Dr. Neha Babbar holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Khalsa College, Amritsar (2006), followed by an M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (2009). She completed her Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology in 2013 through a joint program between the University of Parma, Italy, and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium. She joined Punjab Agricultural University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology in 2019. Dr. Neha Babbar specializes in the field of fruit and vegetable processing, food chemistry, nutraceuticals, and agro-waste valorization. Her research focuses on the extraction of bioactive compounds from underutilized and waste materials, development of functional food products, and application of novel processing techniques. She has published over 35 research papers in reputed national and international journals and contributed 6 book chapters in edited volumes. She has guided 4 M.Sc. students as a major advisor and is actively involved in student mentoring. Dr. Babbar has also delivered more than 50 lectures and practical demonstrations to farmers and entrepreneurs on value addition, waste utilization, and food safety as part of extension and training programs.

Professional Accomplishments

Research Projects completed

NIL

Research Publications: 

1. Sharma S, Babbar N, Singh S and Sachdev PA (2021) Process optimization for drying Bauhinia variegata using response surface methodology. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 45(9): e15678. (NAAS Rating: 8.19).
2. Yaqoob S, Babbar N, Singh S and Kaur A (2022) Extraction and screening of kinnow peel phytochemicals. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 12(4): 987–995. (NAAS Rating: 10.99).
3. Sachdev PA, Babbar N and Singh S (2020) Effect of hydrocolloids on stability and sensory quality of kinnow juice. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 44(12): e14892. (NAAS Rating: 8.19).
4. Grover S, Sachdev PA, Kumar A, Kaur S, Yadav R, Babbar N ( 2024). Utilizing Citrus Peel waste : a review of essential oil extraction, characterization, and food Industry potential. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. DOI: 10.1007/s13399-024-05382-y.
5. Kaur R, Babbar N, Singh A, Kapila B and Sachdev PA (2025) Storage stability and quality assessment of mango toffee enriched with aloe vera in diverse packaging. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization (Article in press). (NAAS Rating: 8.90).

Awards and Recognitions:

She received an EU-funded “NOSHAN” fellowship for her Ph.D. and has actively participated in FoSTaC training for students and FSSAI-related extension activities .