FFOODSSpectrum September 2022

PARTNER VOICE

www.biospectrumindia.com

Get a 360 degree exposure to the universe of Biotechnology
and Health Sciences industries.

PARTNER WITH BIOSPECTRUM INDIA TO TELL YOUR STORY

PARTNER VOICES ARE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO ENGAGE WITH OUR AUDIENCE AND
TELL YOUR STORY FROM A TRUSTED THIRD PARTY PERSPECTIVE.

Each Partner Voice is produced in cooperation between our clients
and our editorial team and includes several design elements to
support your messaging. The Partner Voices remain evergreen
on www.biospectrumindia.com for maximum ROI.

Deliverables

• Your story professionally edited by Biospectrum
editorial staff (1,000 - 1,500 words).*

• Up to two (2) relevant embedded links
• Up to two (2) relevant embedded images
• One (1) relevant embedded video
• Multiple “Road Block” Banners:
• A 728x90 or 970x60 banner ad.
• A 300x250 or 300x600 banner ad.
• A 88x31 or 120x60 logo.

Distribution

• Evergreen placement on www.biospectrumindia.com
• Up to three (3) placements in www.biospectrumindia.com

inBOX eNewsletter.
• Social channel distribution
• Additional market segment distribution is available through

our other brands.

* Biospectrum editorial staff is available to develop the content asset. The cost is

based on the individual requirements (single source, multi-source, word-count, etc.) and will
be priced accordingly.

To know more on Partner Voice please contact: [email protected] | [email protected]



4 Editorial NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Emerging Clean
Label Statement

Dr Milind Kokje for several types of foods. However, the cost could be a
real barrier and it will keep increasing as the clean label
Chief Editor products would become popular with growing demand
for the ingredients. Increasing the production of natural
Numerous studies conducted worldwide are ingredients is the only solution to overcome the cost
unanimous in concluding that Clean Label is in challenge. That would require long term planning.
vogue and indeed, gaining more acceptance.
A company's profit and Clean Label seem to go When it comes to India, growing natural ingredients
hand-in-hand, concludes a recent study, apart from is not a problem as the country is known for its
the obvious value addition for the consumer. herbs and over 5000-year-old plant-based system
of medicines of Ayurveda. By setting up a separate
Clean label products are free of artificial chemicals, ministry of AYUSH, Ayurveda and other local traditional
contaminants and additives. They are minimally systems of medicines have received a well deserved
processed, with a minimum number of ingredients boost. Several of those herbs and other ingredients
which are easy to understand, without preservatives, can be used for development of clean label food
emulsifiers and flavouring agents. All information formulations. What it will require is a lot of research.
is displayed in an easy to read and simple structure,
allowing consumers to make an informed decision. Like elsewhere in the world, in India too consumers’
concerns are the ingredients of the packaged food
Ingredion EMEA, a leading ingredient solution and the way food products are made. In its first clean
provider, conducted a global study to explore the label report on Indian packaged food in November
potential of the clean label. It said that 58 per cent of 2021, LabelBlind, a nutritech firm, revealed that
the respondents showed an increase in their revenues nutrition information ranks above brand trust. Still, it
after adopting clean label. This factor is significant since is at the third position, first two being taste and price
it establishes a direct positive correlation between in consumer choices. There is growing consideration
the clean label and revenue growth which would for clean label attributes like natural, non-artificial
encourage food producers to turn towards more clean ingredients and even eco-friendly packaging and it is
label products. The survey shows that over 50 per cent ahead of claims like fat-free, low sugar and zero calorie,
product portfolios are already converted to clean label the report said.
foods. More such products are getting added to the
product baskets taking the percentages even higher Clean label, apparently, does not have any
with several companies determined to add nearly 15 regulatory definition in India. The food regulator too
per cent more of clean label products in the next couple will have to gear up to meet the regulatory demands
of years or so. Ingredion claims that it has identified the the clean label foods will create. Such clean label foods
right food formulations, needed to grow the business may come from even abroad to the Indian market and
and profits. This will help companies develop new clean the regulator’s approval will be needed for that.
label products that will catch on.
After all, growing health concerns translating into
There's clearly a growing band of health conscious healthy diet choices, like the clean label formulations,
folks, preferring natural over processed offerings. is opening immense opportunities globally and every
stakeholder will need to get ready to grow demand and
Though the aspiration for a healthy lifestyle is avoid false claims.
pushing demand for clean label food formulations, the
surveyed companies feel that still there are three key
barriers to its popularity. They are cost, shelf life and lack
of formulation expertise. Of these, the third challenge
can be resolved by developing expertise by introducing
courses for formulations. Even the challenge of shelf
life can be tackled by research. Even otherwise, in the
food industry, the challenge of shelf life always exists

Volume 10  |  Issue 1  |  September 2022 www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Publisher & Managing Editor Social Media Communications: Poonam Bhosale TOP STORIES
Ravindra Boratkar [email protected]
Production & Design Scan the Taiwan
Editorial MEDIA VISION, Pune QR Code launches
Chief Editor inspection
Dr Milind Kokje Cover Design project for
[email protected] Dominix Strategic Design Pvt. Ltd. Breakfast
and Brunch
Advisor - Content Business catering
Vijay Thombre CFO & Special Correspondent
Editor: Narayan Kulkarni Manasee Kurlekar
[email protected] [email protected]
Executive Editor: Dr Manbeena Chawla
[email protected] Dy. General Manager
Assistant Editor - Digital Intell & Growth
Nitesh Pillai, [email protected] Ankit Kankar
Assistant Editor ( Digital) - [email protected]
Sanjiv Das, [email protected]
Content Team Operations and HR
Singapore: Hithaishi C. Bhaskar Asmita Thakar
[email protected] [email protected]

Circulation, Subscription and Media Enquiry: Singapore
Sudam Walekar announces
[email protected] holistic and
high-tech
MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Scan the approach to
QR Code food production
South Region NEW DELHI International offices
Alok Srivastava Dr Manbeena Chawla Scan the Australia
National Business Head- Media Coordinator Singapore QR Code uncovers links
Ad Sales & Marketing 103-104, 1st Floor, Saradha Mani between diet,
“NITON”, Block B, Lower Ground Floor, Rohit House MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications gut health and
11/3, Palace Road, Bangalore 560001 3 Tolstoy Marg, #08-08, High Street Centre, 1 North immunity
Mobile: +91-9845128747 New Delhi - 110001 Bridge Road, Singapore - 179094
Tel. +91-80-4113 1912/3 Mobile: +91-8861043732 Tel : +65 6336 9142
[email protected] [email protected] Mobile: +6590681202
[email protected]
MUMBAI PUNE Scan the First mycelium
Ankit Kankar Ankur Hange USA QR Code protein product
Dy. General Manager Business Development BioSpectrum Bureau enters into
Digital Intell & Growth Executive MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Chinese
1st Floor, CIDCO Convention Center, Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Mobile: +91-9579069369 market
Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Farms, Baner Road, Pune- 411045 E-mail: [email protected]
Maharashtra-400703. Mobile: +919834745564
Mobile: +919579069369 [email protected] Europe
[email protected] BioSpectrum Bureau
MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications
NAGPUR Mobile: +91-9579069369
Manisha Boratkar E-mail: [email protected]
402, Govind Apartments, Shankar Nagar Square, Nagpur - 440 010
Tel. +91-712-2555 249

'nuFFooDS Spectrum' monthly publication is owned by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Pvt. Ltd., Published and Printed
by Ravindra Boratkar, Printed at Spectrum Offset, D2/4, Satyam Industrial Estate, Behind CDSS, Erandawana, Pune - 411 038. and
Published at 'Ashirwad', 36/A/s, S. No. 270, Pallod Farms, Baner Road, Near Bank of Baroda, Pune - 411 045. Editor: Narayan Kulkarni

6 Inside Inside NuFNFuoFoFDoSoSDpSeScptercutmrum| |SepMtemarbcehr22002202 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

21cover story

Is F&B Sector

of SuMstianidnfaublility?

Sustainability has become a growing trend in the food and beverage (F&B) industry right now.
The need for sustainability has turned critical in the food business. Not only is the F&B industry at
risk from climate change, the food system is also a major contributor to climate change in terms
of greenhouse gas emissions. A sustainability strategy is crucial for F&B companies, to maintain
business continuity and remain competitive into the future. All segments across the F&B sector be
it packaging, production, sourcing, turning vegan or reducing food wastage, are moving in this
direction. Sustainability is no longer perceived merely as an aspect of corporate social responsibility,
instead it has taken on a critical function of the business, influencing prioritisation of investments.

Speaking With Plant-Based Dairy

22 24

“Adherence to food safety Growth of Plant-Based
protocols is challenging Dairy and Beverages - An
considering the large scale of Emerging Segment in
operations” Sustainability

Amit Chopra, Managing Director, India and Dr Bhavna Sharma,

South Asia, Thermo Fisher Scientific Head- Nutrition Science, ITC Foods

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Inside 7

Plant-based Foods Food Packaging

26 34

Achieving Sustainability with How Ban on SUP is Turning
Plant-based Foods a Boon for Food Packaging
Innovators
Shraddha Bhansali, Co-founder and Chief
Dr Satyanarayana Kandukuri,
Operating Officer, EVO Foods
Food Processing Practice Lead, Sathguru
Packaging Inks Management Consultants

28 Speaking With

From Linear to Circular for 37
Sustainable Food Packaging Inks
“We are currently partnering with
Shailendra Nagotkar, Indian research institutes to study
recycling of cartons”
Head of Application Technology, Siegwerk India
Praneeth Tripurari,
Nutraceutical
Marketing Director, Tetra Pak South Asia
30
Speaking With
How to Offer Nutraceutical
Products Sustainably 40

Dr Anish Desai, Clinical Pharmacologist, “We are planning to invest over
$50M in 2-3 years to strengthen
Nutraceutical Physician, Founder & CEO, IntelliMed our presence in India.”
Healthcare Solutions
Chaitanya Jaipuria,
Nutra Ingredients
Director- Watergen India
32
Regulars
Ensuring Sustainable Supply
Chain for Nutra Ingredients Editorial 04

Dr Muhammed Majeed Video Snippets 08

Founder & Chairman, Regulatory News 09
Sami-Sabinsa Group
Finance News 12

Start-Up News 14

Company News 16

World News 19

People News 44

Academics news 45

Ingredients News 46

R&D News 47

Supplier News 49

Let’s Talk Food 50

8 Video Snippets NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Anil Jain, Managing Acknowledgements
Director, Gangwal
Healthcare, The entire August edition of nuFFooDS Spectrum
How can we came out very well. Happy to see the coverage of
enhance the various organisations involved in alternative food and
collaboration between smart protein segment in the same edition.
nutraceuticals &
pharmaceuticals to - Amod Ashok Salgaonkar, Mumbai
tackle the disease
burden in India, Thank you nuFFooDS Spectrum for your time and
reflects interest in the Eat Right Research Awards initiated
by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Scan the QR Code » Many thanks for covering our research on ‘alternatives
to single-use plastics’ in the cover story.
Amarnath Halember,
Executive Director - Vimala Bharathi, Canada
& Chief Executive
Officer, NextG Apex The future of nutrition is plant-based, and to achieve
India emphasises on market growth, we need to expand the ayurvedic
how the breakfast product basket. Thank you nuFFooDS Spectrum
foods market is for the coverage on ’11 ways of modernising the
evolving in India with traditional medicine industry’.
new offerings
- Dr Anand Swaroop, US
Scan the QR Code »
Digital food safety has a big part to play in food
Vikas Kumar safety and security. Improving food safety knowledge
Agarwal, Co-founder, supported by data science/informatics is vital
Go Grocer talks for dissemination of food safety awareness, risk
about the impact of quantification, and timely intervention to prevent
plastic ban on the foodborne illnesses.
FMCG industry
- Dr Parthasarathi Ramakrishnan, Lucknow
Scan the QR Code »
Thanks for your feedback. We have taken note of
your suggestions and will surely try to incorporate
the content accordingly in coming issues. Please
keep sending us your feedback and updating us
on your views about the issue and keep giving
your opinions on the content.

– Editor

Please send your feedback to
[email protected]

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Regulatory News 9

NIN joins IFBA for healthier India Ayush Ministry
approves new
The Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR- herbal drug for
NIN) and India Food & Beverage Association (IFBA) have come together to mild to moderate
create awareness among Indian consumers by educating them about the COVID-19 therapy
need for a diversified diet that is healthy, hygienic and safe. The main focus of
both organisations is to advocate consumer health and food safety. Studies The Interdisciplinary Technical
Review Committee (ITRC) of the
show that over 71 per cent consumers are likely Ministry of Ayush, Government of
to make a purchase based on social media India, has approved Bengaluru-
referrals rather than the science behind the based Sri Sri Tattva’s NAOQ19 as
product. The pandemic has deeply impacted an add-on therapy for mild to
food consumption habits and made the moderate COVID-19 infection
consumer want to learn more about what they after reviewing the double-
eat. ICMR-NIN and IFBA plan to jointly conduct blind, randomised controlled
webinars and regional workshops aimed at trials conducted at some of the
helping consumers understand the science behind food consumption for prestigious institutes like AIIMS
better health. Together both organisations will make efforts to enhance Jodhpur, AIIMS Rishikesh and GIMS
awareness about the importance of nutrition, food processing and food Noida. NAOQ19 is a polyherbal
safety, to help consumers make informed food choices. Essential aspects like formulation with a blend of 13
relevance of a balanced diet, consumer perception about food safety, the powerful herbs and their extracts
impact of consumption patterns on health, reading and understanding food which helps to enhance and
labels are a few of the key issues that will be highlighted. IFBA will continue to strengthen the immune system. It
engage with its members to develop healthy and nutritious food products in also helps in conditions like fever,
compliance with current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) and dietary cold & cough, respiratory disorders
guidelines for different demographic groups. and inflammatory conditions. Sri
Sri Tattva partnered with Sri Sri
Govt to roll out programmes to Institute of Advanced Research
popularise nutri-cereals (SSIAR) to conduct pilot trials on
the efficacy of NAOQ19, along with
The government of India (GoI), 2023 focuses on strategies to standard of care, in treating mild to
plans to hold several programmes enhance production, consumption, moderate COVID-19 infection. The
across the country and abroad, to export, branding etc. The first preclinical studies (In vitro and
popularise millets and other nutri- government has also launched the In vivo studies) were conducted at
cereals. In this mission, all ministries Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Foundation of Neglected Diseases
and departments of the GoI along scheme, for promotion of millets. and Research (FNDR), Bengaluru.
with the state governments, will The government has evolved the The results were found to be
collectively promote the nutri- ‘Seven Sutras’ (themes) in the run- encouraging, which prompted
cereals in coordination with up to the IYOM, which will be rolled them to conduct clinical trials on a
the Department of Agriculture out by the concerned Ministry/ larger scale with some of the most
and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) Departments. Over 500 startups renowned institutes of the country.
and Department of Agricultural are working in the millet value These findings were then presented
Research and Education (DARE). chain, while the Indian Institute to the Interdisciplinary Technical
This was announced by the on Millet Research, has incubated Review Committee (ITRC), which is
Union Minister of Agriculture and 250 startups under the Rashtriya set up by the Ministry of AYUSH, to
Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative review and approve drug trials on
Tomar, as he chaired the meeting Approaches for Agriculture and COVID-19 patients.
of the Parliamentary Consultative Allied Sectors Rejuvenation (RKVY-
Committee, of the Ministry of RAFTAAR). More than Rs 6.2 crore
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has been disbursed to over 66
on the subject- ‘International Year startups while about 25 startups
of Millets’. India’s action plan for the have been approved for further
International Year of Millets (IYOM)- funding.

