Shivaji University set to cook up nutritious noodles

The department of food science and technology of Shivaji University (SU) has received Rs31.13 lakh for carrying out research to develop nutritious noodles.

“The Union ministry of food processing industries sanctioned the funds on December 13 last year,” said chief researcher and head of the department, AK Sahoo, and co-researcher, RC Ranveer.

Sahoo and Ranveer said instant noodles will be developed from legumes and leafy vegetables easily available in the rural areas in two years under the programme.

“Noodles are no longer children’s breakfast. Youngsters and middle-aged prefer noodles even in rural areas. It is a regular grocery item. However, the noodles presently available in the market are low in nutrition. Therefore, we decided to improve them,” Sahoo said.

Artificial stabilisers and refined wheat flour are basic ingredients of most of noodles in the market. The refined wheat flour lacks dietary fiber and has little nutrition value. 

Under the project, the researchers will use legumes such as soya, chickpeas and leafy vegetables such as spinach, drumstick leaves, Bengal gram leaves for developing new noodles.

These noodles will help in solving the protein malnutrition. “The vegetables being used in this noodles are cheap and easily available and are rich in iron, potassium and phosphorous,” Sahoo and Ranveer said.

“In this fast life, noodles makes ideal foodstuff. Now, we are going to make it nutritious,” Sahoo said.