At The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), we don't just see food as sustenance; we see it as a powerful, central force for positive change, driving solutions for health, livelihoods, and the very planet we inhabit.

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Watch the full podcast featuring Dr. Gurmeet Singh https://youtu.be/J8aBcGr8ZIo?si=3W_Oli2c0Xb2zzoO

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In an era of unprecedented global interconnectedness, our world grapples with formidable issues. Professor Gurmeet Singh, Dean of Research at TDU and an expert in food systems, in a fascinating conversation with Prof Leena Chandran Wadia, Dean (Education and OUtreach), highlights three colossal challenges where food plays a disproportionately high role:

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• Our Own Health as a Species: A staggering 70% of diseases are, in some way, connected to our food choices. From metabolic health to chronic illnesses, what we consume shapes our well-being and longevity.
• Livelihoods of People: Especially in countries like India, an estimated 60 to 65% of the population earns its livelihood from food – whether through growing, cooking, or delivering it. Food systems are the backbone of many economies and a direct source of income for millions.
• The Health of Our Environment: The impact of food production on the planet is immense. In India alone, roughly 60% of all habitable land is devoted to food systems, and 90% of fresh water withdrawals go towards agriculture. Furthermore, 20-30% of greenhouse gases are attributed to food systems, and the extinction of several species is linked to land use changes driven by food production.

These statistics paint a clear picture: food is not just on our plates; it's at the "centre of the plate" when it comes to addressing these critical global concerns. This profound realisation is the driving force behind the Food Futures Program at TDU.

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The Food Futures Program: Cultivating Tomorrow's Solutions Today

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The Food Futures Program at TDU is dedicated to tackling these three dimensions of health – human, societal, and planetary – through innovative food solutions. Our core hypothesis is that unless we address food and food systems comprehensively, we will only achieve piecemeal, unsustainable solutions. We believe this is the future of food, where innovation and insight unlock transformative possibilities.

It is a paradoxical yet exciting time in food science. While our absolute knowledge of the composition of food, its rheology, structuring, and biological effects has grown, the unknowns have increased dramatically and exponentially in the last 20 years. This rapid expansion is driven by emerging fields that delve into the intricate relationship between food and:

• Our Genome (Nutrigenomics): How food interacts with our genetic makeup.
• Our Epigenome: The study of how diet can influence gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence.
• Our Microbiome: The vast community of microorganisms residing in our gut, recognised as a critical field only after 2002-2003.
• Metabolomics: Understanding the tens of thousands of different molecules we ingest in a single meal and their effects on our bodies.
• Wearable Technology: Integrating real-time body parameters with food intake for personalised insights.

This convergence of cutting-edge disciplines makes working in food innovation today more exciting and impactful than ever before.

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TDU's Transdisciplinary Edge: Bridging Knowledge Systems

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What makes TDU uniquely positioned to lead in this space is its deeply ingrained transdisciplinary approach. The word "transdisciplinary" means bringing together fundamentally different knowledge systems, integrating and synthesising them to build something entirely new with its own emergent rules.

This isn't merely about multidisciplinarity (working alongside) or interdisciplinarity (sharing methods); it’s about creating a new, holistic understanding. At TDU, this is exemplified by:

• Integrating Ayurveda Sciences with Modern Nutrition Sciences: Bridging ancient wisdom with contemporary scientific understanding.
• A Unique Faculty Mix: Biologists trained in the world's best universities collaborate seamlessly with traditional knowledge experts, including Sanskrit and Ayurveda scholars, and individuals with extensive ground-level outreach experience. This diverse expertise is not siloed but actively interacts, enriching the learning and research environment.
• Associated Hospital: TDU’s unique setup includes a hospital, allowing faculty and students to freely interact with doctors and conduct clinical research, directly connecting research with clinical practice.
• Merging Local with Global: Unlike the traditional industrial model of a single, massive factory serving the world, TDU champions the power of local ecosystem resources. This approach seeks solutions from what's available in the immediate environment, merging the small with the big, and traditional knowledge with modernity.

This rich, integrated environment fosters a deeper understanding of food systems and their complex interplay with health and the environment.

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Pioneering Research at the Forefront of Food Science

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Our research programs at TDU are designed to tackle the big health challenges, always grounding our approach in local ecosystem resources to find contemporary solutions for contemporary problems. Our research is built on three core pillars of thinking:

1. Systems Thinking for Food: Connecting food with ecology, its environmental impact, and the circularity of the food system from growing to consumption.
2. Design Thinking in Food: Focusing on the journey from consumer need to consumer delight, understanding the user experience of food.
3. Health Thinking: Exploring the profound interaction of food with human biology, moving beyond basic nutrition to consider the long-term implications of our dietary choices – for instance, what today’s iron choices mean for your health two decades from now.