10 RegCuolmatpoarnyyNNeewwss NuFFNouoFDFSooSDpeScStpreucmtru|m Se|pteAmpbreilr22002212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

MoWCD issues Food regulator seizes
guidelines 27500 Lt of loose edible oil
of Saksham during inspection
Anganwadi and
Poshan 2.0 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has concluded
the nation-wide campaign against adulteration in edible oils (single oil as a
The Ministry of Women and Child constituent), trans-fatty acids and sale of multi source edible oils without proper
Development (MoWCD) has labelling. This massive surveillance drive was carried out between August 1 and
issued operational guidelines August 14, 2022 across the country with a total of 4431 surveillance samples of
to implement an Integrated vegetable oils, multi-source edible oils, vanaspati etc., across 35 States/ UTs. The
Nutrition Support Programme Commissioners of Food Safety in all States/UTs were directed to lift surveillance
called ‘Saksham Anganwadi and samples of these products in a staggered manner from the markets so that the
Poshan 2.0'. The scheme has been sample base is wider and representative of all Food Business Operators (FBOs)/
approved by the Government of brands being sold therein. Further, as a specific focus of the campaign to check
India for implementation during sale of loose oil in the country, a huge quality of loose edible oil i.e., more than
the 15th Finance Commission 27,500 litres has been seized across the country on the spot during the course of
period 202l-22 to 2025-26. This inspection. The samples have been sent to accredited food testing laboratories
Integrated Nutrition Support for swift analysis. Any suspected case of adulteration shall be followed by
Programme seeks to address immediate drawing of regulatory samples to take legal action against such FBOs
the challenges of malnutrition as per the provisions of FSS Act, 2006 and Rules/Regulations made thereunder.
in children, adolescent girls,
pregnant women and lactating Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence
mothers through a strategic shift for Vegetables to come up in UP
in nutrition content and delivery.
It will also create a convergent The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar,
ecosystem, to develop and laid the foundation stone of the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Vegetables
promote practices that nurture in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The technology for the centre is provided
health, wellness and immunity. by Israeli experts under the India-Israel Action Plan (IIAP) with funds for
The existing scheme components building infrastructure for demonstration purposes coming from the Mission
have been reorganised under for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally Sponsored
Poshan 2.0, with a view to Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector. Similar Centres
address various gaps and of Excellence (CoEs) are being set up in the different states based on Israeli
shortcomings in the ongoing technologies. These centres function as demonstration and training units for
nutrition programme and to the latest technologies in the field of horticulture. They also serve as a source
improve implementation as well of planting material for fruits and vegetables in protected cultivation. Seedling
as to accelerate improvement in production of tomato, pepper, brinjal, chilli, cucumber,and exotic vegetables
nutrition and child development is proposed to be done in the hi-tech climate controlled greenhouse to be set
outcomes. up at the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables, in Chandauli, while cultivation
of, cauliflowers, baby corn, sweet corn and exotic vegetables is proposed in
the open field. Chandauli district is also known as the rice bowl of UP. The state
has 9 agro-climatic zones which are favourable for the cultivation of various
horticultural crops throughout the year.



12 Finance News NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

SuperCluster Pi Cremeitalia’ raises
buys majority $600k capital
stake in
nutrition brand Mumbai-based gourmet cheese maker MD Food Product (Cremeitalia)
ByNature has received funding worth $600,000 from the B L Taparia Family Office
(Venktesh Investment & Trading). This marks the first round of external
Coimbatore-based SuperCluster
Pi (House of Brands) has acquired investors for the startup, while having received initial
a majority stake in Mumbai-based funding from family and friends in the last 3
firm ByNature, a health-food brand, years. From the product segment perspective,
that specialises in clean sustainable Cremeitalia focuses on natural, fresh
plant-based products. This and non-processed cheese in the
acquisition will enable SuperCluster market. What sets it apart are
Pi to increase its portfolio of important characteristics such as
brands and capture a larger share natural & high-quality ingredients,
of the proactive wellness market. competitive pricing, gluten
ByNature, a healthy food brand free and easy to use products.
started in 2016 with over 25,000+ The current product portfolio
customers, aims to change the includes the following products:
way nutrition is perceived in India.
The brand’s rolled oats, chia seeds, Bocconcini, Burrata, Cream Cheese, Cheddar, Cherry Mozzarella, Buffalo
himalayan pink salt, palm jaggery Mozzarella, Fiordilatte Pizza, Stracciatella, Ricotta, Mascarpone, Sour cream,
and hair growth gummies are Scamorza and Flavoured Provola. With this fund raise, the company plans
popular not just online, but also to deploy its fresh capital towards new product launches, entering new
in supermarkets of Mumbai, Delhi markets (Tier 2 and 3 cities), retail expansion from the current 242 stores
and Bangalore. This acquisition to 500+, expansion of current manufacturing capacities by 4-5x, marketing
by SuperCluster Pi’s team under and branding initiatives across multiple online stores and also performance
the leadership of Vishnu Prasath marketing in order to grow their online presence.
Devarajan will enable ByNature
to leverage SuperCluster Pi’s ADB approves $96.3M loan
D2C and e-commerce expertise for safe drinking water in HP
to strengthen and scale up
their business. Post-acquisition, The Asian Development Bank strengthen institutional capacity
ByNature will continue to function (ADB) has approved a $96.3 million to ensure safe, sustainable, and
independently with its founding loan to provide safe drinking water inclusive rural water supply and
team that consists of Anand and to improve water supply and sanitation services. The project
Agarwal, Founder & CEO, and sanitation services of Himachal will improve water supply and
Himanshu Agarwal, Founder & COO. Pradesh (HP), under the Himachal sanitation services through,
They will continue innovating in Pradesh Rural Drinking Water among others, the construction of
product development, sourcing, Improvement and Livelihood 48 groundwater wells, 80 surface
and enhancing the portfolio of Project. The ADB project will water intake facilities, 109 water
ByNature. connect 75,800 households to the treatment plants, 117 pumping
service, providing uninterrupted stations, and 3,000 kilometres of
water supply to about 370,000 water distribution pipelines.
residents across 10 districts. The
project meets the objectives of
the Jal Jeevan Mission, a national
flagship programme of the
Government of India, which aims
to provide piped water to all rural
households by 2024. It will upgrade
water supply infrastructure and

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Finance News 13

Gangwal Group invests iD Fresh
in Woolah, world’s first Food enters
bagless tea-dips Rs 10,000 Cr
ghee market
‘Woolah’an eco-conscious tea brand from Assam, has
received an investment of Rs 2 crore from Mumbai- Bengaluru-based iD Fresh
based Gangwal Group. Woolah, which means Food has announced its
happiness in Assamese, created the revolutionary foray into the ghee market
product called‘Truedips’, which is the world’s first and with the launch of iD Ghee
most sustainable bagless tea dip in true whole-leaf in Mumbai. The company
form, just the way it’s plucked in the tea garden. The is looking at an additional
company hopes to use the funds to promote healthy revenue of Rs 100 crore,
tea habits along with reducing plastic footprint from as it plans to venture into
the environment. Woolah, founded by Upamanyu key Indian markets with its
Borkakoty, has procured assistance from the Gangwal latest product in the coming
Group, boosting its total yield to 9.6 crores. With this, months. Ghee is a kitchen
Woolah will be well on its way to becoming the first staple across India, produced
bagless tea brand in the world to be patented by the by a range of manufacturers,
Government of India. The Gangwal Group aspires to provide a “comprehensive pegging the category at an
health solution” and thus, penetrate many health-specific areas. This move estimated Rs 10,000 crore.
made by the brand traces its commitment to providing a better and plastic-free Currently, Mumbai is the
way to brew an exotic true dip. Woolah aims to use the investment to expand its largest packaged ghee market
markets to the US, Europe and the Middle East, increase R&D to develop future in India followed by Delhi,
technologies and scale up production. Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune
and Hyderabad, accounting
Plant-based meat brand Sudo for more than half of the
Foods raises seed funding packaged ghee sales in the
country. Earlier this year, iD
Bengaluru-based Sudo Foods has raised seed funding from Java Capital, Fresh Food bagged one of
Betaplus Capital, and prominent angel investors such as Ravi Saxena (MD, the largest funding deals in
Wonderchef), Deep Bajaj (Co-Founder & CEO, Sirona Hygiene), and Ajay Garg the food startup space with
(Founder & MD, Equirus Capital), along with others. The fundraising news its Series D round of Rs 507
comes on the heels of Sudo Food’s launch a few weeks ago, where the startup crore. The funding round
announced that after a year of operating in stealth mode, their plant-based was led by NewQuest Capital
chicken and mutton dishes were now retailing on their website and on popular Partners, a global private
online platforms like BigBasket. With this infusion of capital, the company equity firm focused on the
is planning on expanding their team to bring on board deep expertise in Asia-Pacific region, along with
the existing investor, Premji
food technology, food production, Invest. Currently, iD caters to
safety, compliance, and over 45 cites, across 30,000
culinary applications. retail stores in India, UAE, US
Going forward, with and UK.
their seed funding
being directed towards
R&D, innovation, and
product development,
their consumers can
expect a new product
in the market every few
months.

14 Startups News NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

LB Brewers ties up with Oziva’s latest wellness
range packs bioactive
Haldiram’s to tap Delhi component zing

NCR iced-tea mkt Mumbai-based startup OZiva
has launched a brand new
Goa-based beverage startup Latambarcem range of fitness and skin
Brewers (LB Brewers) has partnered with health products powered by
Haldiram’s to market its premium iced-tea scientifically studied bioactive
beverage ‘Borecha Icey’, across 100+ Haldiram’s ingredients. It includes OZiva
outlets spread across Delhi-NCR. The company is Bioactive Plant Protein,
targeting a turnover of Rs 20 crore in the current which offers 25g vegan
financial year. LB Brewers manufactures craft protein in every serving along
beer and non-alcoholic functional beverages with 4X faster recovery and 59 per cent faster absorption. The
such as premium iced-teas, kombucha and skin health range offers Bioactive Vitamin E122, Bioactive
zero sugar seltzers having annual capacity of Vitamin C30, Niacinamide79 and Salicylic Acid32 products in
150,000 & 100,000 cases respectively. Under this the form of serums, face cleansers and moisturisers. OZiva
partnership, the co-branded Borecha Icey will Bioactive Plant Protein offers one of a kind features making
initially, be available in three different flavours at it highly beneficial for consumers who are looking for vegan
Haldiram’s outlets and depending on customer protein that offers high levels of efficacy. Packed with 25g
response and feedback, LB Brewers will consider protein/serving along with clinically and scientifically
introducing additional flavours of their iced-tea. studied bioactive ingredients it provides multiple benefits
The startup is targeting to sell at least 70,000 like high endurance, better muscle health and recovery. It
cases worth Rs 10 crore during this fiscal and also contains ARF (Advanced Recovery Formula) that has
anticipates a significant jump in both volume been formulated with bioactive ingredients to provide 4X
and value terms over the next two years. During faster recovery. It is scientifically proven to provide better
2023-24, the startup is expecting over a 500 per protein breakdown and thus, better absorption in the body.
cent jump in its business. It can provide faster recovery to muscles when consumed
post-workout, helping to improve one’s stamina.

Evo launches world’s first
plant-based boiled egg in India

EVO, an alternate protein startup one of the only companies in the months. EVO Foods has recently
based in India & US, has launched world to reach price parity with partnered with Ginkgo Bio works, a
the world’s first ’plant-based boiled multiple animal egg categories, leading horizontal platform for cell
egg’ - which can be grilled, fried or across geographies. Moreover, apart programming, to develop animal-free
pickled just like a chicken egg. EVO’s from being plant-based, EVO eggs egg proteins to create ingredients for
mission is to disrupt the chicken are nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free the most realistic plant-based eggs.
egg by creating a truly better egg, and GMO-free, without any artificial The brand has received PETA India’s
made from plants, which functions colours, hydrogenated oils, or high most innovative company award for
and tastes like an egg without any of fructose corn syrup. The brand will 2021.
the downsides i.e., efficient resource launch all four boiled egg stock-
use, cruelty, cholesterol & antibiotic keeping units (SKUs) for customers
abuse. EVO’s boiled eggs come in in Mumbai through its website. EVO
two flavour variants- original & peri- will start deliveries in Mumbai from
peri & two shape variants- cubes & August 2022. They will be launching
patties. EVO, which will launch in in Delhi followed by Bangalore and
the USA at the end of the year, is other Tier 1 & 2 cities in the coming

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Startups News 15

Tiger Shroff’s Prowl activewear Aquatein to
forays into health supplements launch India’s
first protein
Fitness enthusiast and Bollywood star created by incorporating Tiger’s water in 3
Tiger Shroff’s activewear brand Prowl, inputs, to offer a result-oriented variants
has collaborated with Mumbai-based health supplements range that will
brand BUILD., owned by Pursuit of help athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Redefining the beverage
Wellness- a startup offering high achieve their respective fitness goals industry and bringing all of the
quality sports nutrition supplements, and build their desirable bodies. With nutrients and proteins right
to launch a new series of customised a focus on quality ingredients, these into the palm of your hand in
health supplements. Through this supplements will be at par with their the form of the world’s simplest
strategic partnership, Tiger’s brand international counterparts and are liquid- water, Mumbai-based
Prowl ventures into the health and designed to suit the Indian nutritional fitness startup Aquatein (Athlex
nutrition category. This Beverages Private Limited)
partnership is focused on requirements. Over the next is all set to launch three new
democratising fitness five years, BUILD. and Prowl products. Aquatein is India’s
and active lifestyle for all First Protein Water. A product
and focuses on Shroff’s plan to launch multiple to help maintain a balance
philosophy of staying products in the sports between daily life and the
fit. Catering to the idea nutrition and general nutrition one needs to keep
that ‘fitness is for all’, the wellness category, with a up with it. Recently backed by
brand aims to bridge the mission to inspire Indians Suniel Shetty as an investor and
protein-deficit amongst for a fitter and healthier Brand Ambassador, Aquatein
the Indian population. life. These products aims to keep dehydration at
The Prowl signature will be available in bay, while nourishing and
supplements will be speciality stores, modern replenishing the body’s protein
retail outlets and via intake. Taking the product to
e-commerce. every corner of the country
through their strategic offline
Indus Valley and Koparo unveil partnerships, the brand is
cast iron seasoning oil all set to roll out 1200 direct
points of sale and also take
Chennai-based startup Indus Valley has launched their brand international,
the new limited-edition cast iron seasoning oil, a through strategic local
go-to product for millennial kitchens. The launch partnerships in the Middle
takes place in collaboration with Koparo, a New East and North Africa (MENA)
Delhi-based D2C brand, operating in the space region.
of home cleaning and personal hygiene. With its
PETA-approved All Vegan formula, this organic
certified cast iron seasoning oil claims to offer
a high-efficacy blend of various vegetable oils
with advanced seasoning properties. It comes
in an easy to use and store packaging and is a
great addition to modern kitchens using cast
iron cookware. The product comes with an easy
to apply spray nozzle. The blend of oils has an
ideal smoking point for the perfect seasoning.
Today, customers are focused on healthy living
and choosing brands that do not compromise
on their wellness. Health-conscious, responsible
and earth-loving homes are choosing cast iron
cookware at a fast rate.

16 Company News NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Danone India unveils protein HAP to increase
awareness drive
milk collection
To sensitise Indian adults across age groups on
the integral role of protein in improving physical in AP, Telangana
health and overall well-being, Protinex, the
leading adult nutrition supplement of Danone and Maharashtra
India, has announced the launch of the Protinex
Protein Abhiyaan. This is an awareness initiative to Hatsun Agro Product (HAP), a
educate consumers about the importance and role Chennai-based private sector
of adequate protein consumption for improved dairy company in India, with
nutrition, health, and well-being. This is also aligned brands such as ‘Arokya’, ‘Hatsun’
with Danone’s mission of bringing health through and ‘Arun Ice creams’ has
food to the masses. Studies conducted in the last few announced its procurement
years have indicated the prevalence of protein deficiency in India, consistent expansion plans in the states of
with a lack of consumer awareness, leading to a range of health problems. Andhra Pradesh (AP), Telangana
According to a survey by the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB), 70 per and Maharashtra. HAP already
cent of Indians don’t consume adequate protein in their diet and 93 per cent has over 3100 milk collection
are unaware of their daily protein needs. Looking at this alarming scenario, centres benefiting farmers across
Protinex has launched a 360-degree consumer engagement initiative to various villages in these states,
improve awareness around protein relevance in the daily diets, in addition but plans to aggressively expand
to the established practice of engaging with health care professionals. The this network to effectively
initiative aims to educate consumers about the right quantity and quality of serve over 1 lakh farmers. HAP
protein, as this is essential for being able to choose appropriate sources of also plans to position its milk
protein to meet daily requirements. collection centres at remote
locations to ensure farmers have
FreshToHome launches clean label access to the facility in their
ready-to-fry meat snacks own village, thereby providing
them with market access, and
By launching India’s first clean label additive and preservative-free, Ready-To- making our rural sector more
Fry (RTF) meat snacks, Bengaluru-based integrated online brand in fresh fish prosperous. HAP procures 100
and meat e-commerce FreshToHome has added another feather in its cap.This per cent of the milk directly from
Signature Snacks range consists of 8 chicken-based snacks made with prime farmers and has heavily invested
in procurement infrastructure
cut meats and real, familiar over the years, to effectively
ingredients, such as Crunchy handle significant volumes of
Chicken Nuggets, Chicken milk.
Chilli Garlic Fingers and
Crunchy Chicken Popcorn, as
well as 2 vegetarian options, to
bridge the gap between great
taste and good food. The RTF
category has seen accelerated
growth in the last two years
due to increased demand for
convenient snacking options
at home. To launch this range, FreshToHome has kickstarted a 360-degree
campaign conceptualised by creative agency Action and Co. The agency has
also developed a new packaging design to convey great taste and quality,
resulting from procuring directly from poultry farmers and FreshToHome’s
emphasis on clean ingredients.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Partner Content 17

Probiotic BC30 supports plant protein absorption

Why Kerry’s latest clinical research points to new opportunities in India’s unique protein market

