Malaysian Palm Oil Council introduced an educational module and a practical workshop in the City of Joy Kolkata for the students of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM Kolkata), National Institute of Hotel Management, and Decent International Institute of Hotel Management.
This event was specially designed by Malaysian Palm Oil Council keeping in mind the current requirement of the hospitality industry. Ms. Bhavna Shah, Country Representative of Malaysian Palm Oil Council for India and Sri Lanka conducted the educational module on Myths and facts about Palm Oil and shared her extensive knowledge on Malaysian Palm Oil, its various health benefits and how it is completely apt for Indian cuisines.The food industry lovespalm oil because of its versatility, its ease of use in various food applications and ability to prolong shelf-life of food products. One of the important factors which appeals to food manufacturers is that palm oil is trans-fat free and can easily replace partially hydrogenated unsaturated oils, which contain trans fatty which are not good for the heart. Palm oil is a fruit oil just like olive oil and is Non-GMO.
The event also hosted interactive sessions on Chemistry and nutritional aspects of Palm Oil and its derivatives by Dr Mahua Ghosh (Department of Chemical Technology, University of Kolkata) and Biochemical, Physiological, Nutritional, Nutraceutical, aspects of Palm Oil by Dr PubaliDhar (Associate Professor Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Food and Nutrition Division).
Next on the agenda was an exciting Young Chefs cooking competition for the students conducted by Malaysian Palm Oil Council. The students were given surprise ingredients and they had to cook a full course meal in Palm Oil.
The winners of the cooking competition were as below mentioned:
Winner: Ms AnouskaaSatdev from IHM Kolkata
Second: Ms GouravHalder from IHM Kolkata
The winners of the cooking competition werefelicitated with trophy and certificate of honour by Malaysian Palm Oil Council.
Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Bhavna Shah said, “We are thrilled to be at these educational institutes. It is always a great feeling to interact with the youth of our nation, our future, and educate them on an important culinary ingredient, Malaysian Palm Oiland the various benefits it offers. With a 100-year history behind its development and growth in Malaysia, it is the answer to the nutrition needs of not only the Indian population but also globally. With its rich supply of vitamins and anti-oxidants, it has been proven to be a healthy component in the daily diet. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the students to not only win the MasterChef title but also to enhance their knowledge about this golden crop from Malaysia. I hope you guys continue the amazing work you are doing and keep growing.”
Speaking at the college, Mr. Bonophool Banerjee (HOD, Food Production / Room Division) atInstitute of Hotel Management (IHM Kolkata) said, “We are honoured that Malaysian Palm Oil Council organised this event at our college for our students. The event was educative, and the students thoroughly enjoyed the same. This educational module has definitely helped us to understand Malaysian Palm Oil better and its benefits and how well food can be cooked in it. The masterchef competition showcased the knowledge and skills of the students who were using palm oil for the first time. It was a great learning experience for our students.”
Note to Editors:
MPOC is a Council under the Ministry of Primary Industries of Malaysia. Its role is to promote the market expansion of Malaysian palm oil and its products by enhancing the image of palm oil and creating better acceptance of palm oil through awareness of various technological and economic advantages (techno-economic advantages) and environmental sustainability.
The Council has set up a network of ten offices all over the world, mainly in China (Shanghai), India (Mumbai), Pakistan (Lahore), Bangladesh (Dhaka), Middle East (Istanbul and Cairo), Europe (Brussels and Russia), Ghana (Accra) and Americas (Washington DC) to support, promote and venture into new areas for the industry.
The plantation industry, particularly palm oil, is one of the main pillars of the Malaysian economy. The palm oil sector has contributed significantly towards providing a continuous inflow of export earnings through the export of raw commodity and valued-added products to the global market.
The country today enjoys its economic prosperity and development through a strong foundation set by the industry and contribution in terms of export earnings and employment. It has long put into place guidelines, research, industrial and environmental standards that provide a safe, high quality Trans-free oil in a manner that supports the local economy, preserves the environmental resource base and is economically viable. Practices are constantly reviewed to ensure that best agricultural and management practices evolve in line with new research findings and international standards.