Prof.  R.  Pandiselvam
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi,  India

Title: Ozone Engineering in Food Processing: A Green Frontier for Safety, Quality, and Sustainability

Abstract:

Ozone technology has emerged as a transformative green innovation in food processing, offering an eco-efficient alternative to conventional chemical and thermal treatments. This keynote presentation explores the science, engineering, and applications of ozone across diverse food systems, highlighting its role in ensuring food safety, enhancing quality, and promoting sustainability. The session will provide an overview of ozone generation principles, reaction mechanisms, and process integration strategies in modern food industries. Case studies will demonstrate ozone’s versatile applications in surface sterilization of fresh produce, degradation of pesticide residues, control of storage pests and mycotoxins, oxidative modification of starch and biopolymers, and viral and microbial inactivation in processing environments. Recent advances in continuous ozone systems, hybrid oxidation approaches, and smart monitoring tools will be discussed, along with process safety protocols and regulatory considerations for industrial implementation. By bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial practice, this presentation underscores ozone’s potential as a sustainable process intensification tool that driving safer, cleaner, and more energy-efficient food manufacturing systems for the future.

Keywords: Ozone engineering, Green oxidation, Non-thermal technology, Food safety, Pesticide degradation, Aflatoxin control, Sustainable food systems

Biography:

Dr. R. Pandiselvam is a Senior Scientist at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, specializing in machine design, non-thermal food processing, ozone engineering, drying and sustainable food manufacturing. He earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Processing and Food Engineering from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and has over a decade of experience in developing innovative postharvest and food processing technologies. His research focuses on post-harvest machine design and integrating advanced oxidation processes, such as ozone and infrared systems, for improving food safety, quality, and shelf life while minimizing environmental impact.

Dr. Pandiselvam has published more than 160 peer-reviewed research articles, 9 books, and 85 book chapters with reputed publishers. He has served as an editor and reviewer for several international journals and was recognized among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University and Elsevier (2023–2025). His work has received prestigious awards including the NAAS Young Scientist Award, ISAE Distinguished Service Award, and ICAR–Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Puraskar. His ongoing research emphasizes green processing innovations for circular and sustainable food systems.