Gunjan Pandey Aanchal A. Kumar
Marketing Director, Business Development Manager,

Kerry SWA Applied Health & Nutrition, Kerry MISA

India’s atypical protein market double-blind randomized study was carried out over a two-week
As in other parts of the world, consumers in India are period, with 30 healthy women between the ages of 50 and 70 taking
increasingly aware of the many benefits of protein, with a 2021 Kerry part. Each consumed a daily plant-based beverage containing 20g of
survey showing that 56% associate it with a healthy diet. 1 Reflecting protein, sourced from a combination of pea and rice proteins, either
this, 94% of Indian consumers are willing to pay a higher price for with or without 1 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) of BC30™.
food and beverages fortified with protein, with as many as 19%
saying they are willing to pay 25% more. 2 After the final dose, blood
However, when it comes to where they want their protein to come samples were analysed for amino
from, Indian consumers are very different from those in other countries. acid concentrations. Over the whole
Plants are a preferred protein source for 76% of people, compared to course of the measurement period,
46% for animal proteins (significantly below the global average). 3 subjects in the BC30 group showed
According to some estimates, more than a third of Indians are significantly higher values for total
vegetarian4, and even non-vegetarians consume high levels of plant- amino acids and total essential
based food. More than two fifths of the population (41%) already amino acids, as well as significantly
consume six or more types of plant protein, with meals commonly higher than average levels of
comprising pulses, salads, lentils or cooked vegetables. 5 certain individual amino acids.
The region’s meat alternative market is also very healthy – it’s
currently valued at USD 171 million, and is expected to grow at a Part of Kerry’s ProActive
CAGR of 8.5% by 2025. 6 Health Portfolio and backed by
25 published papers, BC30™
Consumers are turning to probiotics (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086)
The other big trend in India (as elsewhere in the world) is a is a patented probiotic which can
growing demand for functional ingredients for health and wellness. be used in a range of food and
In 2021, Kerry surveyed consumers in India as part of a worldwide beverage products.
research initiative. Seventy-two per cent had bought more dietary
supplements since the start of the pandemic, and 67% had increased New opportunities for plant protein products
their purchases of functional or fortified foods and beverages. 7 One of the reasons this study is so exciting is that it demonstrates
The survey also explored the reasons for India’s consumers the potential to create plant-based nutritional protein powder products
to buy healthy lifestyle products. Unsurprisingly (in light of the that appeal to large consumer groups. Vegans and vegetarians (of
pandemic), immune support was the biggest driver, cited by 53% of whom there are hundreds of millions in India) can sometimes struggle
respondents. Another clear trend was a growing focus on digestive to get the protein they need, and could benefit from more efficient
health, which was the fourth most common reason to buy healthy absorption to support outcomes such as muscle-building.
lifestyle products, up from fifth in 2019. 8 Meanwhile, older consumers typically require higher protein intake
Reflecting the growing interest in both immune and digestive to maintain muscle mass. Given that India has over 100 million people
health, the survey revealed a growing familiarity with probiotics, over the age of 60 13, solutions that meet their nutritional needs will
which commanded awareness levels of 36% – up by 8% since 2019.9 be increasingly in demand. Finally, the research highlights potential
And among consumers who were aware of probiotics, around 50% for products targeting sporty consumers, especially as 51% of Indian
were also using them. 10 consumers say they exercised more regularly in 2020 than in 2019. 14
With plant protein products increasingly sought by Indian
Probiotics for protein absorption consumers, it’s important for manufacturers to have a positive
Consumers are most likely to associate probiotics with immune differentiation for their brands in order to ensure that products stand
system support and digestive health. 11 However, there is a growing out from the crowd. The ability to offer the many wellness benefits of
body of scientific evidence for their benefits in another area – protein probiotics can significantly add to their appeal – and improved protein
absorption. In 2020, researchers found that BC30TM – Kerry’s leading absorption can now be added to that list.
spore-forming probiotic – could increase amino acid absorption from
a milk protein concentrate. 12 Scan the QR code to learn how Kerry’s
And this year, a human clinical study found that it also improves clinically-backed BC30™ can support
protein absorption from plant-based nutritional protein powder. The consumer health across a range of need states:

1 Kerry Proprietary Consumer Research – The Protein Mindset, 2021, 5 Kerry, APAC Consumer Study, 2021 11 Kerry Global Consumer Survey - Digestive & Immune Health, 2021
n=499; India. 6 Kerry, APAC Consumer Study, 2021 12 Stecker et al. “Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 improves amino
2 Kerry Proprietary Consumer Research – The Protein Mindset, 2021, 7 Kerry Global Consumer Survey - Digestive & Immune Health, 2021, acid absorption from milk protein”, Nutrition & Metabolism, 17:93,
n=499; India. Total sample India (n=801) 23 October 2020
3 Kerry Proprietary Consumer Research – The Protein Mindset, 2021, 8 Kerry Global Consumer Survey - Digestive & Immune Health, 2021, 13 World Health Organization ‘Ageing and Health‘ https://www.who.
n=499; India. Total sample India (n=801) int/india/health-topics/ageing
4 Corichi, M ‘Eight-in-ten Indians limit meat in their diets, and four-in- 9 Kerry Global Consumer Survey - Digestive & Immune Health, 2021 14 Mintel ‘Majority of Indians are seeking healthier lifestyles through
ten consider themselves vegetarian’ Pew Research Center, July 8, 2021 10 Kerry Global Consumer Survey - Digestive & Immune Health, 2021 diet and exercise’, 6 Sept 2021

18 Company News NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

MuscleBlaze Tata Consumer Products adds
develops premium honey and preserves
world’s first to Himalayan brand
home protein
testing kit Tata Consumer Products (TCP) has announced its entry into the premium honey
and preserve category under its Himalayan brand. Himalayan is a well-known
Gurugram-based MuscleBlaze premium water brand in the market and enjoys significant equity among
has launched the world’s first consumers as it is a natural mineral water bottled directly from the source in the
Home Protein Testing Kit, foothills of the Himalayas, with strong sustainability credentials.With this launch,
MB ProCheck. Adding to its the brand extends its product portfolio into new categories and will be available
many firsts, this is yet another pan-India, in select premium outlets. In line with the brand profile, both these
patented product with a new product offerings are being sourced from the Himalayan belt. Himalayan
patented solution that is being Preserves are handmade in small batches using Himalayan-origin fruits and
offered by the brand. The sourced from partners committed to helping local communities. These would
launch of this protein testing kit be available in five flavours – Strawberry, Apricot, Black Cherry, Apple Cinnamon
comes amid growing concerns and Three Fruit Marmalade with no added flavours or preservatives. Himalayan
of fake supplements being Honey comes with NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test quality seal to
sold to people both online ensure high quality. The honey is being sourced from ‘Pahaadi Utpaad’, Tata
and offline. It is an advanced, Trusts’ associate organisation that works on promoting traditional beekeeping
yet easy, do-it-yourself (DIY) methods with an objective to source unadulterated mountain honey and
science kit to check against establish a mountain honey value chain.
both fake & misleading whey
protein supplements, for both Emami enters blended masala
authenticity and accuracy of market with ‘Mantra’
label protein % claim, anytime,
anywhere at just Rs 100 per Emami Agrotech, the branded food manufacturing arm of the diversified
test. Validated by the SGS business conglomerate Emami Group, has launched Mantra Spices under
Laboratories, recognised by the its widely popular Emami Healthy and Tasty brand. These are manufactured
National Accreditation Board in a state-of-the-art facility in Jaipur, Rajasthan, using Cryogenic Grinding
for Testing and Calibration Technology, where the spices are ground at temperatures ranging from zero
Laboratories (NABL)- MB to minus 50 degrees Celsius. This allows Mantra spices to retain the essential
ProCheck promises to be
pioneering innovation that natural oils at least up to 95 per cent, thus offering superior colour,
empowers all whey protein flavour, and aroma. Spices available in the market today are mostly
consumers. ground using a traditional process that involves heating up to 70
degrees Celsius, allowing them to retain the essential oils up to
only 40 per cent. Emami Agrotech has curated the Mantra Masala
range with a wide variety of pure spices in expansive categories,
including turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powder as well as
blended spices like Garam Masala, Meat Masala, Chicken Masala,
Pav Bhaji Masala, Chhole Masala, Chaat Masala, Sabji Masala, and
Hing. Other spices like Sambar Masala and Kashmiri Lal Mirch, will
be added soon. The company plans to introduce Tastemakers in
the national market in the next phase.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in World News 19

Norway eases Lankan Hunger levels
food insecurity with Rs remain alarming at
189M grant Afghanistan

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Record levels of hunger persist in Afghanistan as the
has announced a critical contribution of NOK 5 million country reports the highest prevalence of insufficient
(approximately Rs 189 million) from the Government food consumption globally. For nearly ten consecutive
of Norway to support Sri Lankans struggling to feed months over 90 per cent of the population has
their families. WFP’s emergency food and nutrition faced unprecedented levels of hunger. The marginal
operation aims to assist 3.4 million of the Sri Lankans improvements seen in 2022 could be erased as the global
most at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition amid food crisis worsens and funding constraints continue to
record food inflation, skyrocketing fuel prices and hamper humanitarian assistance. The situation remains
widespread shortages of essential commodities. WFP is grim as household incomes continue to shrink and
boosting existing social safety net programmes to assist prices for key commodities rise. In June, the proportion
one million children through the national school meal of households with deteriorating incomes increased by
programme, one million targeted beneficiaries as part an alarming 10 percentage points. Recurrent drought
of a government programme which provides fortified and erratic climatic shocks are also expected to result in
food to mothers and children, and almost one and a half a below average harvest - further threatening incomes
million people in need of emergency food assistance and livelihoods. People are spending almost all of their
through food, cash, or vouchers. Nearly 6.3 million people income on food. Average expenditure on food has now
or 3 in 10 households are food insecure and in need increased to 90 per cent - the highest since January 2022
of assistance. WFP’s recent surveys indicated that 61 (80 per cent). Female-headed households are spending
per cent of families are resorting to at least one coping an even higher proportion of their income on food
mechanism, including eating less, eating less nutritious (94 per cent). This comes as incomes are shrinking and
food, and even skipping meals altogether. prices for key commodities are rising.

SAARC struggles to afford healthy food: Report

According to "The State of Food than Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka and report also takes a close look at the
Security and Nutrition in the World Bhutan have the highest capacity to complementing policies, within and
2022" published jointly by the afford healthy food, compared to outside agrifood systems, that are
Food and Agriculture Organisation, other countries of this region. On important to support repurposing
International Fund for Agricultural an average, 41.1 per cent of people efforts and at the political economy
Development, UNICEF, World Food in South Asia, including SAARC, are factors and dynamics that hamper
Programme and World Health unable to afford healthy food. The or facilitate repurposing efforts. The
Organisation, Nepal has the least report defines healthy diets as those
capacity to buy healthy food among based on a variety of minimally
the countries of South Asia, followed processed foods with a balance
by Pakistan. In 2017, about 77.4 per across food groups, including
cent of the population of Bangladesh whole grains, nuts, legumes, an
could not afford a healthy diet which abundance of fruits and vegetables,
has been reduced to 73.5 per cent in and moderate amounts of animal
2020. India is doing slightly better protein.

20 World News NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

US hikes funding for school, WB gives $300M to increase
food security in Bolivia
child and adult care meals
The World Bank (WB) has approved a $300 million loan
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has that will benefit nearly 130,000 families from rural
announced an increase in funding to help schools communities and producers in Bolivia. The financing will
continue to serve kids healthy meals this coming contribute to increase food security, market access and
school year and provide financial relief for schools the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in
and childcare providers. Effective July 1, 2022, the country. At least 1,000 rural community associations
the reimbursement schools receive for each meal are the main beneficiaries of the Innovation for Resilient
served will increase by approximately $0.68 per free/ Food Systems (Rural Alliances – PAR III) Project, which
reduced-price lunch and $0.32 per free/reduced- will help reduce vulnerability to acute and chronic
food insecurity through small-scale investments in
price breakfast. Other infrastructure and services and nutrition enhancement by
reimbursement rates, inserting technology in agricultural activities and training
including rates for paid to manage it. Additionally, some 1,270 rural producer
school meals and childcare organisations will form productive alliances to facilitate
meals, are available online. their participation in value chains with commercial
The action will provide partners and access to technical assistance providers to
support for schools and achieve improved, more equitable access to markets,
childcare providers dealing technologies, and organisational skills. PAR III will also
implement some 290 complementary productive
with rising food costs, and infrastructure subprojects.
is part of the Biden Administration’s work to lower
costs and provide American families some additional
breathing room. This increase includes both a
required annual adjustment in reimbursement rates
to reflect the cost of food and an extra temporary
per-meal boost in reimbursements from the recent
Keep Kids Fed Act. Combined, this will pump an
estimated $4.3 billion more into school meal and
childcare meal programmes across the nation this
school year, in addition to the nearly $2 billion in
additional funding USDA has already provided.

FAO joins Canadian project to
build grain storage in Ukraine

As Ukraine struggles to export $17 million recently provided by strengthening government capacity
existing grain stocks during the the Government of Japan to cover 1 for food commodity testing and
Russian invasion, it has insufficient million tonnes of grain storage. The certifications necessary for export at
storage capacity even for its reduced recently developed Grain Storage border facilities. With the additional
2022 grain harvest. The Food and Support Strategy, an extension to funds from Canada, FAO has raised
Agriculture Organization of the the FAO Ukraine Rapid Response $70.4 million against the total of
United Nations (FAO) has launched Plan (RRP), aims to support Ukraine’s $180.4 million needed under the RRP
a new $40 million (Canadian Dollar Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and Grain Storage Support Strategy.
52 million) Canada-funded project to cover 4.07 million tonnes, or 25 per An additional $110 million is urgently
to further address grain storage cent, of the total estimated national needed to support vulnerable
shortages in Ukraine. The initiative storage deficit of 16 million tonnes households in rural areas.
will allow storage of an additional in 2022-23. The strategy also includes
2.4 million tonnes of grain between the support of the State Service of
2022 and 2023 along with related Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer
technical support and equipment. Protection to process and export
This complements the support of agricultural products from Ukraine, by

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Cover 21

Is Fo&f BSuSsetactinoarbMiliintyd?ful
Sustainability has become a growing trend in the food and beverage (F&B) industry right now. The
need for sustainability has turned critical in the food business. Not only is the F&B industry at risk from
climate change, the food system is also a major contributor to climate change in terms of greenhouse
gas emissions. A sustainability strategy is crucial for F&B companies, to maintain business continuity
and remain competitive into the future. All segments across the F&B sector be it packaging, production,
sourcing, turning vegan or reducing food wastage, are moving in this direction. Sustainability is no
longer perceived merely as an aspect of corporate social responsibility, instead it has taken on a critical
function of the business, influencing prioritisation of investments.

Not all F&B companies boosted their looking beyond their own processes to ensure that
sustainability investments during the their suppliers are also adhering to ethical and
COVID-19 pandemic. Some did just the sustainable practices.

opposite, simply focusing on reviving the supply Further, F&B companies are decarbonising their

chains that were suffering from deep shock. But end-to-end operations by shifting fleets to low-

now, as the industry starts to regain some normalcy, carbon transportation, changing to low-carbon cold

it is natural for companies to wonder where chain technology, and optimising transit routes.

they stand in their journey towards sustainable In fact, many organisations are now hiring

operations. experts for a special post called Chief Sustainability

According to a global research by Officer (CSO), to make more sensible and practical

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance decisions in the long run. As per a recent report

(ESG) consultants EcoVadis, the F&B industry has by Deloitte, the role of the CSO will continue

an overall sustainability score of 48.9, coming in evolving as organisations have a long way to go

behind Construction (49.4) and Finance, Legal before sustainability is fully embedded into every

and Consulting (51.1). This observation reflects function, process, and person. Although complex

the extent of the industry’s engagement with and fragmented supply chains and incomplete

sustainability issues and its willingness to assume digital transformations are serious obstacles facing

a leadership role in improving standards on factors the F&B industry currently, concerted initiatives are

like single use plastic, carbon neutrality, plant-based underway to make sustainability a reality very soon.

food production etc. As nuFFooDS Spectrum completes its 9th year

While on the one hand, companies are actively in September 2022, it brings to you direct insights

promoting their recyclable packaging, there are from 9 food industry experts, in the form of articles

a few brands using food waste and by-products and interviews on how the Indian F&B industry can

generated either by themselves or by other brands. contribute in shifting to a resource-efficient and

Likewise, there are F&B brands that are now green economy in the near future.