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To enable this, we've built a colossal foundation: a food database, probably the biggest of its kind on Indian food in the world. This database contains information on over 2000 ingredients, meticulously curated from 3000 years of classical texts, including:

• Historical ingredients and cooking methods.
• Traditional menus and diet construction.
• Documented benefits and, critically, information on matching food to body type for personalised nutrition.
• Detailed metadata, including 284 chemical parameters (amino acids, minerals, polyphenols, fatty acids) and the six "rasas" (in-mouth experiences) as described in Ayurveda (sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent, astringent) for each food.

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From this comprehensive foundation, we have segmented our research into two major buckets:

1. Indian Culinary Science and Personalised Nutrition: Focused on transforming raw ingredients into wholesome and nutritious food, adaptable for both home kitchens and large-scale industrial production, alongside the critical aspect of personalising diets to individual body types.
2. Functional Food Program (New Product Development): Dedicated to creating foods tailored for specific health needs.

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Our current focus areas, leveraging TDU’s existing strengths, include:

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• Iron Deficiency Anaemia and Mineral Absorption: Addressing widespread deficiencies by enhancing how minerals are absorbed from food.
• Protein Sufficiency: A significant unspoken need in the Indian context.
• Gut Health: Promoting overall well-being through a healthy gut microbiome.
• Metabolic Health: Targeting cardiovascular health, glycemic control, and healthy fats.
• Brain Health: Exploring food's impact on cognitive function.

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Our entire research program operates under the umbrella of Healthy Gardens, Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives. Healthy Lives focuses on personalised nutrition; Healthy Kitchens represents Indian culinary science; and Healthy Gardens is where we cultivate the diversity needed on our plates through regenerative ecosystems, with a special emphasis on forgotten foods and wild edibles.

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The Wisdom of Diversity: Beyond the "Superfood" Myth

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For decades, the food industry has sought the elusive "superfood"—a single ingredient purported to solve all nutritional needs. However, both modern microbiome research and ancient traditions like Ayurveda suggest a different, more profound truth: diversity on the plate is the real super strategy for health.

Modern research consistently shows that a higher diversity of microbial species in one’s gut is a key indicator of health. The question then becomes, how do we foster this microbial diversity? The answer is simple: by eating a diverse range of foods. This connects our environment (diverse ecosystems) directly to our plate, our gut, and ultimately, our health. Experts now recommend consuming 30 different plant species every week.

Ayurveda, too, champions diversity by proposing that every meal should incorporate all six "rasas" or in-mouth experiences: sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent, and astringent. At TDU, our unique food database not only lists chemical compositions but also the primary and secondary “rasas” for each ingredient, providing a rich framework for designing truly balanced and diverse diets. Research consistently demonstrates that people who consume more diverse diets are healthier, particularly in developing regions where a lack of diversity, sometimes inadvertently caused by well-intentioned public distribution systems, can lead to malnutrition. This reinforces our belief that beyond calorie, macronutrient, and micronutrient sufficiency, diversity of nutrients is paramount, as no single food can deliver all nutritional needs, and our current understanding of human nutritional requirements is still incomplete.

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Exceptional Educational Programs: Learning by Doing

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TDU offers a comprehensive suite of food-related education programs, including PhD, Master’s (MSc), and Bachelor’s (BSc) degrees.

Our Master’s by Research in Food Science, Processing, and Innovation is designed to immerse students in the entire journey of taking a food concept from ideation to innovation. Students delve into essential areas such as food labelling, food safety, regulations, policies, cutting-edge processing techniques, and the chemistry and biology of food.

What truly sets our programs apart are the unique courses and experiential learning opportunities:

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• Food Systems Thinking & Design Thinking for Food
• Integrative Nutrition & Food and Microbiome
• Food Photography & Food Videography
• Food and Wild Edibles & Micro Ecosystems/Food Forests
• Food Metabolomics

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To support this hands-on learning, TDU boasts an impressive infrastructure: 15 state-of-the-art laboratories and pilot plants. Our MSc students gain personal experience handling advanced instruments that are typically out of reach for students in most nutrition programs. This includes equipment like a twin screw extruder (found in only a handful of universities globally) and a dry fractionation setup (unique in India and rare worldwide). With 60% of our courses being project-oriented, students master at least five cutting-edge analytical skills and five processing skills, ensuring they are well-prepared to apply their knowledge in diverse industry settings.

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The BSc Food Processing and Technology program is equally experiential, stemming directly from our established labs and projects. It’s designed to meet the real-world needs of both small and large food industries, from producer organisations and self-help groups to major corporations. Critically, our curriculum also integrates the needs of the country, drawing insights from national health surveys to ensure our programs are addressing pertinent societal challenges. Students learn to define and solve real-world problems, fostering critical thinking from day one.

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A Nurturing Environment for Future Food Leaders

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When considering enrolment, students and parents often ask about eligibility and career prospects. At TDU, our primary eligibility criterion is student interest and motivation. While science education (especially with mathematics) is beneficial, it’s not a strict prerequisite. We offer bridge courses to support students from diverse academic backgrounds. Our small class sizes allow for personalised, "hand-holding" education, akin to a blend of the Oxbridge mentorship model and the comprehensive curriculum of institutions like MIT.

