Department of Foods and Nutrition:
Established in 1950, the Department of Foods and Nutrition, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, is a pioneering centre for higher education, research, professional training and community outreach in Foods and Nutrition. The Department offers programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, diploma and certificate levels, with academic strengths in Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition, Food Science and Quality Control, Foods and Nutrition and Food Service Management. From the academic year 2026–27, the Department has initiated the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics programme as per the NCAHP Act, 2021, further strengthening its professional scope in allied healthcare education.
The Department was recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1984 and held the prestigious status of a WHO Collaborating Centre for nearly two decades in areas such as Anaemia Control, Weaning Technology, Maternal and Child Health Nutrition and Diet-Related Non-Communicable Diseases. It is also a member of the WHO Global Diabetes Compact Forum, a network established by WHO for academic institutions, NGOs, philanthropic foundations and other stakeholders to support the vision of reducing diabetes risk and ensuring equitable, affordable and quality diabetes care. Active from 2021 to 2030, the Forum provides a platform for exchange of ideas, information sharing and alignment of priorities in diabetes prevention and care.
VISION
To create world class committed Public Health Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science and Quality Control professionals who can contribute meaningfully to the social, economic and health development of the country.
MISSION
To update and enrich our curriculum, conduct research in ongoing and emerging areas of nutrition and partner with various stakeholders to improve nutrition outcomes of the Indian population through evidence based advocacy and operations research on national program implementation.
OPERATING PHILOSOPHY
The teaching and research in the 3 thrust areas of Foods and Nutrition namely dietetics, public health nutrition and food science and quality control aims at Evidence Generation, Capacity Building, System Strengthening Advocacy and in Partnership Building & Convergence.
EVIDENCE GENERATION
Conduct need based process and impact evaluation of health and nutrition programs of urban, rural and tribal areas.Conduct clinical nutrition trials to create evidence for mainstreaming nutrition interventions in different health care settings including hospitals, geriatric clinics/old age home role of various traditional herbs/plants/foods for their use as functional foods in prevention & management of health & diseases
Functional Food Product Development and shelf life for prevention and management of diseases.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Conduct joint training programs for field functionaries/caregivers and their supervisors
Conduct training programs for clinical nutrition care in different settings namely, hospitals, workplaces/school settings, caterers/food service handlers and geriatric clinics.
Conduct training programmes for promoting hygienic food service, food safety in food service organizations, entrepreneurship skills nutrition sensitive agriculture/horticulture and food processing.
SYSTEM STRENGTHENING & ADVOCACY
To support government programming for achieving Global/National/State WHO Nutrition & Sustainable Development Goals targets by 2025-2030 to improve nutrition outcomes in maternal, infant and young children, adolescents/school children. Evidence based advocacy for newer programs, reaching the unreached, essential interventions and strategies for inclusive programming, innovations in improving nutrition programming and its governance.
Supporting Food Safety and Standard Authority Of India (FSSAI) for food safety and quality control, Food labeling and addressing the gaps in FSSAI guidelines.
PARTNERSHIP BUILDING & CONVERGENCE
To foster partnerships and inter sectoral collaborations with United Nations, International/ National Non-Government Organizations, government, corporates and Public Private Partnerships for delivering nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions and their optimal utilization by communities.
Foster partnerships with medical practitioners, government /private hospitals, schools/workplaces/sports academies/ old age homes, Government and Non-Government organizations towards implementing evidence based guidelines on the prevention and management of diet related diseases.
Foster partnerships with food industries, food service organizations, neutraceutical industry, government, agriculture/horticulture/animal husbandry for promotion of healthy diets and healthy packaged and processed foods.
Nutrition Counselling Centre
The Department’s Nutrition Counselling Centre, established in 2013, is a Campus-to-Community initiative providing free, evidence-based nutrition assessment and counselling to students, staff and citizens of Vadodara. Its services include dietary assessment, counselling for diabetes, maternal and child nutrition, adolescent nutrition, sports nutrition, geriatric nutrition, nutrition in health and disease, and guidance for specially challenged groups. The Centre also promotes health awareness through camps, workshops and observance of important nutrition and health days. It functions every Thursday to Saturday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Nutrition Counselling Center, Department premises.
FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Gap Filling in existing food composition data base with respect to important heavy metals, nutrients and non- nutrients of selected food.
Only academic department in country imparting public health nutrition training at under graduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.