22 Speaking with NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Amit Chopra, Managing “Adherence to food safety
protocols is challenging
Director, India and South Asia, considering the large
Thermo Fisher Scientific scale of operations”

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in Food Testing Labs.
serving science, is on a mission to enable its customers Thermo Fisher Scientific is playing a pivotal role
to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. The
company is driving innovation in multiple disciplines in enhancing food testing with its state-of-the-art
and food safety is a priority area. In conversation technologies such as LCMS/MS, ICPMS, GCMS/MS,
with nuFFooDS Spectrum, Amit Chopra, Managing products for microbiological testing and sample
Director, India and South Asia, Thermo Fisher preparation reagents.
Scientific, talks about the company’s role in driving
sustainability and food safety in India. - Edited excerpts; Various other initiatives by FSSAI, such as inspection
via digital tools, ensures food safety management even
How can we ensure a sustainable food safety at grass-root levels. Programmes such as ‘Eat Right
management system in India? India’ have been devised to spread awareness among
consumers on the importance of healthy eating. Thermo
A healthy population is an enabler of a healthy Fisher Scientific has been actively partnering with FSSAI
economy. In a country where the burden of food-borne for the same.
illnesses is comparable to malaria, HIV and TB, food
safety is a priority. It is estimated that every year 100 What are the major challenges being faced in
million cases of food-borne diseases are reported in this area?
India, a number expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2030.
To ensure availability of safe and hygienic food, effective The World Health Organization (WHO) lists food-
food testing measures are important at every step borne diseases in South-east Asia, including India, as the
across the value chain, including agriculture, processing, leading cause of mortality in those regions, with more
packaging, labelling and delivery. than 40 per cent of the cases among children younger
than five. Food fraud and adulteration are rampant
First, it is important to deploy strategies to maximise in India and occur at all points of the food supply
crop productivity while minimising use of pesticides. chain. Milk, honey and spices are common sources of
Second, targeted policies can ensure the efficient use adulteration.
of energy and curtail emissions during food processing.
Third, food testing and quality checks are imperative A shift in consumer preference towards ready-to-
to ensure food safety during packaging, labelling and use foods, especially post COVID-19, has led to the
delivery. mushrooming of many unregulated enterprises and food
imports from different sources. This has made adherence
Food Safety and Standards Authority of to food safety protocols challenging, considering the
India (FSSAI) is implementing a Central Sector
Scheme for ‘Strengthening of the Food large scale of operations.
Testing Ecosystem’ in the country Insufficient number of labs in the
with provisioning of modern country is a challenge, considering our
testing equipment in State Food vast population. The FSSAI has initiated
Testing Laboratories (SFTLs),
as well as allocating Mobile a scheme to provide mobile units for
food testing to states. These units not

only address the lack of food testing
infrastructure in the most remote areas,
but also cater to the basic analytical

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Speaking with 23

needs of the consumers. species of organisms, eliminating the need for previous
knowledge of the species. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s
What role do 'food testing labs' play in ensuring NGS is one of the leading testing methods applied to
sustainable food production? detection of food-fraud, especially in herbs and spices.

Food testing labs are aiding consumers and India is the largest producer of milk in the world,
regulatory authorities to testify that the products are making it one of the easiest targets for food adulteration.
manufactured by standard practices. The objective of Milk is often contaminated with pesticide residues,
food testing labs is to ensure that the food is free from veterinary medicines, and aflatoxin M1. Each of these
various hazards such as: groups of compounds use specific extraction protocols,
which require different methods to detect, thus
Biological: Derived from microbial sources such as increasing analysis time, turnaround time, and cost of
salmonella and E. coli bacteria. analysis. To address these challenges, we have developed
a generic approach for the simultaneous extraction of
Chemical: Contamination with chemicals used these contaminants, followed by a single combined LC-
in agriculture and production processes of raw MS/MS analysis.
materials such as antibiotics, plant-growth substances
and pesticides, as well as food-additives such as Milk or milk products are also adulterated with
preservatives. vegetable oil or other animal fat (e.g., lard from pork)
in ghee. Our teams have developed methods both on
Physical: Foreign objects in food such as glass, pieces GC-FID system- Triglycerides-based as well as on HPLC
of metal, plastic or wood. by using β-Sitosterol in compliance with the recent
regulatory guidelines to support various dairy plants/
Implementing stringent measures to check for industry.
discrepancies in labelling, is another major role played
by the food testing labs to ensure safe food. The biggest challenge with seafood testing is the
turnaround time at every step of the testing cycle.
Increasing number of tests like allergen tests, food Our ready-to-use culture media reduces the time for
intolerance and checking for adulterants, are the major sampling. Our qPCR workflows streamline processes
factors driving the growth of the Indian food-testing for pathogen detection, including surface sampling for
market. Valued at $14 million in 2018, the market is environment monitoring. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Next
expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3 per cent to $26.4 Generation Food Authenticity workflow is an application
million by 2024. that can identify and trace numerous seafood species.

As per a study by the Ministry of Food Processing In India, Thermo Fisher Scientific has set-up the Food
Industries in 2020-21, the country has 726 testing labs, Safety Solution Centre at Ghaziabad, in collaboration
of which 585 are accredited according to international with FSSAI. The centre focuses on development,
standards. training and support for next-generation workflows and
integrated solutions across chromatography and mass
In the past few years, FSSAI has taken cognizance spectrometry. Additionally, training programmes are
of the need to invest in various State Food Testing conducted for food analysts for method optimisation/
Laboratories to strengthen the infrastructure. developing new methods for FSSAI and extending their
expertise, wherever required.
How is Thermo Fisher working in this direction of
sustainability & food safety in India & globally? Through the COVID-19 pandemic, our team worked
relentlessly and conducted more than 50 webinars in
A rapidly growing population is leading to an collaboration with FSSAI for creating awareness and
increased demand for mass production and distribution supporting food-testing labs with advanced workflows/
of food, through a complex system involving many solutions.
suppliers. Every step of the food-chain cycle requires
intervention to prevent food-fraud and adulteration. Will you be launching new products or planning new
investments in this space?
We drive innovation in multiple disciplines, and
food-safety is a priority area. Our advanced food-testing We are constantly enhancing our capabilities to
workflows comprise products and expertise, from support the world with new and advanced scientific
identification of species in food and ingredients, to solutions. We recently launched our new GCMS/MS
verification of origin, traceability of raw materials and system TSQ 9610 and Delta Q-IRMS system for honey
cleaning processes in production lines. testing. Other exciting products are in the development
stage and will be launched soon.
Traditional methods of lab-based testing are
designed to identify and quantify a known substance
only, apart from having a lengthy turnaround time. One
of the recent approaches, Next-generation sequencing
(NGS), allows untargeted detection of thousands of

24 Plant-Based Dairy NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Bhavna Sharma, Growth of Plant-Based
Dairy and Beverages -
Head- Nutrition Science, An Emerging Segment
ITC Foods in Sustainability

Sustainability is no longer just a passing trend in reasons- to lead a healthy lifestyle and to contribute
the food and beverage (F&B) industry right now, to a sustainable planet. According to the Food and
but is slowly becoming the ‘Way of Working’ Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
which is deeply embedded into the core commercial one-fifth of the total global greenhouse gas emissions
strategy of any responsible organisation which is is from the livestock sector. Based on the available
future-forward. All critical pivot points across the literature, dairy products have a higher environmental
value chain including (but not limited to) sourcing, footprint per unit mass when compared with plant-
production, operations, packaging, labelling, consumer/ based dairy alternatives. This is apparent with the rise
customer communication and consumption guidance, in conversation around certain specific products &/
are all now repositioning themselves to be aligned or foods like plant–protein options, vegan products,
to the overarching commitments of UN Sustainable planet–friendly food options etc. Amongst these, plant-
Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. Many countries and based products are the most popular amongst users
organisations have included sustainability considerations and this trend is gaining traction not only in India but
in their dietary recommendations as well. The term also globally. The visibility of this trend is evident from
"sustainable diet" was coined to maintain long-term the launch of vegan products to vegan cooking classes,
health, while reducing the degradation and use of vegan tours, vegan conferences and vegan e-tailers.
natural resources. Some very specific and emerging benefits attributed to
this shifting preference are centred around improved
There has been a paradigm shift in the way people dietary lifestyle (especially related to heart health
view and consume foods now. In recent times, people and weight management), lactose free options, foods
have become conscious of what they eat for two main

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Plant-Based Dairy 25

considered to be future-fit for a healthier planet. from soy, almonds, cashew, coconut, hazelnut,
Amongst plant-based products, the plant-based oats and walnuts etc.).

milks category has been emerging more steadily Consumer Preference is the Key Driver
as compared to others and today the The important factors considered by
global plant-based beverages consumers in choosing a product
market size is valued at include cost, flavour, nutrition,
$22,859.4 million in 2020 availability, affordability, daily
and is expected to grow consumption habits
at a compound annual and sustainability
growth rate (CAGR) of or a mix of these
14.3 per cent from 2021 factors depending
to 2028. on individual
preferences.
Plant Based Plant-based
Beverages milk is generally
Plant-based milk is a more expensive (nearly
3 times depending on the
milk substitute that is lactose variety of milk) compared
free made from plant extracts like
almonds, soy, nuts, coconut, rice, etc. Plant-based to dairy milk and can appeal only to a niche segment
beverages have similar amounts of carbohydrates (3 to 5 that is not price-conscious. Plant-based milk has a
per cent) but are generally lower in protein (<1 per cent) different flavour, texture and taste and hence requires
and fat (<1.5 per cent). The exceptions are oat drinks, awareness and acceptability, eco-system support,
which contain considerably more carbohydrates (~7 per including cooking (making coffee/ tea/ setting curd
cent), and soy drinks, which contain protein in similar etc) knowledge. Hence the consumer has to develop a
amounts to milk (3-4 per cent). Dairy based milks (eg; taste and a lifestyle- which would be different from what
cow’s milk) is an excellent natural source of good quality they are typically used to. Awareness, acceptability and
protein and also provides many vitamins and minerals, availability at the right price would be important for
such as calcium, vitamin B12 and zinc. However, plant- consumers to adopt plant-based milk on a larger scale.
based milk will have to be fortified with calcium and
vitamins to overcome this gap and provide holistic At ITC Foods, we believe in the motto of : “Help India
nutrition. Eat Better” and we, being a responsible organisation,
are constantly evaluating trends and opportunities
While globally many forms of these milks and which are science-based and consumer-led. We
beverages have now become part of the food basket, recognise that anything that is “good-for-health” and
in India it is growing at a different pace. Of these “fit-for-the-planet” is surely an important area of both
plant-based alternatives, the soya milk segment has a research and understanding. We have recently launched
dominant market due to higher awareness and easy two plant-based, vegan products in the market for
availability due to a large number of players. Almond consumers under our ITC Master Chef IncrEdible brand:
milk is the second most-consumed plant-based milk The Incredible Burger Patties and Incredible Nuggets.
in India. However, they may have different target The objective is to provide consumers with plant-based
consumer bases and kitchen-usage as compared to products without compromising on quality or taste.
regular milk-based products.
Plant-based diets have surely become popular with
According to Businesswire, the Indian dairy their increasing footprint across social media as well,
alternative market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21 and hence the increasing trend towards a healthy and
per cent to reach around Rs 5000 million by 2024. The sustainable lifestyle, while contributing to a better
availability of vegan products, better supply channels, planet. The pandemic has also contributed to this
rise in online shopping are factors contributing to the increased awareness. The plant-based milk market is a
growth. North India contributed to around 40 per cent niche segment with a growing number of consumers
of the alternative dairy share market as of 2018. The opting for plant-based milk substitutes due to many
growing popularity of plant-based milk is apparent from reasons, however for this category to evolve further and
the fact that local as well as multinational companies become mainstream there are few milestones that have
are foraying into this segment. Any evolved consumer to be focused on– in terms of- Affordability, Accessibility
who chooses to move or experiment with this category and Consumer Taste preference.
is spoiled for choice (the market includes products made

26 Plant-based Foods NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Shraddha Bhansali, Achieving
Sustainability
Co-founder and Chief with Plant-
Operating Officer, EVO Foods based Foods

Mindfulness in eating emphasises knowing But, moving towards such a dietary practice would
the origin of each food item we eat and also require immense changes in the currently prevalent
ensuring they are sourced locally, particularly food system with an emphasis on better production
within proximity of where we live. Keeping with this, and waste management strategies, alongside an
millennials and Gen Z consumers are gradually focusing improvement in food delivery and consumption.
on sustainable, nutritious, and plant-based dietary Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
changes. in India needs improved food security, by facilitating
nutrition education, enabling access to affordable
Plant-based foods are made from plant proteins and quality vegetables & fruits in local markets, and
such as soya, pea, nuts, oats, and other indigenous supporting the local production of plant-based foods.
crops designed to mimic the taste and texture of their
animal-based counterparts such as meat, milk, and egg.
A plant-based diet is to add plant extracts to the food
using natural ingredients only. And undoubtedly, these
foods are better for you and the animals, while helping
to fight climate change. The main causes of concern are:
● Animal agriculture contributes 18 per cent of

carbon emissions, which is more than all forms of
transportation combined.
● A plant-based diet is more sustainable, having less
impact on the environment as compared to non-
vegetarian diet forms.
● A vegetarian diet keeps a lower carbon footprint and
ensures a very low environmental impact.
● Meat-based diets impact the environment due to
the increased emission of greenhouse gases, which
can be considerably reduced when there is a shift
towards plant-based or flexitarian diet forms.
● Plant-based foods improve the skin, nourish all vital
organs, and improve cognitive functions, memory,
and concentration.
With rising concerns over climate change and the
evident influences of our nutritional practices on the
environment, the time has come to redefine dietary
guidelines. A developing country like India requires an
equicaloric diet rich in plant-based products and lower in
animal products, which is beneficial to health and puts a
lesser burden on the earth.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Plant-based Foods 27

Besides this, promoting India’s traditional plant-based heat-stable boiled egg, and committed to removing
foods can contribute to overall health and well-being, the need for animal eggs entirely from the food system.
creating better conditions for communities to lift EVO uses biotech to extract plant proteins from suitable
themselves out of poverty. sources, to recreate the versatility and texture of real
eggs. Currently, it is in the process of launching a plant-
Plant-based products require much less agricultural based whole egg liquid, made from Mung Beans, Peas
land, need less water, and cause less pollution than and Chickpeas. It has 12 gm of protein, 0 cholesterol, and
animal products. Furthermore, plant-based products can no antibiotics.
shift demand away from animal products by appealing
to the three essential elements consumers want - taste, Truth is, there are many reasons for India to be an
price and convenience. ideal base for a plant-based protein movement:

Many Indians have embraced veganism and An abundance of raw materials: India is the largest
have turned towards plant-based diets due to health producer of dry beans like legumes and pulses. This will
concerns. According to a survey, 63 per cent of Indians provide adequate raw material and crop biodiversity for
are willing to replace meat with plant-based options. alternate protein products.
A big market of over a billion people for plant-based
protein products is available. To bolster this movement Economical: The cost of production is relatively lower
toward plant-based, EVO Foods, founded in 2019, is in India as compared to other countries, making India an
focused on creating animal protein replacements that ideal platform and base for plant-based products. The
can be swapped seamlessly for their conventional lower cost of production will lead to an economical and
counterparts. efficient way of producing greener and healthier plant-
based protein products.
EVO is on a mission to improve vegan eggs and is
developing plant-based eggs to end animal agriculture Government support: The Indian government is
for egg production, while increasing food security. With endorsing and supporting a sustainable plant-based
roots in Mumbai and recently in the USA, EVO leverages diet. The #EatRightIndia campaign by the Ministry of
India’s crop biodiversity to power its existing products. Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, asks
The brand has to its credit, created the “world’s-first” its citizens to choose plant-based foods to help fight
climate change, citing sustainable living.

Research strength: India has a vast repertoire of
research and knowledge along with research institutes
in agriculture and food technology. The foundation
for the research is already available for innovating and
improving the plant-based protein sector.

Location: The plant-based movement is growing and
succeeding rapidly in emerging markets like the Middle
East, South East Asia, and others. India has close ties
with these regions, which makes it more viable for it to
become a base for the plant-based movement.

Increased receptivity: The willingness of Indians
to adapt and adopt plant-based proteins, makes India
an ideal base for plant-based products. Indians are
extremely likely and willing to purchase plant-based
products.

The country’s appetite for plant-based products
is increasing for sustainable companies, restaurants,
and brands. There is a competing and challenging
environment to provide people with a healthier way of
living. EVO is a trusted and high-quality manufacturer
& distributor of plant-based protein, both locally and
globally. The global plant-based food industry is growing
at a fast pace. The supporting infrastructure also needs to
grow rapidly to accelerate growth. India can contribute a
lot to the global plant-based food industry by providing
manufacturing capacity and scaling up its expertise.

