School of Engineering and Technology, Jain (Deemed-to-be University) organized an industrial visit to Sri Sri Ayurveda (SSA) on 9 September, 2017. Faculty members and staff-coordinators accompanied the first year M.Tech students.
The purpose of the visit was to understand the various food processing and packaging practices followed at Sri Sri Ayurveda and to know the Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) practices followed in the factory.
The students had an opportunity to study various instruments used at the plant such as disintegrator – to make coarse powder; double mill – to obtain the fine powder; sifter – to obtain ultra-fine powder; roasting pan – to remove the moisture; weighing balance - to weigh the raw materials, products before packaging; conveyor belt - to separate the medium to small sized and unwanted materials; winnower - to separate the unwanted materials; automatic heat sealer – to seal the product; and printing machine – to print the labels on the packaging material.
During the visit, the students were able to gain the knowledge on how the raw materials are procured and stored, the significance of QC (Quality Control) which is done to prevent the product failure and to ensure the quality of incoming material and safety of the consumers.
They also learned that once the QC test is passed, how further operations are carried out and various steps involved in the processing and packaging of the Ayurvedic products. Further, they gained the knowledge on GMP and HACCP practices to be followed, how to avoid contamination and cross contamination of the raw materials and products. They were also educated on the benefits of organic produce.
At the end of the visit, they also visited Art of Living (AoL) and Goshala where they learned about the Gir which is a breed of cow and usage of cow dung and urine which is used as a fertilizer for the crops grown in the ashram.
The students enjoyed the visit which was beneficial to augment their knowledge on the manufacturing process.
