Kamlesh Meena Completes PhD on Probiotic Rajasthani Rabri Powder Based on Traditional Grains

Kamlesh Meena, a renowned name in Indian food and dairy research from Jaipur, has completed his PhD at the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Kundli, Haryana. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor at Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, in the College of Dairy and Food Technology.

His PhD research focused on developing a maize-based Rabri powder using indigenous probiotic lactic acid bacteria. Guided by Dr. Neetu Taneja, Kamlesh's work explores new probiotic potentials in traditional Indian foods. The main aim was to identify probiotic bacteria in maize-based Rabri, made by tribal communities in Udaipur, and assess its health benefits.

Using the spray-drying technique, Kamlesh developed a high-quality probiotic Rabri powder, highlighting a newly identified probiotic strain *Sambhapchasanajpimsene chasendjantnuk*. His work on the product's quality, shelf life, and the optimal balance of ingredients has made it commercially viable, with a shelf life of 49 days at 4°C.

The powder boasts high protein, low moisture, excellent reconstitution capacity, and is rich in antioxidants and minerals, making it beneficial for health. Kamlesh has published four important research papers in Scopus and SCI-indexed journals and has contributed to books on food and dairy microbiology and biotechnology.

This breakthrough opens new avenues for probiotic research in traditional Indian food products, positioning the maize-based probiotic Rabri powder as a promising health product in the future.