28 packaging inks NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Shailendra Nagotkar, From Linear
to Circular for
Head of Application Sustainable Food
Technology, Siegwerk India Packaging inks

The traditional life cycle of packaging results in HorizonNOW. This initiative has set bold targets to be
needless levels of emissions and waste. This is achieved by 2025 in the areas of People & Communities,
because a linear economy goes only one way. Operations & Supply Chain, Product Safety &
Products and resources are created, used and then Responsibility and Circular Economy. In terms of Circular
become waste, which gets thrown out. Economy, our aim is to ensure that 75 per cent of all
products and services enable reusable, renewable or
In contrast, a Circular Economy is based on economic recyclable packaging.
development decoupled from the use of finite resources,
allowing for human well-being while respecting the A Circular Economy is a systemic approach to
natural boundaries of our planet. economic development designed to benefit businesses,
society, and the environment. In order to preserve
In the packaging industry, a Circular Economy is natural resources for future generations, we all need to
achieved by practising the 3R mantra – Reducing, adopt Circular Economy practices in our everyday life, be
Reusing and Recycling. The following measures can it professional or personal.
be adopted to reduce wastage and attain a circular
economy: Siegwerk uses its expertise in inks and coatings to
1. Reducing – The first step is to reduce the use of develop tailor-made solutions to meet customer needs,
and those needs are increasingly related to circularity
materials, especially plastic, where possible. We and sustainability. Just a few of the solutions Siegwerk
can do so by eliminating packaging structures not has developed include:
needed for the functionality of packaging or by using
renewable materials. 1. De-Inking
2. Reusing – If we cannot sensibly reduce the material There is increased awareness of the need to recycle
we use, we should aim to reuse the packaging as packaging to create the materials
often as possible. This moves packaging from single- needed for new packaging. However,
use consumable goods to durable goods. current recyclate quality is typically
3. Recycling – The only acceptable end-use scenario poor. This is due to the unpleasant
in a Circular Economy is recycling. This keeps the visual appearance or odour of
material and the economic value in the system. different types of recyclates after
Siegwerk has established itself as the market extrusion, which can be related to
leader for safe and sustainable packaging inks ink degrading and remaining in the
and coatings, pioneering solutions to shift recyclates. This unfortunately enforces
from a wasteful linear packaging model to a downcycling. Siegwerk’s de-inking
circular model predicated on the concepts and delamination technology
of reducing, reusing, and recycling enables the creation of high-quality
packaging. recyclates.
Sustainability is central to The de-inking and delamination
its business ambitions, and is primer creates a printable layer
underpinned by a sustainable sensitive to an industrial washing
business initiative, called

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in packaging inks 29

process. Inks and coatings are removed quickly and minimising their impact in case of leakage into the
effectively, leaving clean separated plastic layers. environment (littering).

These remaining high quality recyclates can be Siegwerk offers a range of barrier coating
used in new packaging materials. This technology is formulations to accommodate a variety of paper & board
compatible with a wide variety of packaging structures, packaging products, including paper cups, fast food
and packaging specifications remain unchanged. wrappers, and corrugated boxes, meeting, of course,
the functional needs of the paper such as printability,
Most importantly, use of the de-inking and flexibility, and glueability .
delamination technology aids in achieving 100 per cent
recyclability, an essential component in enabling the 3. Paperization
Circular Economy. There is growing interest in switching from plastic

A practical example of this technology can be seen to paper-based packaging, partly because paper
in de-inking of shrink sleeves. Washable crystallisable packaging can be more circular in certain circumstances.
PET shrink sleeves are invaluable in increasing the But there are challenges to making the switch. Paper
yield in PET bottle-to-bottle recycling. Working in packaging can be limited in scope, which is unfortunate
partnership with other companies in the supply chain, because it has a well-established waste and recycling
Siegwerk developed washable shrink sleeves based on stream. There is therefore a need to facilitate a wider
crystallisable PET (cPET), as film printed with specially packaging paperization scope to utilise already existing
developed washable inks and primer solutions. In waste streams. There is a challenge in reducing shelf-
this way both the bottle and the shrink sleeve can go life limitations when moving away from film-based
through the recycling process without the need for structures. And when switching to paper, one must
separation. Siegwerk’s deinking technology has received ensure compliance with recycling streams by avoiding
recognition from the Association of Plastic Recyclers unwanted/disrupting materials like PVC. Siegwerk
(APR). makes this transition possible through solutions such as
printable barrier coatings to improve grease, aroma, and
2. Barrier Coatings for Paper and Board water vapour resistance, as well as Cobb value reduction
The new portfolio of UNILAC barrier coatings for coating to maintain the package structure even in moist
atmospheres. These coatings replace the function usually
paper and board, includes a range of products that served by plastic.
repel water and water vapour, oils, and greases. These
barrier coatings are available and produced using As the need for circular packaging solutions grows,
natural resins and renewable raw materials whenever so too do Siegwerk’s efforts to develop innovative
possible. Importantly, paper and board coated solutions, to meet unique needs. Siegwerk’s ambition to
with these barrier coatings are typically repulpable, build a truly sustainable business makes the company an
recyclable, and compostable, thereby giving paper and ideal partner for customers seeking to realise their own
paperboard packaging producers the confidence that sustainability targets.
their packaging has a variety of end-of-life solutions,

30 Nutraceutical NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Anish Desai, Clinical How to Offer
Nutraceutical
Pharmacologist, Nutraceutical Products Sustainably
Physician, Founder & CEO,

IntelliMed Healthcare Solutions

Healthy, sustainable and cheap; these are all words Today, consumers of all generations include
used to describe what consumers are demanding nutraceuticals in their daily diets, and the industry is
from nutraceutical products across the globe. expected to reach a projected value of $358.5 billion by
Consumers are looking to companies and governments 2027. Over the past few years, there have been a lot of
to lead on providing sustainable solutions. Innovative developments in the nutraceutical industry, including
businesses are driving sustainable development across adjustments to customer perception and behaviour.
the dietary supplements sector. According to HealthFocus International's 2021 Global
Sustainability Report, 46 per cent of consumers have
As people are increasingly concerned about staying become more concerned about the environment and
physically fit and keeping certain ailments at bay, the sustainability of the world around them since the
nutraceutical market is experiencing commensurate start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 64 per cent of global
growth day by day. Every now and then we hear of a new consumers believe that what is good for the planet is
startup or a new brand in the field. But as a business, it also good for themselves.
is challenging for startups to survive, as the market is
already highly competitive. The nutraceutical industry is becoming more

Taking the sustainable route
Sustainability involves the maintenance of a certain

level of materials, or preventing the depletion of natural
resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. It is
a term that has become the new buzzword regarding a
myriad of things- ranging from sustainability of our food
and agricultural systems to the protection of our planet’s
resources. Sustainability as a trend is inherently linked to
the clean-label and plant-based movements of the past
two decades.

Delivering transparency and quality throughout the
dietary supplement supply chain, offers the traceability
that consumers are now looking for, like raw materials
and ingredient processing, to delivery solutions and
beyond. In practical terms for the nutraceutical industry,
sustainability means responsible ingredient sourcing,
creating vegan and vegetarian product formulations,
examining processing methods and packaging, as
well as minimising energy use and waste. To achieve
authenticity, and therefore gain consumer trust means,
designing sustainability into product development from
the outset and holistically.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Nutraceutical 31

plant-based, particularly with regard to the aspects meet environmental and sustainable demand with
of effectiveness, safety and naturalness. This is in line more clinically validated and efficacious, naturally
with the sustainability logic of dietary supplements. A derived ingredients and packaging without a
trend which has grown into a global phenomenon and heavy eco-footprint. Algae is one industry taking
reflects a much broader range of consumer lifestyles on many environmental challenges in this way. The
and preferences, it now drives the demand for products younger population is the largest consumer-base for
with naturally-sourced, easy-to-understand ingredients, nutraceuticals and is looking for innovative as well as
trusted certifications, such as vegan, vegetarian, non- sustainable packaging.
GMO (genetically modified organism), kosher, halal, as 7. Dosage form: Gummies are popular among children
well as sustainable positionings. whereas the elderly prefer sachets or powders.
Formulation and dosage form of the product varies
The industry must focus on science, product safety, as per age.
integrity, and sustainability. We also need to strengthen 8. Taste: Also, consumers are often picky about the
and standardise quality-assurance programmes. taste of the supplements they are consuming. So, for
Companies must look out for the following challenges their comfort, a brand needs to pay attention to this
that may arise: aspect.
1. Awareness among both healthcare professionals 9. Price: Nutraceuticals are more commonly used for
long-term chronic disease, and that’s when cost
and consumers: Lack of awareness persists at both becomes an issue. Also, some consumers tend to
levels – physician-level and patient-level. There is a compare functional categories with normal food
lack of standard guidelines for management with categories. Getting the best-quality ingredients
nutraceuticals. Planning and implementing activities and making a product easy on the pocket, can be
to improve product and disease awareness is challenging.
necessary for overall growth. 10. Supply chain and Distribution : To succeed in this
2. Unique ingredients and products : The brand must volatile environment, businesses will need to handle
incorporate some innovative and natural ingredients, the global supply chain and labour difficulties.
which keep up with the market demands. These Having good communication with all business
innovative ingredients with good health benefits partners, strong relationships with suppliers, labs,
help in attracting consumers since they are willing to & packaging, and maintaining product in stock
try something new and different and hence are up to will be essential. A successful business will need
paying the premium price for such products. to communicate and handle any product delays
3. Efficacy data: The product must have strong or other difficulties that may have an impact on
scientific data with benefits seen in human consumers at this turbulent moment in the global
studies. Functional medicine is an evidence- economy. The target market and the channel through
based, therapeutic model that is centred around which the brand is selling its goods must always be
personalised approaches for prevention and in focus. The emphasis on e-commerce has changed
treatment of diseases. in terms of distribution channels very quickly when
4. Quality of raw material: Most consumers are highly looking at the current environment or the last few
aware about different brands. Thus, quality of years.
nutraceuticals is paramount for efficacy and safety, Organisations need to be more aware about these
and it includes quality of raw materials, different challenges and work on the strategies that can help in
available chemical forms, complex products, and the overcoming them. There is often a misconception that
absence of contaminants. Manufacturers of dietary adopting more sustainable practices costs more money.
supplements can make substantiated and sincere When looking at the long-term benefits, sustainability
sustainability claims by using sustainable ingredients. reduces business costs, adds innovative strategies,
5. Research and development : As consumers want improves reputation and brings new customers who
effective research-based products, they feel hesitant value sustainability and a greener environment. The
to try a new brand. For that, a new brand or startup nutraceutical industry is expected to continue focusing
organisation needs to work a lot more on research on sustainability.
and development. Evidence-based nutraceuticals, In a nutshell, the more sustainable your brand is and
clinical and pharmacological data of the product, the more you communicate this to consumers, the more
help the consumer to build their trust. So, R&D forms consumers will value your product, improving brand-
the foundation for any brand's sustainability in the loyalty and leading to overall growth of the company.
market.
6. Packaging: Innovation in biotechnology will help

32 Nutra Ingredients NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Muhammed Majeed Ensuring Sustainable
Supply Chain for
Founder & Chairman, Nutra Ingredients
Sami-Sabinsa Group

The changes in lifestyle patterns have made us of raw materials for manufacturing its one-hundred-plus
realise and recognise the need for nutritional nutritional ingredients, which are in constant demand
supplements in daily life, which has led to an year-round. Secondly, its production capability needs
explosive growth in the worldwide nutraceutical to keep up the pace to meet the delivery deadlines of
market, than was initially anticipated. The customers. Sami-Sabinsa, the largest exporter of natural
prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic has further nutraceuticals in India, is strongly committed to building
propelled the demand for nutritional supplements. a sustainable and responsible supply chain to fulfil its
customer expectations. This is quite evident from the
On the back of this strong demand outlook and repeat orders from our loyal customers and year-on-year
to gain more market share, Sami-Sabinsa Group client additions.
and numerous other nutraceutical companies in
India are attempting to spread their global footprint and Taking on the Challenges of Sustainability:
further broaden their product offerings.
(a) Plant resource-based raw material sustainability:
Sami-Sabinsa is burgeoning its presence globally, Sami-Sabinsa ensures raw material sustainability
and the volume demand from its existing customers
is on the rise, constantly. To fulfil customer needs, the through its proven contract farming model and by
company has to ensure that there is a sustainable supply identifying more new habitats for cultivating selected
medicinal plants.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Nutra Ingredients 33

Contract Farming Model: Sami-Sabinsa Group is species in this region.
a pioneer in the ‘contract farming’ of medicinal plants  Previously, Sami-Sabinsa has worked with the
in India, and for almost two decades the company has
made significant strides in this field. With the contract Ministry of Meghalaya to develop models of
farming model, Sami-Sabinsa has successfully introduced cultivation of medicinal plants in the state and
Coleus forskohlii for commercial cultivation, which was provide training to the local farmers.
otherwise known to grow in the wild. Through years  Outside India, Sami-Sabinsa also entered into a
of persistent efforts, Sami-Sabinsa has established a partnership agreement with a private company in the
significant network of farmers to cultivate different year 2021, to produce particular medicinal plants in
medicinal plants like turmeric, coleus, tulsi, etc. over an Vietnam.
area of 20,000 acres in different states in India. Sami-  Reforestation of Medicinal Trees: In Madhya
Sabinsa considers farmers as its partners, and to meet Pradesh, Sami-Sabinsa has committed to funding
the growing demand for its products, the company a 10-year reforestation project that will ensure the
keeps adding to its farmer network year on year. Sami- planting of more than 1,66,600 Indian Kino trees
Sabinsa offers the farmers the desired quality planting (Pterocarpus marsupium). This reforestation effort
material to raise crops and the technical know-how is the first attempt by the industry to conserve
for cultivation and post-harvest management of the this high-value species, which has been declared
produce. The returns to the farmers are maximised ‘near threatened’. Sami-Sabinsa has entered into an
by assuring and granting them a Mutually Agreed MoU with Madhya Pradesh Rajya Van Vikas Nigam,
Price. To ensure the right quality raw material supply M.P. for the implementation of the project. So far,
from farmers, Sami-Sabinsa trains its farmers in Good 50,000 trees have been successfully planted and
Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Field Collection Sami-Sabinsa will spend over Rs 5 crore towards
Practices (GFCP) developed by the World Health the cultivation of this high-value endangered
Organization (WHO) for medicinal plants. Through medicinal tree. This reforestation effort has won the
Contract Farming of medicinal plants, in the year 2022, NutraIngredients-USA Editors Award for industry
Coleus forskohlii alone is cultivated on about 4,000 acres initiative of the Year 2018.
of land in Southern India.
(b) Boosting Production Capability to Meet Demand:
Additional Habitat Identification: Sami-Sabinsa Sami-Sabinsa Group is a leading producer of
is constantly identifying additional natural habitats
and working on reforestation programmes for growing nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, standardised herbal
selected species of medicinal plants, which helps extracts, fine chemicals, specialty chemicals, probiotics
the company to meet its current and near future raw and enzymes. The company manufactures its products
material requirements. The company works along with as per global standards at its seven state-of-the-art
Union and State Ministries, Forest Departments, Farmer manufacturing facilities located in Bengaluru, Hyderabad
Groups, and NGO’s for the implementation of the project. and Utah (USA). The company caters to customers
majorly in the USA, Germany, Australia, Canada, China,
 In the recently concluded ‘Global AYUSH Investment India, Japan, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil,
& Innovation Summit 2022’, Sami-Sabinsa signed UAE and Vietnam.
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the farmers in Kupwara district, through the J&K To fast-track production and cater to the increasing
Medicinal Plants Board for the cultivation of high- demand and introduce new product lines, Sami-Sabinsa
altitude medicinal plants. The MoU will ensure the is coming up with its additional state-of-the-art
sustainability of the endangered medicinal plant, Greenfield facility at Hassan in Karnataka, to produce
Picrorhiza kurroa (commonly known as ‘Kutki’) nutraceutical ingredients. The company has invested Rs
that goes into the production of the nutraceutical 300 crore in this facility that sprawls over an area of more
ingredients. than 25 acres with two units. In the fourth quarter of
2022, the facility's first phase will be operational.
 Earlier this year, Sami-Sabinsa entered an MoU with
an NGO, Manav Sadhan Vikas Sanstha (MSVS) in In order to maintain our position as a renowned
Madhya Pradesh for the plantation of Garcinia indica global leader in the production of nutraceutical
(commonly known as Kokum) in the Konkan region ingredients, Sami-Sabinsa Group believes that
of Western India. Kokum is a fruit-bearing plant that sustainability in the sourcing of desired raw materials,
is gaining importance in the nutraceutical industry. and manufacturing ingredients in accordance with
Sami-Sabinsa is eyeing large-scale plantations of this globally recognised standards, is the key to customer
satisfaction and business scalability.

