History of CSIR-Food Research Institute

2021

English

At the request of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) put together a team of experts to plan the establishment of the Food Research Institute. The team was made up of seasoned food technologists from developed and developing countries, who had relevant experience in similar institutions. It was led by Dr. Parpia who was then the Director of the Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore, India. Subsequently, The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research- Food Research Institute (CSIRFRI) was started as a national project with UNDP as the funding agency and the FAO as the executing agency. The project was called “UNDP/FAO Project-Food Research and Development Unit”. It lasted for five years, from October 1965 to September 1970. Mr. Ouni Rauha was the Project manager with Mr. F.W.K. Christian as the counterpart manager. The original plan of the project was to establish a unit with appropriate infrastructure equipped with required facilities and manned by trained Scientists in relevant areas of specialization. Secondly, the project was to assist the Unit to carry out a coordinated programme of applied research in the storage, processing, preservation and marketing of foods. The purpose of these studies was to contribute towards the development of the food industry in the country. Findings of these research studies were expected to guide Scientists of the unit to play the crucial role of advising the food industry in their operations as well as advising the government in its policy implementation aimed at increasing food productivity.

Oduro-Yeboah, C.; Wahaga, E.; Eyison, F. L. B.