Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) organized an Educational Module and Young Chef Competition for Hotel Management Institutes in Kolkata.

by Suman Gupta

December 09, 2019: Malaysian Palm Oil Council introduced an educational module and a practical workshop in the City of Joy Kolkata for the students of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM Kolkata), National Institute of Hotel Management, and Decent International Institute of Hotel Management.

This event was specially designed by Malaysian Palm Oil Council keeping in mind the current requirements of the hospitality industry. Ms. Bhavna Shah, Country Representative of Malaysian Palm Oil Council for India and Sri Lanka conducted the educational module on Myths and facts about Palm Oil and shared her extensive knowledge on Malaysian Palm Oil, its various health benefits and how it is completely apt for Indian cuisines. The food industry loves palm oil because of its versatility, its ease of use in various food applications and ability to prolong shelf-life of food products. One of the important factors which appeals to food manufacturers is that palm oil is trans-fat free and can easily replace partially hydrogenated unsaturated oils, which contain trans fatty which are not good for the heart. Palm oil is a fruit oil just like olive oil and is Non-GMO.

The event also hosted interactive sessions on Chemistry and nutritional aspects of Palm Oil and its derivatives by Dr Mahua Ghosh (Department of Chemical Technology, University of Kolkata) and Biochemical, Physiological, Nutritional, Nutraceutical, aspects of Palm Oil by Dr Pubali Dhar (Associate Professor Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Food and Nutrition Division).

Next on the agenda was an exciting Young Chefs cooking competition for the students conducted by Malaysian Palm Oil Council. The students were given surprise ingredients and they had to cook a full course meal in Palm Oil.

The winners of the cooking competition were as below mentioned:

Winner: Ms Anouskaa Satdev from IHM Kolkata

Second: Ms Gourav Halder from IHM Kolkata

The winners of the cooking competition were felicitated with trophy and certificate of honour by Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Bhavna Shah said, “We are thrilled to be at these educational institutes. It is always a great feeling to interact with the youth of our nation, our future, and educate them on an important culinary ingredient, Malaysian Palm Oil and the various benefits it offers. With a 100-year history behind its development and growth in Malaysia, it is the answer to the nutrition needs of not only the Indian population but also globally. With its rich supply of vitamins and anti-oxidants, it has been proven to be a healthy component in the daily diet. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the students to not only win the MasterChef title but also to enhance their knowledge about this golden crop from Malaysia. I hope you guys continue the amazing work you are doing and keep growing.”

Speaking at the college, Mr. Bonophool Banerjee (HOD, Food Production / Room Division) at Institute of Hotel Management (IHM Kolkata) said, “We are honoured that Malaysian Palm Oil Council organised this event at our college for our students. The event was educative, and the students thoroughly enjoyed the same. This educational module has definitely helped us to understand Malaysian Palm Oil better and its benefits and how well food can be cooked in it. The masterchef competition showcased the knowledge and skills of the students who were using palm oil for the first time. It was a great learning experience for our students.”