34 Food Packaging NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Satyanarayana How Ban on SUP
Kandukuri, is Turning a Boon
for Food Packaging
Food Processing Innovators
Practice Lead, Sathguru
Management Consultants

India produced approximately 3.47 million tonnes of industry like candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, wrapping
plastic waste in 2019-20 with the per capita waste or packaging films around sweet boxes of less than
growing from 700 gms to 2500 gms over the last five 100-micron thickness, plastic plates, cups, glasses,
years. Only 60 per cent of plastic waste gets collected cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws and trays.
for recycling and recovery in India. The balance 40 The banned items form only a miniscule part of the SUP
per cent plastic waste remains uncollected and enters industry, with Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
the environment directly as waste. The Ministry of packaging having the largest share, but this ban could
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), pave the way for more directives in future, to manage
notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment SUP waste in the country.
Rules on August 12, 2021, which prohibited the use of
identified single-use plastic (SUP) items with low utility For the ban to be effective however, there is a
and high littering potential w.e.f. from July 1, 2022. The need for sustainable and viable alternatives to SUPs.
banned SUPs include several items used by the food Currently, there’s a gap in ways and means of replacing
SUPs in India, with several players resorting to imports

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Food Packaging 35

of SUP alternatives, as the ban comes into effect. The Many of these materials may require industrial compost
industry has not been able to carry out R&D to develop facilities, where temperatures can be maintained at 60°C
affordable solutions within the time frame for phasing for composting. Oxo-degradable/ oxydegradable plastics
out SUPs. There are over 30,000 units that produce are conventional plastics with an additive included to
plastic materials in India and nearly 90 per cent of help them break down into smaller fragments, but these
these units are Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises could lead to release of microplastics in the environment.
(MSMEs), that need technical and financial support in
transitioning to alternatives. Moreover, the time frame Requirements and standards
for analysis of biodegradable plastics, as per the latest While developing SUP alternatives to be used in food
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) deadline released close
to the ban date, is two and a half years. Moreover, there packaging and other applications, the key requirements
is a gap in manufacturing capacities of alternatives to include:
the SUPs and the supply chains for their raw materials  Biodegradability/ compostability without negative
also need to be streamlined. Currently, commercially
produced biodegradable polymers and bioplastics environmental impact (like release of microplastics).
include Polylactic acid (PLA), Polybutylene adipate  Stability & durability during use
terephthalate (PBAT), Polybutylene succinate (PBS) and  Non-toxic and safe for food
Poly hydroxy alkanoates (PHA). Presently, there are no  Biodegradability testing and waste management
significant manufacturers of biodegradable plastics in
India and there is an immediate need for commercial In the draft Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules
manufacturing of resin as well as monomers to cater to 2022 and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
the demand for biodegradable plastics as an alternative guidelines, it has been mentioned that Biodegradable
to resin for SUP applications. Plastics should be certified as per the standards
published by the BIS. The determination of the degree of
Available SUP alternatives degradability and degree of disintegration of materials
Paper, wood, fibre & pulp-based products as shall be as per the protocols and appropriate standards
developed by BIS and certified by the Central Pollution
well as bioplastics have emerged as a popular and Control Board (CPCB). The compostable plastic materials
environment-friendly alternative for the banned SUPs. developed shall conform to the Indian Standard: IS
The usage of SUP alternatives can reduce plastic use, but 17088:2008 titled Specifications for Compostable
some of them may have challenges/ limitations in use, Plastics. Recently the BIS has released its provisional
recyclability or may have higher environmental impact. standard for assessment of biodegradability of plastics
In one of the life cycle assessment studies, the single use under varied conditions.
plastic straw had nearly half the energy demand of PLA
straws (made of material derived from plant sugars) and SUP alternatives in food industry
paper straws; and the Global Warming Potential of PLA Paper straws are commonly used as an alternative
straws and paper straws was nearly three times more
than the plastic straw. to plastic straws due to their availability and relatively
lower cost. Most Indian beverage players had started
There is also some confusion created by using production of juice packs with integrated paper straws
the names bioplastics, biodegradable plastics and to meet the SUP ban deadline and plan to move to
compostable plastics interchangeably. Bioplastics PLA-based straws. Paper straws have several drawbacks
include materials that are either bio-sourced or leading to poor consumer experience. These include
biodegradable or both, and are made from renewable softening/ becoming soggy in beverages and releasing
biomass resources. Biodegradable plastics (E.g. polylactic the flavour of damp paper. Any attempts to coat the
acid) are plastics, other than compostable plastics, which paper can affect the taste of drinks and the degradability
undergo complete degradation by biological processes of paper straws. There is a pressing need to address the
under ambient environmental conditions, without limitations with paper straws and in response, several
creating negative environmental impacts. Biodegradable innovative straws have been launched in the market.
plastics are recyclable and both aerobic as well as German company H.B. Fuller has created a high-
anaerobic biodegradable plastics are available. Whereas, performance food grade adhesive Swifttak 5730 that is
compostable plastics (E.g. BASF’s Ecoflex) are plastics designed to last more than three hours of submergence
that undergo degradation by biological processes to in various beverages, without becoming soggy and
produce carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds interfering with the taste of the beverage. Matrix Pack,
and biomass that can be beneficial to the environment. Germany, reduces the plastics with paper straws for use
in beverage cartons, wrapped in paper material.

Edible straws or environmentally friendly material

36 Food Packaging NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

drinking straws are trending globally. Sweden-based towards alternatives, R&D, as well as manufacturing
Ooble Innovations has developed 100 per cent plant- of sustainable substitutes. SUP manufacturers need
based, edible straws that are available in different financial support through grants, loans and tax benefits
flavours and nutrition profiles. Made of flours and to incentivise investments in R&D and to promote
fibres, these straws last for three days once opened adoption of alternatives. Capacity building workshops
and for 30 minutes in liquid. The company plans to for MSME units are being organised to provide them
provide customisation of straws intended for certain technical assistance for manufacturing SUP alternatives
demographics like children or the elderly. Loliware, a with the involvement of CPCB/SPCBs along with the
US company focused on replacing SUPs with seaweed- Ministry of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises and
derived technologies ‘Designed to Disappear’, has Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering (CIPET).
developed seaweed-based edible straws that can be The Government of India is taking steps to promote
soaked in drinks for more than 24 hours. South Korea- innovation and to develop an ecosystem for accelerated
based Yeonjigonji has developed drinking straws made adoption and availability of SUP alternatives across
from rice and cassava that can remain in hot drinks the country. The MoEF&CC, had conducted the “India
for two hours. Similarly, Italian company Stroodles Plastic Challenge - Hackathon 2021” inviting startups,
has developed a pasta straw made from wheat. Paper entrepreneurs, and students to develop innovative
straws can be used as a temporary solution, but better solutions to mitigate plastic pollution and to develop
alternatives need to be developed in the long run, alternatives to SUPs. Zero Circle Plastic Alternatives,
as increased usage of paper-based straws can lead which provides seaweed-based packaging solutions and
to increased resource (like forests) consumption and Dharaksha Eco Solutions, which specialises in packaging
emission of pollutants during paper processing. PLA material made from crop stubble waste, were the
straws are a superior alternative to paper straws, as they winners in identifying solutions that eliminate SUPs. The
can withstand temperatures from -10°C to 80°C and have Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Polymers has been
better consumer experience, resource conservation, established at the IIT Guwahati, through the support of
and are cheaper than paper straws. Australia-based Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC),
Greenpack provides corn starch PLA packaging, suitable with the mandate to develop biodegradable plastics
for food and beverages. and related products, for use in Indian industry. ITC has
partnered with Invest India to crowdsource innovative
Some players have developed innovative products ideas for SUP substitution through compostable food
as alternatives to plastic cutlery and utensils using the delivery solutions, using molded fibre packaging
agri-residue waste or by-products. Yash Pakka, an Indian based on wood fibre, agri-waste, recyclable and/
venture, manufactures 100 per cent compostable and or compostable barrier coatings for the papers and
biodegradable tableware Chuk (bowls, plates, food paperboards category. They also sought ideas on
trays, containers) sourced from waste sugarcane fibre. automated waste segregation processes with smart
Stroodles, Italy, has created plates and bowls from 100 technology-based solutions.
per cent wheat bran and several players have launched
cups and bowls made from seaweeds. Utopia Plastix Private sector investment in research for eco-friendly
has developed a plant-based resin that imitates plastics, SUP alternatives can be leveraged through public-
but is durable, biodegradable, compostable, and private partnerships. Indian plastic manufacturers
recyclable. The company supplies resin to manufacturers can collaborate with leading research institutions and
producing straws, cutlery, and food packaging. DRDO centres of excellence for R&D, to develop technologies
& Hyderabad-based Ecolastic Products, have jointly for biodegradable materials for a wide range of
developed technology to make compostable plastics applications. There is a greater need for a wider
that can produce starch-based compostable bags/films. partnership platform uniting various stakeholders
Ecolastic also manufactures biodegradable pellets (raw including developers, manufacturers, recyclers, trade
materials for making end products) in India. CPCB has associations, municipalities, policymakers, and NGOs to
certified over 150 compostable plastic manufacturers, develop and support scalable innovations. An example
making a wide range of products, including films, bags, of one such initiative is ‘Composting Consortium’
cutlery items, straws, gloves, etc. The installed capacity launched in the USA by the Center for the Circular
of the compostable plastics in India is estimated to be Economy at Closed Loop Partners. More consumer
300,000 TPA. awareness should be created to sensitise them about the
need and benefits in shifting to biodegradable plastics
Supporting innovations and the importance of segregating various kinds of
The MSMEs need to be supported in transitioning waste for effective waste management.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Speaking with 37

“We are currently Praneeth Tripurari,
partnering with
Indian research Marketing Director,
Tetra Pak South Asia
institutes to study
recycling of cartons”

With an ambition to deliver the world's most including Borrisoleigh Bottling Ltd (BBL) in Ireland, Cido
sustainable food package, made solely of responsibly- Grupa in the Baltics, LY Company Group and Lactalis
sourced, renewable or recycled materials, fully Puleva in Spain and Weihenstephan in Germany.
recyclable and carbon-neutral, Swedish-Swiss Following the successful completion of a 15-month
multinational food packaging and processing commercial technology validation of a polymer-based
company Tetra Pak is taking multiple initiatives to barrier replacing the aluminium layer, Tetra Pak also
secure food safety and availability, while reducing the moved to the next level of development – testing a fibre-
impact on our planet. Praneeth Tripurari, Marketing based barrier, that is a first within food carton packages
Director, Tetra Pak South Asia, spoke to nuFFooDS distributed under ambient conditions.
Spectrum about the company’s sustainability plans
encompassing their entire value chain. Edited excerpts; Meanwhile, the Indian market has seen the advent of
many new and interesting categories, including ready-
How has Tetra Pak advanced towards to-drink Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), immunity
achieving its net-zero goals during FY
21-22? What were the key highlights - for boosting beverages, value-added dairy products,
the Indian market & globally? What are as well as ethnic drinks such as Amla / Giloy
the major plans in store for FY 22-23? juice. There have also been a couple of
particularly interesting new launches in
As a company, Tetra Pak made this market, including a new range of
significant progress over the last year. flavoured milk in Tetra Brik Aseptic 90
Global highlights included the launch of Ultra (TBA 90U)– the first launch for TBA
tethered caps on carton packages, joining 90U in the world. We have also launched
forces with leading beverage producers the first ever made-in-India holographic
packaging for Tetra Pak, which is being

38 Speaking with NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

manufactured at Chakan, near Pune. difficult-to-reach areas in North & North East India.
However, we are keen to evolve and adapt, taking
Could you elaborate on the company’s breakthrough
into account rapidly changing scenarios and growing in developing fibre-based barriers to replace the
expectations from customers, society and regulators. aluminium layer, which Tetra Pak claims is a first within
food carton packages under ambient conditions.
Tetra Pak has recently joined hands with India’s
Reliance-owned Milkbasket. How does the company The new fibre-based barrier is composed of paper
plan to bolster the concept of sustainable food and barriers. Engineered combinations of paper and
packaging in India? barriers serve to secure the necessary barrier to light and
oxygen, to protect the content inside the package. This is
The partnership with Milkbasket simplifies the one of the key roles of the aluminium layer in our current
process of carton recycling for consumers. Milkbasket ambient portfolio. Early results suggest that the package
users can simply put in a pick-up request along with with a fibre-based barrier will offer substantial CO2
their usual grocery delivery order through the app, and reduction when compared to traditional aseptic cartons,
leave the used cartons in the Milkbasket bag outside together with comparable shelf life and food protection
their door. While dropping off the groceries, the delivery properties. We believe this development will therefore
agent will then pick up these used cartons and take act as a breakthrough in reducing the climate impact of
them back to a central hub. From here, the cartons will the packaging.
be channelled to the nearest recycler with Tetra Pak’s
support. This initiative brings together Milkbasket’s Moreover, the fibre-based barrier increases the
strengths in distribution and logistics, with Tetra Pak’s attractiveness of carton packages for paper mills,
understanding of the collection and recycling ecosystem, because of higher renewable content, as the aluminium
to accelerate recycling of used cartons. We have kicked layer is removed and replaced by a fibre-based barrier.
off the partnership with a pilot project in the National We believe that this concept presents clear potential for
Capital Region (NCR), and hope to scale it to other areas realising a low carbon, circular economy for packaging.
over time. It also supports end-user expectations. Based on recent
global research, approximately 40 per cent consumers
In addition to this latest partnership, we run several confirmed they would be more motivated to sort
other consumer awareness initiatives across India, e.g., for recycling, if packages were made entirely from
Go Green with Tetra Pak in Mumbai, Alag Karo Teen Bin paperboard and had no plastic or aluminium.
in NCR, Take Me Back in Chennai, and more. In addition,
we have invested in building a collection and recycling
ecosystem from scratch over the past 18 years in India.
Today, we work with over 30 collection partners and
4 recyclers, covering 26 states and union territories of
India. However, sustainable food packaging goes beyond
just recycling and there is a strong need for consumers
and other stakeholders to understand this. Our cartons
are already over 70 per cent paper-based, Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and recyclable, which
is a great starting point on our journey to developing the
world’s most sustainable package.

What are the current challenges facing the food
packaging industry in India? How is Tetra Pak
addressing those?

There is an urgent need to maintain a balance
between food safety & sustainability, and we believe that
one should not be at the cost of the other. For a country
like India, it is important for the packaging to be robust,
ensuring it can travel long distances without the need for
a cold-chain. This is where our aseptic cartons play a vital
role in ensuring that safe food can be made available
across the length and breadth of the country, including
to the Indian Army contingents based in the most

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Speaking with 39

Please also shed some light on the recent partnership production, fermentation, combined with some of the
with India’s Warana Dairy on launching the first Made- newest and most advanced technologies.
in-India holographic packaging for Tetra Pak?
Tetra Pak’s relationship with Mycorena dates back
This innovative packaging concept, called Tetra Pak to 2019 and forms part of the company’s drive to
Reflect, has been launched in partnership with Warana, build an innovation ecosystem that helps open new
a leading co-operative dairy, for its 1 litre Ghee (clarified opportunities in the areas of food safety, availability and
butter) packs. The artistic package is designed to help sustainability.
food and beverage brands add a new eye-catching
dimension to their packs. It is the first time for Tetra Far from a standalone venture, Tetra Pak’s innovation
Pak that the holographic packaging material will be network includes a number of startups in various
produced at Tetra Pak’s manufacturing site in Chakan, countries such as Sweden, France and the US, amongst
Maharashtra. Ghee is an intrinsic part of the Indian others. While this may be Tetra Pak’s first greenfield
kitchen, and we are pleased to partner with Warana plant within the new food-fermentation category, it has
Dairy in bringing safe, authentic, high-quality ghee to been investing in the development of this technology
the discerning Indian consumers, using our state-of- – including biomass to precision fermentation.
the-art packaging and processing technology. We are Furthermore, as a company, it is already well-versed in
proud that the Tetra Pak Reflect packaging material is the alternative-proteins field, working with the likes of
now being made in India, making it a truly local for local Tebrito, an insect protein startup.
offering. In addition to Warana ghee, Amul ghee is also
now available in this special holographic packaging. What are your views on the industry-academia
collaboration in accelerating innovation for the future
How is Tetra Pak supporting the food ingredients of food? Does Tetra Pak have such collaborations? What
industry in India & globally, particularly in the plant- are your thoughts on partnering with Indian research
based protein space? institutes?

We are committed to addressing the challenges Tetra Pak has been an early advocate of forming and
around food safety and security, through the exploration strengthening links between academia and industry,
and advancement of innovative food sources. Tetra Pak and we have several long-standing relationships with
is using its deep understanding of food production universities and the sites in their vicinity.
to support food and beverage manufacturers on this
journey – using one of the oldest processes in food These partnerships expose the people at Tetra
Pak to new areas and research, and encourage the
discovery of solutions to existing challenges. However,
these partnerships have mutual benefits. Tetra Pak’s
market insight is also valuable to improving researchers’
understanding of real-world needs, providing them with
data, feedback and guidance that can advance research
from the theoretical to the practical.

Partnerships include one with Lund University, where
we’re working collaboratively on sustainable plastics
solutions to address the impact of plastics throughout
their lifecycle.

In Northern Italy, too, Tetra Pak has links with the
University of Bologna and the University of Modena
and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE). Tetra Pak is involved with
two world-class research groups at UNIMORE, AImage
Lab (which covers AI and computer vision) and High-
Performance Real-Time Laboratory (HiPeRT) (which
works with autonomous real-time systems and vehicles).

