The Principles of food science can go a long way in creating a sustainable and equitable world focused on health and wellness !

Amrita Ray, our next pathbreaker, Milling Specialist at The Northern Crops Institute (Fargo, United States), works on grain processing, milling and product formulations in order to explore their potential in the whole grain food system.

Amrita talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her career in food science and securing a 5-year fellowship from UGC to conduct her doctoral research on enhancing the value of quinoa grains.

For students, you may or may not have the best things, but you can always make the best of what you have !

Amrita, can you share your background with our young readers?

Hello this is Dr. Amrita Ray from Northern Crops Institute, USA. I moved here right after my doctoral program and have been working for almost 2 years now. 

To give you a little background, I must talk about the early days. I grew up in the city of joy, Calcutta and had a truly joyous childhood. I went to Sakhawat Memorial Govt. Girls’ High School till my 12th standard and have very fond memories of the time. I probably studied less and enjoyed more during the time, volunteered for school events and took part in extracurricular activities. I surely was not one of those studious kids; rather spent most of my time reading novels and playing outdoors. I enjoyed trying out new things. My parents have been supportive and the best part was that they never pushed me to score good marks. All they ever told me was to learn good, so that I can make a career or in broader terms, a life for myself. Now, isn’t that the idea of education! Fortunately, I was taught about that very early in life. 

What did you do for graduation/post graduation?

I took up Food Science & Nutrition honors at the University of Calcutta. Back in the days, the Viharilal College Campus was one of the few places to host the subject. I completed both my Bachelor and Master degree from the University campus.

I further completed my PhD in Food Science and Technology from CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore.

Can you share with us some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career in Food Science?

I had studied Biology as a special paper for my 10th class and intended to study in that route. My elder sister, Soumi Ray, finished her bachelor in Chemistry around that time and suggested that Food & Nutrition could have good scope in future for a reasonable career path. Those days, people opted for dietician and teaching positions readily after graduation. Although I had a short stint as a dietician, I wanted to pursue research and eventually joined Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India and a premier research institute for food science in India. This was a life changing decision. At this institution, I acquired a new perspective on the subject and forged my journey forward !

Tell us about your career path and specifically about your PhD research

I always wanted to pursue a doctorate degree and become a scientist. But I have to admit that I had no idea how to go about it. Like everybody else, I was confused and trying hard to figure out what’s best for me. After my Master’s degree, I was exploring different options when I had an opportunity to work as a Dietician. But I soon realized that I wholeheartedly wanted to pursue research and joined CSIR-CFTRI to gather experience in the field. As a nutrition student, I had always read about this institute and their research in textbooks; having a chance to work in the very same institute was a proud moment for me.

I initially joined department of Flour Milling Baking and Confectionary Technology where I had a project on wellness food. I was involved in crafting a product formulation for managing diabetes, and our ultimate creation was a low-GI (Glycemic Index) Indian flatbread, boasting a significantly enhanced starch profile. I was also part of another project on shelf-life extension with natural preservatives. I enjoyed working there and learnt new things every day; from biochemical analysis to microbiological assays. With a strong desire to pursue a doctoral program, I committed myself to learning scientific techniques, diligently prepared for the National Eligibility Tests (NET) to secure a fellowship, and remained proactive in seeking different opportunities. During this time, I worked at University of Mysore for a brief period on plant protein utilization and bio-accessibility. Afterward, I worked with Department of Food Engineering at CFTRI on projects involving jaggery purification and crystallization, beverage processing etc. Concurrently, I secured the University Grants Commission Research Fellowship (UGC NET JRF) and embarked on my long-awaited journey toward earning a PhD in Food Science & Technology at CSIR-CFTRI.

I had a 5-year fellowship from UGC and wanted to do a novel project like any other young PhD candidate. My doctoral research focused on enhancing the value of quinoa grains through innovative processing methods. Specifically, we developed a dry milling technique that not only scales effectively for industrial production but also boasts superior eco-friendliness compared to traditional wet methods for separating quinoa embryo, perisperm, and bran fractions, all of which hold potential as functional food ingredients. In our initial milling experiments, we achieved an impressive 80% recovery rate in separating quinoa embryos from the grain. Unlike typical cereals, quinoa embryos constitute around 30% of the total grain, rendering them economically feasible for processing and large-scale production in the food industry. The quinoa embryo stands out as a crucial functional element of the grain, containing the majority of its protein and fat reserves along with a rich mineral composition. Our innovative process allows for the isolation of quinoa embryo fractions with exceptionally high levels of protein, minerals, and fats. Additionally, the bran obtained through our method is rich in dietary fiber, while the flour, distinguished by its rich amino acid profile and brighter color, can be seamlessly incorporated with refined wheat flours for production of bakery products. These separated fractions, enriched with superior nutritional profiles, offer a plethora of functional applications for specific target audiences and within the food industry at large. We’ve successfully transferred this technology to industry partners, and the scale-up process is currently underway. I eagerly anticipate the eventual launch of these products into the market.

