Food tech on display at KU exhibit

Students of the Food Science & Technology Department at the University of Karachi displayed low-cost and energy efficient appliances to prepare and preserve food at a food equipment exhibition held on campus.

Student Haris Kamran said that he had created an air fryer in which a drop of oil makes hot air circulate around the food. He said he developed the machine in six days at a cost of Rs9,000. It has a temperature limit of 160 degrees and is a healthy alternative, he said.

Sohaib Malik built a mini-refrigerator from an eco-friendly thermoelectric chip. It uses an environment-friendly gas instead of chlorofluorocarbon, known to deplete the ozone layer. The mini-refrigerator's lowest recorded temperature is -12 degrees Celsius, he said

Ariba Khan's project was a flour kneading machine to save time. It is fitted with a 250-volt gear motor and can knead up to 5kg of flour in a few minutes. Ariba said the prototype cost her Rs10,000.

Assistant Professor Dr Zubala Yasir said that 13 projects had been put on display with companies contacting students to assess the viability of their creations.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2023.