We are currently partnering with Indian research
institutes to study the collection and recycling of
cartons, and we are always open to expanding relevant
partnerships.

Mansi Jamsudkar
([email protected])

40 Speaking with NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Chaitanya Jaipuria, “We are planning
to invest over
Director- Watergen India $50M in 2-3 years
to strengthen our
presence in India.”

Israel-based company Watergen has recently safe drinking water scarcity in India, by offering the
brought its water-from-air technology products most innovative and unlimited source of generating
to India, through a joint venture with New Delhi- fresh, clean and safe water from air. Using its energy-
based SMV Jaipuria Group. Through this partnership, efficient and cost-effective technology, the company
the companies plan to introduce the Atmospheric intends to eliminate carbon-intensive supply chains and
Water Generators (AWG) product category in India, environmentally-harmful plastic waste.
to create high quality, mineralised, safe-drinking
water. To find out more about the company’s What is the technology behind Watergen products?
growth plans, particularly in terms of sustainability, How is it sustainable and eco-friendly for the
nuFFooDS Spectrum got in touch with Chaitanya environment?
Jaipuria, Director- Watergen India. Edited excerpts;
Watergen’s technology extracts water from the air,
Could you please elaborate on the vision behind by enabling the purified air to move fast into its globally
Watergen and how it can contribute to solving India’s patented GENius system in a significantly short time,
clean drinking water problem? ensuring greater efficiency; thus using less energy. It is
a unique, energy-efficient heat exchange module that
India is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe uses condensation as a means of producing fresh water.
drinking water- rivers are drying up and groundwater Watergen provides a highly scalable and customisable
levels are depleting. People in various places across India drinking water solution for a wide range of daily
have been struggling and risking their lives to get access quantities, configured to any production size. Using this
to clean, drinking water. A study has revealed that large technology, not only can Watergen supply fresh, clean
swathes of north-western and southern India will have drinking water to an entire town or village but can also
“critically low groundwater availability” by 2025. The be scaled down to supply enough premium drinking
country is further projected to face severe water stress
by 2050. Watergen aims to solve the pressing issue of

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Speaking with 41

water for schools, hotels, hospitals, parks, resorts, 2.5 lakh. Watergen’s vision is to provide access for every
construction sites, temporary localities, residential man, woman and child around the world, to fresh, clean
buildings, homes, offices and any other place where and safe drinking water. Currently we are determined to
drinking water is required. Its plug-and-play technology make Watergen’s revolutionary technology available all
can be easily installed using a standard electricity over the world, India being one of the key markets. With
connection or any alternative energy sources. With Watergen’s continuous efforts in partnership with SMV
devices deployed in more than 90+ countries around the Jaipuria Group, we are determined to help reduce water
world, Watergen eliminates the need for infrastructure, stress and scarcity, while ensuring availability of quality,
transporting water and its commuting traffic, which safe drinking water. We will continue to grow with the
eventually reduces plastic waste and eradicates carbon- increasing demand and as we scale up.
intensive water supply systems.
Who are your competitors in the Indian market?
How is the water created from air through Watergen, At Watergen, we believe in innovative technology
different from what we get in RO purifiers and other
alternatives? that makes our consumers' life simpler and more
convenient. India is amongst our top three strategic
At the heart of Watergen’s product line lies the markets and together with our partner, we are
unique, patented GENius heat exchange technology. It determined to provide safe mineralised drinking water to
enables the air around us to turn into pure, fresh drinking every individual, across geographies and demographics.
water – energy-efficiently. We are here to provide a Through our patented GENius technology, we are
solution to a larger problem of drinking water scarcity. By fully geared to cater to the increasing industrial and
using its patented heat-exchange technology, Watergen consumer demand for better quality water in India.
can supply fresh, clean drinking water to an entire town While AWGs are on the rise in the country, we are proud
or village, or it can be scaled down to supply enough to say that we are the only company to have a patented
premium drinking water for private homes and office technology that promises safe drinking water at Relative
spaces. The technology captures moisture from the air, Humidity starting as low as 15 per cent.
filters out any dirt and extracts the water from the air’s
humidity (they are most efficient when humidity levels What are the company's major plans for FY 22-23? How
are above 35%). Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) much growth are you expecting in the Indian market?
eliminate heavy metals, particles, biological organisms,
volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOC, We are planning to invest more than $50 million in
SVOC) remaining in the harvested water, and then add the next 2-3 years to further strengthen our presence in
minerals that are essential to the water’s “drinkability”, India. Furthermore, we intend to build a manufacturing
such as calcium and magnesium – (water without plant in the country to support the Government’s “Make
proper mineral balance doesn’t taste “natural”). AWG in India” initiative. Hopefully soon we will also partner
technologies then cool, circulate and maintain water with a local university in India that will help us do
quality at a low temperature of 5° – 7° Celsius. The water research on atmospheric water in India to better modify
is kept continuously fresh and made available directly the product for the Indian market.
at points of need. Watergen’s products are energy-
efficient and cost-effective as they can produce up to 5 Are you planning to collaborate with the government
litres of fresh drinking water, through water extraction to make clean drinking water available across the
using 1 KWH. The company’s technology also facilitates country?
significant water production in climates with humidity
as low as 20 per cent. Watergen acts as a new source As the population in India increasingly struggles to
of water, as it creates a completely new drinking water access clean, natural water, our partner - SMV Jaipuria
source from the air around us, thereby preserving the Group and Watergen’s innovative technology can
natural water sources, adding water to the world. provide a game-changing solution. This joint venture
is a step towards empowering the people of India with
What is the price range of these products? Are you access to the most essential necessity for survival i.e.,
planning to launch more products in India? water. We are confident that with Watergen, we will be
able to make safe and highest quality drinking water
The company has a wide range of Watergen accessible to people from the most remote rural village
products, consisting of: Genny, Gen-M1, GEN-M Pro, and communities to commercial office buildings and private
Gen-L. With their capacities ranging from 30 to 6,000 homes.
litres per day, the pricing of these products starts from Rs
Dr Manbeena Chawla
([email protected])

42 Partner content NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Romane Maillet, How a Balanced
Gut Microbiota
Product Manager, Lallemand Enhances Overall
Health Solutions Wellbeing

Gastrointestinal health represents the first area of probiotic and prebiotic.
clinical evidence for probiotics and despite the offer These results paired with the growing consumer
diversification, digestive health remains the first reason
to buy probiotics. Probiotics for gut health have well- demand for clinically proven innovative solutions, opens
defined modes of action as they interact with the gut, the the door to further explore the complementary actions and
Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and the Enteric potential synergy of probiotics and prebiotics. Therefore,
Nervous System (ENS). The consumer’s increasing Lallemand Health Solutions and FrieslandCampina
awareness about the capital role the intestinal microflora Ingredients have recently joined forces to launch PRO-
plays in the body reflects in their buying behaviours. 37 Digest Health Shot which combines 5 billion CFU
per cent of Indian probiotic consumers stated they are per serving of B. lactis Lafti B94 with five grams of
aware of the beneficial effects of probiotics to support FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Biotis GOS. Lafti B94
gut health, 74 per cent of them use probiotics to aid supports a healthy microflora, reinforces gut barrier
the digestive system and 47 per cent to prevent bowel integrity, aids abdominal comfort, relieves bloating and
problems. occasional constipation. As per Biotis GOS, a dairy-
derived prebiotic, it has been shown to influence the
Lallemand Health Solutions offers documented balance of the gut microbiota, producing beneficial
probiotic supplements to support a healthy and effects on gut health, alleviating gut discomfort,
balanced gut microbiome, from babies to elders. constipation, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Its range of Expert’Biotic solutions show beneficial
effects on microflora balance, occasional diarrhoea and The partnership also led to further combinations,
sporadic constipation. namely PRO-Digest Bowel Support, which contains L.
paracasei HA-196 and Biotis GOS to improve quality of
Probiotic and Prebiotics for Daily Gut Comfort life in adults with IBS-like symptoms, helping with bowel
Lallemand Health Solutions studied how probiotics frequency in occasional diarrhoea and/or constipation.
Moreover, Canadian authorities confirmed recently that
might work synergistically with prebiotics to inspire L. paracasei HA-196 helps support healthy bowel habits
new product innovations. In a clinical trial, the probiotic in adults with IBS. This claim is an outcome of a study
strain B. lactis Lafti B94 was analysed with or without [Lewis, 2020] performed in Canada on 251 adults with
inulin in 71 children and teenagers (4-to-16-year-old) different IBS subtypes and showing positive results of
during a four-week experiment. The participants were L. paracasei HA-196 on quality of life and frequency of
enrolled based on ROME III criteria (Irritable Bowel bowel movements.
Syndrome (IBS)) and randomised to take twice a day,
either a prebiotic (inulin), a probiotic (B. lactis Lafti B94) A Highly Documented Probiotic for Serious Gut
or a synbiotic (both inulin and Lafti B94). The outcomes Conditions
showed significant improvements in the synbiotic group,
demonstrating that there was a synergy between the Lallemand Health Solutions probiotic formula
IBacilluS+, composed of two safe and strong bacteria
strains Enterococcus faecium Rosell-26 and Bacillus
subtilis Rosell-179, is another highly documented

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Partner content 43

A Formula for a Resilient
Gut Microbiome

Lacidofil, developed approximately
30 years ago by Lallemand Health
Solutions, is a unique combination
of two proprietary lactobacilli
strains, L. rhamnosus Rosell-11
and L. helveticus Rosell-52 proven
to support and maintain the
digestive microflora. Both the
finished product formulation
and the individual strains have
been extensively researched
over the years. The primary area
of application of Lacidofil is gut
health and includes several positive
studies in occasional diarrhoea and
the support of the microflora, in
both children and adults.

probiotic for serious gut conditions with over 70 clinical Probiotics for Food Applications
studies including about 6000 participants. IBacilluS+
has shown in published meta-analyses that it can Consumer awareness and demand for healthier
increase the remission rate and maintenance in patients ingredients in foodstuffs is increasing. 69 per cent of
with ulcerative colitis and increase overall treatment Indian probiotic consumers stated they take probiotics
effectiveness in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome as part of an everyday or balanced diet. Functional non-
including reduction in abdominal pain and diarrhoea dairy foods and beverages with specific probiotics for
symptoms. Recently, it has been demonstrated and health benefits have been growing as a category around
affirmed by Health Canada that IBacilluS+ after proton the world.
pump inhibitor can extend the period between relapses
in patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) and reduces the Lallemand Health Solutions is now offering
risk of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in probiotics for food applications, such as its most robust
patients with RE. and stable strain Bacillus subtilis Rosell-179. The
viability and survivability of B. subtilis Rosell-179 has
Time-Tested Yeast for Gut Health Benefits been successfully tested in several extreme conditions.
For example, this bacterial strain was added in a healthy
Lallemand Health Solutions also propose the S. bread recipe, directly in the dough, and it showed great
boulardii probiotic yeast, an ingredient renowned to survival rates in the bread at room temperature after 14
support gastrointestinal health. S. boulardii is a unique days. Even at high baking temperatures, the probiotic
type of probiotic, acknowledged for decades, with one dose remained well over 1B per 100/g serving. This
major difference: it’s a yeast, not a bacterium. This demonstrates the potential to add B. subtilis Rosell-179
unique probiotic yeast has been analysed in over 100 in many foodstuffs such as baked goods, breads,
clinical studies with a focus on its gut health benefits and cookies, bars, dry mixes, and also beverage, kombucha,
it has gained recognition from the scientific community. soda and juice. Lallemand Health Solutions exclusive
A safe and reliable probiotic, S. boulardii is suitable for microencapsulation protective technology, Probiocap,
the whole family, from babies and children to adults and is a shielding process for probiotic bacteria allowing
seniors. an integration in foodstuff as they can support transient
compression and some (limited) heat exposure.

44 People news NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

FSSAI re-nominates George Cheriyan to its CAC

George Cheriyan, Director of Jaipur-based 2021. Presently Cheriyan is also a member
consumer advocacy group Consumer Unity & of the Food Hygiene, Safety Management
Trust Society (CUTS) has been re-nominated and Other Systems Sectional Committee
to the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) (FAD15) of the Bureau of Indian Standards
of the Food Safety and Standards Authority (BIS). He is a member of the Central
of India (FSSAI) for a period of 3 years, as a Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA),
member from the consumer segment. This is since 2007. Cheriyan represented CUTS in
the third time that CUTS is getting nominated the Council of Consumers International (CI),
to CAC of FSSAI. Cheriyan represented CUTS a global voice of consumers, headquartered
in the CAC during 2014-19. He was also in London, during 2015-19. He received the
a member of the FSSAI during 2021-22. prestigious Rhoda Karpatkin International
Cheriyan was actively involved in the Eat Right India Consumer Award for 2013 for significant contributions
campaign and also in the campaign to eliminate to the welfare of consumers on the international stage
industrially produced trans-fats from India. At present, as an internationally renowned consumer leader.
he is spearheading the campaign for an effective He has published a number of articles on the issues
Front of the Pack Labelling (FoPL) warning label and a related to food safety in leading national news dailies,
member of Stakeholders Group on FoPL of FSSAI, since news magazines, journals and periodicals.

Sanjay Agarwal is new
ADG of ICRISAT

Sanjay Agarwal from the Indian Administrative Service,

who is currently the Chair of the Government of India’s (GoI)

Committee on Minimum Support Price, joins the International

Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),

Mohit Burman as its new Assistant Director General. While serving as the

replaces Amit Secretary in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare,

Burman as Dabur GoI, Agarwal was also an ex-officio member of the ICRISAT

India Chairman Governing Board from 2018 to 2022. ICRISAT’s leadership has

FMCG giant Dabur has announced that Amit acknowledged Agarwal’s immense contribution to not only
Burman's resignation as Chairman with effect
from August 10, 2022 has been accepted by the institute but for being instrumental in delivering India’s
the board. Burman will keep his position as
a non-executive director for the business. National Year of Millets 2018 – a move which has contributed
Burman took over as the chief executive
officer (CEO) of Dabur Foods in 1999 when to 2023 being designated as the International
the company forayed into the processed
food business. After the merger of Dabur Year of Millets, by the United Nations.
Foods and Dabur India in 2007, Burman
became the Vice Chairman of Dabur India. Agarwal is a 1984-batch Indian
In 2019, he took charge as the Chairman of
Dabur India Limited. The board has approved Administrative Service officer of
Mohit Burman's appointment as the board's
non-executive chairman for a five-year term the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He has
beginning on August 11, 2022.
over 37 years of experience in

administration and public policy,

including in the areas of women

and children’s development,

rural cooperatives, handicrafts/

textiles, agricultural research,

infrastructure, extension

and education in various

capacities with the

state government of

Uttar Pradesh and the

central government.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in academics News 45

IRRI inks pact with universities to Yakult Danone
speed agri-food education in India India inks
strategic MoU
To enhance cooperation in agricultural/ food research and education in India, the with NIFTEM,
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), headquartered in the Philippines, has Kundli
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chaudhary Charan Singh
(CCS) Haryana Agricultural University and Annamalai University. These MoUs With a view to collaborate
will strengthen the partnership between IRRI and both universities to promote with well-entrenched partners
to propel the benefits of
and accelerate the progress of research and probiotics, globally acclaimed
training in various disciplines of agricultural probiotic drink manufacturer
and food research. At this strategic point Yakult Danone India has signed
in history, the need for food and nutrition a strategic Memorandum
security is greater than ever before. With a of Understanding (MoU)
rapidly growing population accompanied with premier organisation
by unsustainable use of our scarce natural National Institute of Food
resources, massive and unprecedented Technology Entrepreneurship
biodiversity losses, and growing inequalities, and Management (NIFTEM),
all compounded by changing climate, we Kundli, Sonepat, Haryana. The
must do everything we can to ensure inclusive and sustainable food system MoU entails working closely in
transformation. In order to build more resilient food systems, the institutes have the areas of education, sharing
planned to invest in research and education that will empower smallholder knowledge, promoting and
farmers to adapt and thrive in the face of climate change. Through the populating effective use of each
agreement, IRRI maintains its commitment towards working closely with CCS of their resources and exploring
Haryana Agricultural University and Annamalai University to contribute to the enhanced opportunities for
strengthening of agricultural research and education in India, and bridging the mutual interest. The MoU
gap between academic research and on-farm practice. was signed between Hiroshi
Hamada, Managing Director,
Noida Intl. Univ signs MoUs with Yakult Danone India and Prof. J.S
3 Indonesian varsities Rana, Registrar, NIFTEM at the
institute premises. The MoU will
Noida International University the fields of research, innovation, entail support and collaboration
(NIU) has signed memoranda in a wide spectrum of activities
of understanding (MoU) with academic collaboration, exchange such as skill- based training,
three Indonesian Universities internships, and industrial visits
-Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, programmes, joint publications, to the Yakult Danone India
Banten, Indonesia; Physiotherapy factory. There will also be an
School of Academy, YAB and conferences, workshops, exchange of information and
Politeknik Aisyiyah Pontianak, guidance offered to students
to focus on metabolic diseases webinars, guest lectures, short- about the recent advances in the
and nutrition research. The MoUs science of gut microbiota and
will benefit the organisations to term programmes, partnership probiotics. Additionally, both
recognise their mutual interest in parties will explore, cooperate
programmes and internship and collaborate in future
activities, which may be mutually
and training. Through these beneficial to each other.

collaborations, NIU intends

to promote trans-disciplinary

research, and student and faculty

member exchange programmes.

