Dr. Preetinder Kaur is Principal Scientist in Department of Processing and Food Engineering since August 19, 2015 and President of Alumni Association, COAET, PAU since November 2023. She is involved in organizing and conducting trainings as part of Skill Development Centre, operation of PAU Jaggery Processing Unit as well as packaging of PAU Agro-Processing Centre products.  She started her professional journey as Assistant Research Engineer in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on October 12, 1999 after completing B. Tech. (Agricultural Engineering) in 1995 followed by an M. Tech. (Agro-Industrial Processing) in 1997 from College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, PAU. She did her PhD in Processing and Food Engineering from PAU, Ludhiana in 2009 and subsequently Post Doctoral Research Associateship in School of Packaging, Michigan State University, USA during 2016. She has successfully executed 11 research projects funded by DBT-Innovate UK Newton Bhabha Fund, DST, Punjab Govt.. She has 88 research papers, 10 book chapters, 6 Bulletins, 5 Lab Manuals, 30 extension articles to her credit. She has guided 20 BTech, 8 MTech and 3 PhD students till date. She has driven innovative research with useful outcomes for producers, industry and consumers. 

Professional Accomplishments

Research Projects:

1. Indo-UK project “Biobased packaging for fresh food (BioFreshPak)” funded by DBT and Innovate UK
2. Indo-UK project “Development and optimization of fresh produce supply chain and storage systems” funded by DBT and Innovate UK
3. DBT-BIRAC project “Innovative refraction based drying technology for production of fruits and vegetable flakes/powder” funded by PSBC, Mohali under Secondary Agriculture Entrepreneurial Network (SAEN) in Punjab
4. Development of sensor platform for rapid detection of adulteration in turmeric powder  (SMTP Deptt of Climate and Environment Change, Government of Punjab)
5. Standardized Jaggery Production Protocol, Setting up Demonstration Unit (PSBC, Mohali under Secondary Agriculture Entrepreneurial Network (SAEN) in Punjab)
6. Establishment of NIDHI-Technology Business Incubator at PAU (DST)
7. Development of technology for production, farm level processing and packaging of millets and its value added products (SMTP Deptt of Climate and Environment Change, Government of Punjab)
8. Setting up of Primary Agri Processing Centre in Rural Milieu Accelerator (PSCST)
9. Optimization of innovative processing technology for polyphenols retention and bioavailability in millet food products (DST)
10. Modified atmosphere packaging of fresh produce
11. Dehydration technologies for fresh produce

Research Publications :

1. Rehal J, Arora D, Kaur K and Kaur P (2025). Ozone induced biochemical and biophysical transformations for enhanced nutritional and functional profiles of moringa seed flour. J Food Meas Charact 19: 4120–4132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-025-03239-0
2. Kumar C, Singh M, Zalpouri R, Kaur P and Singh S (2025). Optimization of refractance window drying for nutrient‐rich mushroom slices: A comparative study with convective and solar drying. Heat Transfer. https://doi.org/10.1002/htj.23340
3. Kaur D, Singh M, Zalpouri R, Kaur P and Gill R S (2024). Enhancing physicochemical properties of papaya through osmotic dehydration with various natural sweeteners. Sci Rep 14: 23797. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-74605-z
4. Singh A, Kumar P, Tripathi S, Kaur P and Gaikwad K K (2024). Ethylene scavenging properties from halloysite nanotubes loaded natural rubber latex/butyl stearate coating on paper for food packaging application. Ind Crops Prod 220: 119236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2024.119236
5. Potdar P P, Kaur P, Singh M, Kulkarni M B and Radhakrishnan S (2023). Structure development and properties of plasticized PVA-starch-paddy straw composites. Cellul Chem Technol 57(9–10): 1073–1085.

Awards and Recognition:

• Received Medallion, Citation and Cash award of Rs. 10,000/- for best Doctoral Dissertation by Indian National Academy of Engineering, New Delhi (2010).
• Awarded Post Doctoral Research Associateship by the Michigan state University, USA for four months from May 2016 till August 2016 to perform research on enhancing the safety and quality of packaged fresh produce in the School of Packaging.
• Qualified Master Trainer for Food Micro and Small Enterprises ‘Fruit and Vegetable Processing’ by PMFME, MOFPI, GOI ‘Fruit and Vegetable Processing’ in PM FME scheme, GOI

PAU Recommended Technologies

• Extending shelf life of fresh black carrot cv. Punjab Black Beauty by Modified Atmosphere Packaging and Storage (263^rd REC, August 8, 2017).
• Enhancing shelf life of Fresh Cucumber by Modified Atmosphere Packaging and Storage (267^th REC, May 8, 2018)
• Formulation and standardization of protocols for development of shelf stable ready to use food products utilizing black carrot (300^st REC, April 23, 2024)
• Development of paddy straw-PLA biocomposite polymer  (306^th REC, April 21, 2025)
• Development of ready-to-use kanji mix (306^th REC, April 21, 2025)