CSIR-Food Research Institute: annual report 2005

Abstract

The Food Research Institute (FRI) is one of the thirteen affiliate institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The CSIR is striving to become a Centre of Excellence in R&D by generating appropriate technologies that are responsive to demands of the private sector and socio-economic development. The mission of corporate CSIR is to generate and apply innovative technologies, which efficiently and effectively exploit S&T for socio-economic development in critical areas of agriculture, industry, health and the environment and improve scientific culture of the civil society. Technologies developed will be commercialized for private sector development in Ghana and abroad. The Food Research Institute's vision is to be recognized, nationally and internationally, as S&T Institution that is playing a key role in the transformation of the food processing industry to be internationally competitive with particular reference to product safety, quality and preservation. The FRI's mission is primarily to conduct market oriented applied research and provide technical services and products profitably to the private sector and other stakeholders. The overall goal of the Institute is to assist in poverty alleviation through the creation of opportunities for generating and increasing incomes within the micro, small, medium and large-scale food industries, contribute to food security, foreign exchange earnings and the application of cost-effective food processing technologies that are environmentally friendly. FRI presently operates under seven divisions: Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Food Processing & Engineering, Nutrition & Socio-economics, Commercialization & Information, Administration, and Accounts. In pursuance of the objectives of FRI, the Microbiology and Chemistry Divisions continued with their task of providing analytical support to both research and industry. The Food Processing & Engineering Division continued with its functions of conducting applied research into the processing, preservation, packaging and storage of food as well as the development of new products from available raw materials. The Pilot Scale Development Unit of the division conducted pilot scale studies into products developed by the FRI. The commercial and Information Division coordinates the commercial activities of all the other divisions of the Institute in order to raise the income of the Institute. The Commercialization process of the Institute continued and the following areas were the major sources of income: Consultancies, Collaborative Research, Equipment fabrication & Hire of Facilities, Sale of Research By-Products, Technical and Analytical Services and Training. The IGF as a percentage of total subvention was 3.8%. However, the Institute attracted a lot of donor funding for its research activities, which could not be borne by Government subvention. The total Donor Direct Inflow to the Institute amounted to approximately ¢1,356,591,279.00 which bring the IGF/Subvention ratio to 29.40%. In line with its mandate, the main programmes of the Institute during the year were centred on R&D activities for the solution of postharvest problems. Scientists in the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) are undertaking the Agro-processing Programme under the research component of the 1st phase of the Agricultural Sub-sector Improvement Project (AgSSIP). The Agro-processing component of AgSSIP is being coordinated by the FRI. Most activities began in June 2002 after an initial delay with the disbursement of funds for the project. Activities in preparation for the accreditation of 14 microbiological methods to ISO 17025 Quality System continued throughout the year. The year under review saw a high number of participation in local and international conferences by staff