for training health personnel in Maternal and Child Health
University Grant Commission-Departmental Special Assistance (UGC-DSA SAP II)
Nutritional science has its roots in biological sciences; however application of the principles of nutrition to promote positive health calls for an understanding of both biological and social sciences. The role of nutrition in enhancing the quality of life through improved physical growth, development and productivity, improved immunocompetence have all been studied recently and continue to be interesting areas of investigation. At the same time, translation of these basic nutritional facts into practice require an understanding of the dietary patterns about how these are influenced by social, economic and cultural factors. Chemistry of foods and changes in nutrient content during food processing are equally important in understanding the science of nutrition.
Since the inception in 1950, the Department has witnessed phenomenal growth from an undergraduate institution to a leading post-graduate institution with a strong component of research upto the doctoral level.
Besides being a Premier Institution, the Department has also been selected by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for Special Assistance under Departmental Special Assistance (DSA). The department has been fortunate in receiving generous grant from the UCG in three major installments for development of infrastructure, for strengthening teaching and research.
Further, the Department is also recognized as a Collaborating Centre for Nutrition Research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is a member of the South-East Asia Network for research in Nutrition.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has identified the Department as an Institution of Excellence for training health personnel in Maternal and Child Health.
The courses and learning experiences in the department are designed in such a way as to provide an understanding of both the biological and social science perspectives. The students receive basic theoretical and practical training in three major areas, viz. Public Health Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Science and Quality Control that will enable them to choose one of these as their specialized career at post graduate levels.
The courses are planned to promote an understanding of the science of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics and their application and provide specialized professional training so that students can seek jobs as Nutritionists (including Public Health Nutritionists); Dietitians, Food Service Managers, Food Quality Control Personnel and Food Product Development Staff in professional institutions and government and voluntary organizations.
The Department has several separate undergraduate and postgraduate laboratories food lab., microbiology lab., food science lab., chemistry and biochemistry lab. and others. A new Research & Development Wing has been made for P.G. students under the building extension programme of UGC-DSA. Field training in assessment of dietary and nutrient intakes and also biochemical and nutritional status assessment, forms an important component of the programme at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The Department offers a B.Sc. programme in Dietetics, Food Science & Quality Control and Public Health Nutrition, and M.Sc. degree programme in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition and a research and coursework based doctoral programme in Foods & Nutrition.
Major research areas being pursued in the Department are Public Health Nutrition, Dietetics, Food Science & Technology.
Terms of Reference of the WHO Centre:
(a) To undertake research in determining the social, cultural and environmental factors leading toward healthy dietary practices and promotion of nutrition.
(b) To carry out intervention research to combat different forms of malnutrition-under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and nutrition of indulgence.
(c) To develop a training protocol for appropriate adaptation of WHO’s global strategy on diet, physical activity and health in member countries of the South – east Asia Region.
To adopt food – based / health promotion approaches for the prevention and control of various nutritional deficiencies and disorders and diet related behavioral risks.
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