One of the great attractions of the 35th Kerala Science Congress (KSC) held at the Mar Baselios Christian College of Engineering and Technology at Kuttikkanam in Idukki from February 10 to 14 was a stand set up by two ladies that bore evidence of their distinct philosophy and attitude.
The exhibits at the venue by Sreelakshmi S. (24) and Amritha Nair (26) were the results of ideas produced at their start-up ‘Uniwo Naturals’ which now works from the Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.
Their inventive streak allowed them the opportunity to change fruit peels and rice bran, which would ordinarily be labelled trash, to biscuits that are as delightful as they are healthful.
The two ladies called the cookies ‘Dhaanyamrit’ (made out of rice bran) and ‘Fruitscuit’ (made from fruit peels). The goods are part of a collection of nutritious and beneficial foods created from rice bran and fruit peels including powder, cookies, chips, etc.
“Fruit peels and rice bran are generally labelled waste materials but might in reality be converted into value-added goods. Presently, the bran of Palakkadan Matta is utilised for creating food goods. Our start-up firm is registered and the product will soon be accessible in the market,” adds Ms Sreelakshmi.
Their food items might address concerns of micronutrient deficiencies, malnutrition and lifestyle disorders, according to Ms Amritha, a postgraduate in Biotechnology and Ms Sreelakshmi, a BTech holder in Biotechnology. The two as a team had previously earned the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) concept award of ₹ 1.5 lakh and the KSUM Mahatma Gandhi University Research Incubation Programme (RINP) grant of ₹2.5 lahks.
Theirs was one of the 25 distinct companies and incubator stands set up during the scientific conference. The ending ceremony of the KSC was conducted on Tuesday in which Saji Gopinath, Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Digital Science Innovation and Technology, presented a special address.
Science and Technology department Principal Secretary K.P. Sudhir; Kerala Science and Technology Environment Council Member Secretary S. Pradeep Kumar; Mahatma Gandhi (MG) university Vice Chancellor Sabu Thomas; MBS college of engineering Principal V.I. George; and Kerala Science, Technology and Environment Council Principal Scientist C. Arunan; were among those who attended the event.
The conference was held by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Kerala Forest Research Centre (KFRI), and Mar Baselios Christian College of Engineering and Technology at Mar Baselios engineering college in Kuttikkanam.
For more college news click here.
