Report
Title of Event: Visit to Pitambar Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd
Type of Event: Industrial Visit
Date: 28 March 2024
Time: 12:15 pm - 5:00 pm
Venue: Pitamber Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd., Village Sohella, Near Niwai, Tonk
Target Group: UG & PG students, Department of Chemistry
No. of Participants: 33
Activity Coordinators: Dr. Varsha Goyal, Dr. Priyanka Jain
Objectives: The primary objective of the industrial visit to Pitamber Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd., a Mustard Oil Processing Industry is to provide a practical insight regarding the production processing of mustard oil to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students of the Chemistry Department. The visit aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired in classrooms and real-world industrial applications. By experiencing the operational aspects first hand, students could deepen their understanding of chemical processes involved in oil extraction and refining, as well as gain awareness of environmental and safety considerations in industrial settings.
Summary/Description: Upon arrival at the Mustard Oil Processing industry, the students were greeted by the director of the industry, Mr. S.P. Tiwari, and the Senior Scientist, Mr. Tarun Verma. They provided an overview of the company's history, mission, and its role in the production of mustard oil. The introduction included a brief explanation of the processing of mustard oil.
The industrial visit commenced with a detailed walkthrough of the oil extraction process, starting from the reception of mustard cake, a by-product of traditional cold processing of mustard seeds, to the final packaging of mustard oil. The students first visited the processing unit, where the entire production process was briefed in detail by their unit members. They observed the various stages involved, including cleaning, grinding, pressing, and extraction. Through this, they learned about the chemical principles underlying each step, such as solvent extraction using n-hexane and mechanical pressing, aimed at obtaining high-quality mustard oil.