Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (Reporter) In a rapid response to Wayanad's devastating landslides, the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) here has prepared a consignment containing 3,000 servings of food materials. The staff and students of the premier autonomous research institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, contributed to disaster relief by actively preparing food products in the in-house food pilot plant facility as part of their social responsibility. The consignment includes nutritious food products and healthy snacks such as Upma, Poha, millet-based extruded snacks, and rusks in ready-to-eat food pouches, specially formulated using high-quality ingredients without additives except for the rusk. Food products and snacks are prepared using state-of-the-art food processing equipment such as a water spray retort, twin screw extruder, fluidized bed dehydrator, and bakery processing line. Prepared food products are shelf-stable with a shelf life of two to four weeks and can be conveniently stored at room temperature without any sophisticated storage equipment. CSIR-NIIST is coordinating with state government agencies, disaster management, and search and rescue teams to reach the food products to the affected people on time. In the coming days, CSIR-NIIST plans to ramp up food production based on requirements on the ground...////...