The work has been appreciated and awarded by different organizations such as Association of Food Scientists & technologists, India (AFSTI), Institute of Food Technologists, USA (IFT) etc.  

Our technology was launched during a CSIR event last year and have been covered by the likes of The Hindu, Times of India and Star of Mysore. You can read about the work and the recognition it received:

We have transferred the technology to industry and the scale up process is ongoing. I look forward to see the product in the market soon.

How did you get your first break?

I consider moving to CSIR-CFTRI was one of the best decisions of my career. As I was looking for a research position, I would follow different organization websites that were involved in food science or related research and apply wherever I believed I fit in. Very soon I received an interview call and I got my first research position at the institute.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

I joined the premier food research institute of the country with a lot of excitement and hope. I loved being there among so many other food science students from all over the country. And that’s when I realized the true expanse of the field.

Challenge 1: The first challenge I faced was the transition between theory and practice. I studied the principles, but now was the time to apply them in your everyday job. I was lucky to have a wonderful mentor Dr.Indrani D and labmates who helped me learn the techniques.

Challenge 2:  My Master’s dissertation project was the only research experience I had until then and now I was part of a huge project in campus. The holistic approach of the project and how to plan towards specific goals were something I learned slowly and then there was no looking back.

Challenge 3:  I nurtured a strong desire to pursue a PhD and actively sought out opportunities to do so. However, success didn’t come immediately. Despite setbacks, I stayed focused. After the working hours, I would prepare for UGC National Eligibility Test (NET). Eventually, my efforts paid off when I secured a Junior Research Fellowship, enabling me to embark on my PhD journey.

Where do you work now? Can you tell us about your current tole?

I work at the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) in Fargo, USA. I work on grain processing, milling and product formulations. I have been specifically working on a milling project where we are developing an operating system of stone milling for various regional grains and exploring their potential in the whole grain food system. Principles of food science is what you need to know to work in these areas. Particularly, experience in processing and milling is important for my role. I learnt milling from my PhD supervisor Dr.Suresh D Sakhare, Sr. Principal Scientist and Co-ordinator of International School of Milling Technology, CSIR-CFTRI. He has been working in the field for more than 20 years now and has taught me the significant elements of the process.

What do you love about your work?

I enjoy working at NCI as my typical days involve exciting tasks like grain processing and milling, flour quality evaluation and product formulation. Part of my job is to write grants for different funding agencies such as USDA, talk about NCI work to other stakeholders through webinars or magazines like World Grain, Milling & Baking news, IFT Food technology magazine etc. I always wanted to work in a scientific field and later found my interest in science communication as well. At NCI, I get a unique opportunity to do both and I am excited to go to work every morning. 

How does your work benefit society? 

NCI is a collaborative effort among Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota. We support regional agriculture and value-added processing through educational and technical programs; we work towards expanding and maintaining domestic as well as international markets for northern grown crops. NCI works towards the benefit of all the stakeholders and has been doing a wonderful job at that. Our courses help farmers, local bakers and entrepreneurs. We have various in-person and online courses, webinars and handbooks focusing on the current market demands. Working in this organization gives me an opportunity to bring scientific knowledge to society. You can find more about our work and holistic approaches of NCI on the website. 

We also host Summer Ag Academy for high school students. It is an immersive career exploration experience in food science, animal science, and international trade.  The course intends to facilitate learning and helps students get exposed to world-class professionals, facilities, and activities during the course. I am sharing a few links of our work being talked about:

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

We recently had a stone milling course at NCI which is very close to my heart. I have been working on the course for more than a year now. We have performed in-house experiments on stone milling with various grains, formulated whole grain products and published a handbook with all the details. For the course, we created material tailored for the target audience, shared our work output, involved in hands-on training with Q&A sessions. Successful completion of the course was a very good feeling and the best part is that we have requests for more! We have an upcoming course in June and are looking forward to it. Here is a link to our course being featured in famous World Grain magazine:

We also have an online Stone Milling Course. You can find the details here.

Your advice to students based on your experience?

My experiences have taught me that you may or may not have the best things, but you can always make the best of what you have ! I could sum up a few tips for young students that I learnt through my journey-

  • Find your interest area and work around it.
  • Be open to learn new things, work hard and learn to work smart in the due course.
  • Accept challenges and do not consider them as obstruction on your path. Remember that a positive approach and attitude would make all the difference.
  • Last but not the least, inspire yourself to persist, even in the absence of external encouragement. 

Future Plans?

I aim to continue to work in the grain processing area, develop new technologies, connect various stakeholders and make an impact globally !