46 IngArceaddiemntiscNews NuFNFuoFoFDoSoDSSpeScptercutmrum| |SepMtemarbcehr22002212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Firmenich opens new Azelis and KMC partner to
facility for Food & expand food & nutrition
Beverage customers presence in NZ

Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned Azelis has announced the extension of its partnership with
fragrance and taste company founded in KMC, a specialist in providing potato-based ingredients.
Geneva, Switzerland, has unveiled its newly Effective August 1, 2022, this mandate strengthens Azelis’
completed Taste & Beyond Pilot Plant in lateral value chain in New Zealand with the addition of KMC’s
Anaheim, California, the long-standing home of portfolio of potato starches
its West Coast commercial business. The modern and proteins, broadening
facility hosts a full range of capabilities and its comprehensive food
state-of-the-art equipment specifically designed & nutrition offering and
to enhance collaboration and accelerate speed building on an existing
to market by preparing customers for scaled-up partnership in India. KMC
production. The Pilot Plant is an important part is a cooperative owned
of Firmenich’s commitment to accelerate diet by Danish starch-potato
transformation by empowering brands with farmers that grows,
the end-to-end capabilities to create enjoyable develops and produces
eating and drinking experiences that are potato-based ingredients.
healthier and more sustainable. It was designed Their innovative product
to turn around multiple prototypes and create portfolio is used in a wide variety of applications, from plant-
small scale application samples in a short based alternatives, nutrition & protein fortification, dairy
period of time for faster product innovation alternatives, to bakery and sugar confectionery. This partnership
in all product categories, including savoury, allows Azelis to offer further solutions and formulations that are
beverages and nutrition. sustainable and plant-derived, meeting current market trends
and consumer demands. Belgium-based Azelis tracks major
trends in the food industry for healthier food, offering customers
ingredients and solutions, such as vegetable and fruit powder
extracts, vitamins, fish oils, natural sugar replacing solutions like
special types of oligosaccharides, stevia and monk fruit extract.

ADM and Benson Hill partner to scale new
Ultra-High Protein soy

US-based agribusiness leader Archer derived from Benson Hill Ultra-High an exciting new frontier in taste,
Daniels Midland (ADM), specialising Protein (UHP) soybeans through an texture, nutrition, and functionality
in alternative protein & nutrition exclusive North American licensing for alternative protein solutions.When
products and solutions, announced partnership. The collaboration combined with ADM’s broad expertise
a long-term strategic partnership will scale innovative ingredients and capabilities in origination,
to scale innovative soy ingredients enabled by Benson Hill genetics applications and formulation, as well
with food tech company Benson Hill, that feature less-processed proteins as current and expanded processing
which they say will help meet the with significant water and carbon capacity for human food markets, the
rapidly growing demand for plant- sustainability benefits, representing collaboration will create a pathway
based proteins. The partnership toward commercial-scale seed-to-
will serve a variety of plant-based fork production of higher-value
food and beverage markets to meet alternative protein products. The two
savoury, sweet and dairy customer companies will jointly engage farmer
needs. Through the collaboration, partners seeking opportunities to
ADM will process and commercialise participate in the farm-to-fork food
a portfolio of proprietary ingredients revolution they are trying to advance.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in R&D News 47

Banana peel flour bakes NIANP
better cookies: AMU commercialises
milk fat
If you’re still throwing out your banana peels, don’t. Banana peels are no modulator
longer destined for the trash or compost. They’re making their way onto
people’s plates, replacing pork in‘pulled peel’sandwiches and getting fried Researchers at the Indian Council
up into vegan bacon. And now, researchers from Aligarh Muslim University of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-
(AMU) and their collaborators in the US show, that incorporating banana National Institute of Animal
peel flour into sugar cookie batter makes the treats more healthful. In taste Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP),
tests, cookies enriched with some banana peel flour were more satisfying Bengaluru have commercialised a
than those baked with wheat flour milk fat modulator- ‘OmeB’ to Gou
alone. Interest in plant-based Agritech, also based in Bengaluru,
diets and reducing food waste on a non-exclusive basis through
is increasing, and people want Agrinnovate India. The product
creative ways to use every part of OmeB has been developed
their vegetables and fruits. Banana through comprehensive research
peels are one such waste that and validated for the milk fat
chefs and home cooks have been modulation through field studies
experimenting with, but these skins in dairy animals. OmeB leads to a
are extremely fibrous, making them significant increase in the mono
unpleasant to eat raw. To make and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
banana peel flour, the researchers The product also improves the
peeled ripe, undamaged bananas and then blanched, dried and ground conjugated linoleic acids and
the skins into a fine powder. They mixed together different amounts of the omega fatty acids content of the
powder with butter, skimmed milk powder, powdered sugar, vegetable oil milk. The institute has already
and wheat flour, creating five batches of sugar cookies, and baked them. filed a patent for OmeB (No.
Because cookies can be enriched with some banana peel flour without 202211040737). Dr Raghavendra
impacting their consumer acceptance, the researchers say this addition Bhatta, Director, ICAR-NIANP,
could make these baked goods more nutritious. Bengaluru and Shabarish C.N.,
Managing Director, Gou Agritech
IASST develops smart biodegradable signed the Memorandum of
food packaging solution Agreement (MoA) on behalf of
their respective organisations
Scientists from the Guwahati-based Institute of Advanced Study in Science for the licensing, to commercial
manufacturing and sale. With the
and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of commercialisation of the product,
livestock dairy farmers can fetch
Science and Technology, have made a breakthrough in food-packaging. more income through the milk fat
modulation.
They have developed a smart biodegradable, biopolymer nanocomposite,

which can detect relative humidity. This is an eco-friendly invention

especially useful for the food industry. Two biopolymers, Guar Gum (a

variety of beans) and Alginate (obtained from brown algae), were blended

with carbon dots (nanomaterial) to make a nanocomposite film that was

successfully used to detect relative humidity.The fabricated nanocomposite

film proved to be an excellent smart sensor, based on the fluorescence

‘on-off’ mechanisms against humidity. The nanocomposite film shows

change in fluorescence in presence of high humidity. Hence, the fabricated

nanocomposite film can monitor the packed food freshness using just a UV

light source. Smart and active packaging can help consumers select

a fresh product without breaking the pack. Such

innovative packaging boosts sales

and reduces consumers’

time to identify fresh

food products.

48 R&ADcNaedwems ic News NuFNFuoFoFDoSoDSSpeScptercutmrum| |SepMtemarbcehr22002212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Sugarcane juice Colour changing stickers
& smartphones detect
in a bottle: PAU nitrite levels in foods

commercialises tech Nitrates and nitrites give processed meats their characteristic
pink colour and robust flavour. Although many consumers
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has want to limit consumption of these preservatives because the
signed a deal with Srini Farm, Chamarajanar substances can form potentially cancer-causing compounds,
district, Karnataka, for the commercialisation knowing how much is in a food has been difficult to determine.
of sugarcane juice bottling technology. Now, researchers in Europe have developed a colour-changing
Dr Pushpinder Pal Singh Pannu, on behalf film that consumers can stick onto foods and easily analyse nitrite
of the Director of Research, PAU, and levels by snapping a picture with a smartphone. The researchers
Srinidhi CV, Proprietor, Srini Farms, signed have developed a film they call “POLYSEN,” which stands for
the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). “polymeric sensor,” made of four monomers and hydrochloric
According to the memorandum, the acid. Disks punched from the material were placed on meat
University offers non-exclusive rights to the samples for 15 minutes, allowing the monomer units and acid in
firm for this technology. The sugarcane juice the film to react with nitrite in a four-step azo coupling reaction.
is thermally processed to kill microorganisms The disks were then removed and dipped in a sodium hydroxide
and increase shelf life, thereby offering a solution for one minute to develop the colour. When nitrite was
completely healthy and hygienic product present, the film’s yellowish hue deepened with higher nitrite
in comparison to the roadside vendors. levels in the food. Colour changes are then registered with a
PAU has signed 294 MoAs, out of which 16 smartphone camera. The researchers developed a smartphone
MoAs have been signed for sugarcane juice app that self-calibrates the measurement, analyses the data, and
bottling technology with various companies outputs the nitrite concentration result to the user. This allows in
across the nation. situ measurement that can easily be done by the average person.

Oil-based systems eradicate salmonella on food
production machinery: Study

Recent outbreaks of food-borne butter, because it promotes by overnight cooling and application
Salmonella have been associated microbial growth. Also, as anyone of flammable alcohol-based
with chocolate and peanut butter. who has baked peanut butter sanitising agents. In the study, the
Although Salmonella cannot cookies can tell you, peanut butter team dried Salmonella on stainless
grow in either of these low-water and water do not mix, and clean-up steel surfaces at controlled relative
foods, the cells survive, becoming with water is challenging. Instead, humidity. They then covered the
more resistant to heat treatment, manufacturers often remove residual dried bacteria with various oils with
which has contributed to recent peanut butter from manufacturing organic acids, varying the acid type,
outbreaks. New research in the US systems using heated oil, followed concentration, contact time and
suggests that oil formulations with treatment temperature to identify
food-grade organic acids can kill highly antimicrobial formulations.
dried Salmonella on stainless steel By using peanut oil mixed with
surfaces. Cleaning and sanitation acetic acid at a concentration about
of manufacturing environments half that of household vinegar and
are critical for a safe food supply. applying heat, killing was much
However, water-based cleaning is greater than expected, indicating a
rarely used in processing peanut synergistic effect.

NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in Supplier News 49

Waters advances science of
plant-based proteins

Waters Corporation has announced centre dedicated to studying plant of partnering with Waters towards
that it is providing both technology and alternative proteins. While advancing the analytical capabilities
and expertise to help advance humans produce 11 amino acids, for the alternative protein market, Dr
plant-based protein science in the remaining nine amino acids are B. Pam Ismail, Founder and Director of
collaboration with researchers of essential for human health and are the PPIC said “For translating research
the Plant Protein Innovation Centre derived only from plant or animal to reality through developing and
(PPIC) at the University of Minnesota. sources. Amino acid analysis provides introducing novel and sustainable
Waters scientists will work with PPIC a basic measure of the functional plant protein ingredients and products
researchers to develop a workflow for and nutritional value of both animal- with acceptable functionality and
measuring the amino acid content and plant-based proteins slated nutrition, PPIC relies heavily on robust
of plant-based proteins using a for consumer food products. Any and accurate analytical tools.”
Waters ACQUITY Premier UPLC research into plant-based proteins
System. Waters is the first analytical requires a way to measure their
instrument company to become a amino acid content, for which liquid
member of the PPIC, an industry- chromatography is particularly well-
leading interdisciplinary research suited. Excited by the prospects

SIG completes acquisition Stora Enso, Tetra Pak
of Evergreen Asia to recycle beverage
cartons in Benelux
Swiss packaging solutions provider SIG, has announced the
completion of its acquisition of Pactiv Evergreen Inc.’s Asia Pacific To meet growing recycling needs in Benelux
chilled carton operations (Evergreen Asia) for an enterprise value (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg),
of $335 million. The process of acquisition, started in January Stora Enso and Tetra Pak have combined forces
2022, was concluded in August. SIG is a global aseptic carton on a shared recycling solution for beverage
packaging supplier that provides packaging materials, filling cartons. The joint feasibility study includes
equipment, and after-sales services. It entered into an agreement a plan for a recycling facility at Stora Enso’s
to acquire Evergreen Asia, a leading system supplier of filling Langerbrugge site in Belgium. Each year,
approximately 75,000 tonnes of beverage
machines, cartons, closures and cartons enter the Benelux market. Of these
after-sales service in the chilled more than 70 per cent are already collected
segment, covering dairy and for recycling. However, there is no existing
non-carbonated soft drinks, with beverage carton recycling infrastructure in
production facilities in mainland Benelux. In collaboration with Tetra Pak, Stora
China, Taiwan and South Korea. Enso is launching a new recycling process
For the 12 months ended to recover the fibres of collected beverage
December 31, 2021, Evergreen cartons in the region. The recycled fibres are
Asia generated revenue of then used as source material for producing
approximately €135 million and recycled containerboard at the Langerbrugge
adjusted EBITDA of approximately €24 million. It was acquired for site, resulting in a fully circular solution. The
an enterprise value of $335 million and SIG expects to realise run- remaining polymer and aluminium materials
rate cost synergies of approximately €6 million. The acquisition will be processed and recycled by another
provides SIG new growth opportunities in Asia, where demand is dedicated partner. The proposed recycling
growing strongly especially for fresh milk in China. Evergreen Asia line in Langerbrugge will initially process an
enables SIG to further expand its existing customer relationships estimated 50,000 tonnes of recycled cartons
with national dairies and provides access to new customers at a per year – with the potential to increase
regional and local level. SIG intends to leverage its R&D know-how, capacity even further.
innovation capabilities and its marketing expertise to introduce
more innovative packaging formats in this market segment.

50 Let’s talk food NuFFooDS Spectrum | September 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Funding for Food R&D
India has increased its processed food
exports in the last five years from $5.27 - aimed at overall growth and development
billion in 2017-18 to $10.4 billion in 2020- in the food processing sector, creation of
21, according to the Directorate General of off-farm employment and entrepreneurial
Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (DGCI&S) opportunities.
data. Similarly, the contribution of the food
processing sector has increased continuously To attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
with Gross Value Added (GVA) in the food in the food processing sector, the government
processing sector from Rs 1.34 lakh crore in has put in place an investor-friendly policy.
2014-15 to Rs 2.37 lakh crore in 2020-21 at a Also, to facilitate all investment interests,
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.97 MoFPI has set up a dedicated NiveshBandhu
per cent. Portal as well as an Investment Facilitation
Cell with Invest India. The total FDI inflow in
As per the latest Annual Survey of the food processing sector during the last five
Industries (ASI) 2018-19, released by the years ending 2021-22 is $3.54 billion.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation, 40,579 food processing units Considering the growth of the food
are in the registered sector. The ASI further processing sector and the number of people
noted that there are a total of 24.59 lakh food employed in that space, there is a need to
processing enterprises in the unregistered invest in Research & Development (R&D) in
segment. The states where we find more the food industry. So far in the last five years
unregistered enterprises include Andhra i.e. from 2017-18 to 2021-22 a total of Rs 30.32
Pradesh (1,54,330), Bihar (1,45,300), Jharkhand crore has been allocated for R&D, of which only
(1,16,536), Karnataka (1,27,458), Madhya Rs 22.72 crore has been utilised. Since 2018-
Pradesh (1,02,808), Maharashtra (2,29,372), 19 (Rs 8.45 crore) the fund allocation towards
Rajasthan (1,01,666), Tamil Nadu (1,78,527), R&D was also on the decline to Rs 3.4 crore in
West Bengal (3,22,590) and Uttar Pradesh 2021-22.
(3,50,883). This requires immediate attention
to bring these enterprises under the organised The Minister of State for Food Processing
sector by changing appropriate regulations. Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel informed the
Rajya Sabha on August 5 that there has been
In spite of having more unregistered no set trend in allocation or utilisation of funds
enterprises, the total output in the food under the R&D scheme. As this is a demand
processing sector has been on the rise from driven scheme, actual approval of projects
Rs 9.34 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 12.77 lakh and consequent sanctioning of grants-in-aid is
crore in 2018-19 at the CAGR of 8.13 per dependent on the receipt of eligible proposals.
cent. As per latest ASI 2018-19, the number
of persons engaged in the registered food MoFPI is implementing the R&D scheme
processing sector has increased from 17.73 with the objective that the end product/
lakh in 2014-15 to 20.05 lakh in 2018-19. As per findings should benefit the food processing
the National Sample Survey (NSS 73rd round industry in terms of product and process
2015-16), a total of 51.11 lakh persons are development, efficient technologies, improved
engaged in the unincorporated/unregistered packaging, etc. In order to improve the R&D
food processing sector. in this sector, the scheme guidelines are
amended from time to time. While no specific
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries target has been set, the MoFPI has approved
(MoFPI) has been implementing various 37 new projects under the R&D scheme during
schemes -such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan the last three years. There is a need for a proper
SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), PM- Formalisation set-up for screening R&D related proposals in
of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) the food sector.
and Production Linked Incentive (PLIS) Scheme
Narayan Kulkarni
Editor

[email protected]