The Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) has successfully designed a device for killing harmful insects and micro-organisms that grow in and damage food and spices.
PCSIR Chairman Dr Anwar-ul-Haq, unfolding features of the device, told newsman here on Monday that unlike the traditional method of putting the food-stuff in direct sunlight, which affected its quality and needed constant watching, that device worked by only harnessing the power of sunlight.
He said that even in winter season, its temperature rises up to 80 to 90 degrees centigrade within a few minutes, enough to kill all insects.
It was portable and easy to handle, and especially suitable to treat products such as ground spices and food grains, which absorbed moisture readily, he added.
He said PCSIR scientists and engineers at Hyderabad laboratories had also successfully fabricated and modified a design of solar dehydrator with 20 to 25 kg drying capacity.
He said: "Its inner temperature rises to double that of the atmosphere, and takes less than half the time of traditional open sun drying, ensuring better quality".
The chairman said that PCSIR scientists and engineers were conducting research to bring further improvements in the performance of the device before it was introduced for use by the people.
It was the Council's objective to find better and more cost-effective solutions for the indigenous industry, he observed.