Essential oils have an important place in food, medicine and industrial development, said the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) director general Dr Ashwani Kumar. He was speaking at the start of a five-day training cum workshop on essential oils, perfumery and aroma therapy jointly organized by Forest Research Institute (FRI) and the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj.
Speaking on the occasion, Kumar stressed on the need on high quality research on value addition and product diversification of essential oils paying due attention to their biosafety.
Addressing the gathering, FRI director Dr Savita cited the rich biodiversity of Indian forests that holds significant number of medicinal and aromatic plants of which only five per cent have so far been explored scientifically for various applications. She emphasized on the importance of the training cum workshop in addressing the requirements of fragrance and flavour industry in India. FFDC extension officer Dr SK Srivastava spoke of the activities of FFDC and gave an account of the objectives of the technical sessions of the training.
The course curriculum of the training has been designed to meet the expectation of diverse group of participants, he added.
Earlier, welcoming the gathering, FRI Chemistry division head Dr VK Varshney informed that the five-day training cum workshop is structured to effectively address the various contemporary and emerging issues of fragrance and flavour industry in India and the world over.
The training cum workshop will provide exposure towards fundamental and applied aspects of processing, quality assessment and therapeutic benefits of essential oils and their applications in perfumery and aromatherapy for advancements of scientific knowledge, skills and entrepreneurship of the participants through lectures and practical demonstrations by experts from aroma industry, scientists and practicing aroma therapists. A total of 25 participants from different parts of India including entrepreneurs, NGO representatives and others associated with fragrance and flavor research and business are attending the programme.
