In recent years, our research efforts have focused on developing innovative dairy products that offer health benefits in addition to their inherent nutritional value. To achieve this, millets and honey have been extensively utilized as ingredients in various dairy products. Recipes for classic dairy products such as Kalakand, Kulfi, Peda, Sandesh, Shrikhand, Ice Cream, and Mishti Dahi have been modified by using honey as a sweetener, partially or fully replacing added sugar.
Nutritious premixes designed to combat malnutrition have been developed by integrating scientific knowledge with traditional practices. These products feature protein sources from milk, millet, and vegetables, resulting in an improved amino acid profile and enhanced bioavailability. The premixes are available in various formulations, incorporating different millet varieties, including Browntop (Andua), Foxtail (Kangni), Barnyard (Sanwa), Little (Kutki), Kodo (Kodra), Pearl (Bajra), Sorghum (Jowar), Finger Millet (Ragi), and multi-millet blends.
To promote milk and milk product processing at the farm/village level and create a market for farm-fresh products, NDDB, in collaboration with IDMC, has developed a process line for manufacturing dairy products for farms handling 100 litres of milk per day. This equipment line allows for the processing of a wide range of milk products, including pasteurized market milk, curd/lassi/buttermilk, khoa, ghee, paneer, and shrikhand. It is ideally suited for small cooperatives, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and dairy entrepreneurs. The first such unit has been installed by NDDB at Atithi Dairy Farm in Petlad taluka, Anand, Gujarat.
India has historically relied heavily on imports to meet the dairy industry's demand for ready-to-use cultures (RUCs). Recognizing the need and value of indigenous technology, PPD has invested over a decade of concerted effort to master this technology. This advancement has enabled us to harness the rich microbial diversity available within India. Currently, our depository houses over one hundred well-characterized starter cultures. Multiple RUC formulations for the production of fermented dairy products have been developed and successfully tested across various dairies. The RUC technology has been transferred to Ms. IDMC for commercial manufacturing and marketing.
A significant area of PPD's intervention is providing services to cooperative dairies across various aspects of milk and milk processing. These services include troubleshooting, ingredient and product selection, recipe upgrades, assistance with product analysis, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) development, training in product development, starter culture management, the use of small-scale equipment for milk processing at the farm/Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS) level, and adulteration detection in raw milk.
