The DFRL was founded on 28 December 1961 under the authority of the DRDO. During the last three decades, it has been able to conserve, preserve, stabilize, design, fabricate, and engineer a vast array of Indian foods.

The DFRL performs toxicological, nutritional, and biochemical studies. In addition, it studies the development of convenience foods, preservation of foods, food safety, food packaging, spoilage of foods, and safety of processed foods. It also works on the production and supply of processed foods, and on a limited scale, provides them to the Armed Services for national missions. Such work includes the development of pack rations and quality assurance methods, preservation and packaging methods for long-distance transportation of perishable products, and evaluation of nutritional requirements of troops deployed under different climatic conditions.

Sources:
[1] Defence Food Research Laboratory, www.drdo.org;
[2] Journal of Food Biochemistry, Volume 26 Number 1, February 2002, www.foodscipress.com.