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Choosing a BSc in Food today is choosing to enter a field where cutting-edge science—genetics, epigenetics, microbiome research, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and omics data—converges to solve global problems. Our curriculum reflects these advancements, ensuring students are equipped with the most current knowledge and skills. Our faculty, with their diverse academic, industry, and outreach experience, enrich the program beyond textbooks, providing real-world insights. Crucially, students have direct, hands-on access to our advanced laboratories and pilot plants, not just as showpieces. TDU’s commitment to investing in this infrastructure, faculty, and student access demonstrates our dedication to putting students first, even amidst the challenges of working with advanced equipment.

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Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Real-World Impact

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Our curriculum includes core university courses, foundational maths for food scientists, and industry-ready modules covering food safety, regulations, policy, and quality assurance. Students also engage in core food science courses like food chemistry, microbiology, and unit operations. Our content is aligned with the Sector Skill Council for the food industry (FISCSI), signalling their vocational readiness. A wide array of over 20 electives, from protein processing and starch processing to dairy and fermentation labs, allows students to tailor their learning to their specific interests. Students also gain invaluable experience through industry apprenticeships or hands-on work in our pilot plants.

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Our students are working on truly unique and impactful projects. Some examples include:

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• Leading in Protein Processing: TDU is a pioneer in India in converting plant proteins into textured and structured proteins, such as daal or paneer analogues, textured vegetable proteins, or high-moisture meat analogues, utilising advanced equipment like the twin screw extruder. Undergraduates actively participate in this groundbreaking work.
• The Mushroom Lab: This initiative explores the immense potential of wild mushrooms. Beyond their nutritional value (20-30% protein, excellent amino acid profile), mushrooms are uniquely capable of transforming waste materials like straw—which neither humans nor animals can consume—into edible proteins. India alone produces 300 billion kgs of grain and an equal amount of straw annually, highlighting the environmental and nutritional impact of this work. Students learn not just how to grow or process mushrooms, but why this work is crucial for addressing resource constraints.
• Millet Processing: While millets are celebrated, they contain anti-nutritional factors. TDU teaches students how to eliminate these, enabling daily consumption. We also address consumer-facing attributes, such as making millet dough more manageable, drawing insights from traditional knowledge to innovate for modern kitchens. Students are guided through the entire process from ideation to prototyping and product development.

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TDU fosters an entrepreneurial mindset in all students. From their very first semester, students are encouraged to select and develop a project, with the aim that by the time they graduate, they have a fully developed idea that could potentially form the basis of their own startup. This means graduating not just with a degree, but with a viable entrepreneurial concept and the ongoing support of TDU’s network and infrastructure as alumni.

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Unparalleled Industry and Outreach Connections

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TDU's industry connections are truly exemplary, with relationships with nearly 100 companies. These connections manifest in multiple ways:

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• Sponsored Projects: Industries approach TDU with specific problems, and our teams work closely to find innovative solutions. We collaborate with a wide range of companies, from major corporations to emerging unicorns.
• Industry-Ready Ideas: TDU has developed over 25 industry-ready ideas with intellectual property (IP), which are being presented to companies for further collaboration and commercialisation.
• Specialised Workshops: We conduct workshops and webinars on niche technologies (e.g., protein extrusion, food rheology, food and microbiome, fermentation) where industry participants come to gain specific expertise and technology transfer.

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Beyond industry, TDU also maintains strong ties with numerous NGOs and outreach organisations. A significant example is our work with midday meals, collaborating with one of India's largest providers, Akshaya Patra, to enhance protein and nutrient content in these meals. Our students participate in field visits to understand the complexities of large-scale food operations, gaining real-world insights into execution challenges.

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One of our most impactful outreach programs addresses anaemia, India’s number one public health challenge, affecting over 50% of the population. Our five-tier outreach program involves:

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• Sensitisation and education on anaemia.
• Guidance on optimal eating practices.
• Instruction on preparing functional foods at home.
• Developing entrepreneurial models to scale these solutions.

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Students are actively involved, whether through field work, crafting lab-based nutritional solutions, or designing outreach initiatives. This ensures their projects have a direct, tangible impact on society, providing a unique sense of satisfaction.

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Experience the Future of Food at TDU

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At The University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), our Food Futures Program stands apart. It integrates the future with the wisdom of the past, offering an integrative food and nutrition science approach. We connect learning in the lab directly to global challenges discussed at the highest levels, from the United Nations to national governments. Our curriculum, infrastructure, and faculty expertise—a unique blend of industry and academia—are designed to provide a hand-holding, open learning environment where each student receives a bespoke education, preparing them to be leaders in the ever-evolving world of food.

If you are a student passionate about making a tangible difference in the world, or a parent seeking a forward-thinking, impactful education for your child, explore the Food Futures Program at TDU. Join us in shaping a healthier, more sustainable future, one plate at a time.

Discover how you can be part of this exciting journey. Learn more about The University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU)'s Food Futures Program today!