NuFFooDS Spectrum September 2021

Fight Food Fraud with Technology

Introducing the SCIEX Food Fraud Guide

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long journey, it is crucial to maintain the
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(or adulterated food).

What You’ll Learn

• The principles of food fraud and the

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• SCIEX solutions that can help you identify

emerging vulnerabilities and reduce
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The SCIEX clinical diagnostic portfolio is For In Vitro Diagnostic Use. Rx Only. Product(s) not available in all countries. For
information on availability, please contact your local sales representative or refer to www.sciex.com/diagnostics. All other
products are For Research Use Only. Not for use in Diagnostic Procedures.
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© 2021 DH Tech. Dev. Pte. Ltd. Related to RUO-MKT-03-8921-B

Volume 9  |  Issue 01  |  September 2021
www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Publisher & Managing Editor Production & Design ASIA
Ravindra Boratkar MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications
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Ankit Kankar
Editor: Narayan Kulkarni [email protected]
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personal opinions of the contributors. NuFFoodS

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in EDITORIAL 5

A heady export initiative

Dr Milind Kokje share of primary agricultural commodities. This splendid
performance is despite the pandemic.
Chief Editor
Non-basmati rice export has almost doubled to
The recent export of dehydrated Mahua flowers 13.09 million tonnes in 2020-21 from an average of 6.9
from Chhattisgarh to France is much more million tonnes in the last five years. It has increased
than a regular export of agri or processed food from an average of $2.7 billion to $4.8 billion. However,
products. It is significant in many ways. the export of Basmati rice increased marginally from
4.19 million tonnes to 4.63 million tonnes, increasing
This is the first time dehydrated Mahua flowers have the earning from $3.98 billion to $4.02 billion. The
been sent to France. The flowers were sourced from the government has set the target of $60 billion worth of
forest in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh. The most rice by next year in its 2018 agriculture export policy.
important aspect is that the export involves the local
tribal population who collected the flowers. Still, it accounts for even less than only 2 per cent
of the total global exports of processed foods. The new
This export puts a previously ignored region on the trends like the rising export of non-basmati rice and the
export map, a welcome new direction for India's agri export of Mahua flowers, shows that the country has a
and food exports. The government has given a thrust lot of potential to further grow exports of agri produces
on promoting export of such products that were not and processed food products, even with a little value
part of exports till now. Mahua is known for the liquor addition.
which is brewed locally. It is more than likely that
the flowers may re-enter the Indian market in a fancy It is necessary to explore the untapped forest
branded French liquor avatar. Moreover, it is also useful produce like Mahuva to bring them into mainstream
for medicines and syrups. exports. This will not only grow the exports but
will provide good income to farmers and the tribal
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products community. The 2018 agriculture export policy
Export Development Authority (APEDA), recently, also emphasizes diversifying the export products. In this
facilitated export of Himalayan goats from Uttarakhand diversification the till now never thought of products,
to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This, too, is sourced more varieties like Mahuva, can be identified and
from the villages in the hills. It also facilitated export of sourced. Of course, once their regular export begins
exotic fruits like Dragon Fruit and also organised export their regular supply will have to be ensured, if needed by
promotion events in Saudi Arabia. cultivation. With 5,000 years of traditional medicine and
herbal background like Ayurveda, the export of dietary
In another development, Poland has shown interest supplements can also be considered by innovating on
in collaborating with India in various sectors, including products.
food processing. Apples and confectionary products
comprise 50 per cent of Poland's agro-processed Envisioning the requirements of the new post-
products export to India. COVID-19 world may also help a lot in the development
of export-oriented products. The processing of foods is
India is the 17th largest exporter of processed foods much less in India which too will have to be increased.
in the world with Rs 31,205 crore worth of processed All such efforts will take processed food exports to new
foods export in 2019-20. The exports grew by 25.02 per heights.
cent in dollar terms and 29.43 per cent in rupee terms in
2020-21.

The average value of export of processed food is
$32.8 billion from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The earnings
from exports of APEDA products have increased from an
average of $17.8 billion per year from 2015-16 to 2019-
20 to $ 20.65 billion in 2020-21. The share of agricultural
and processed food products in India’s total exports has
been 11 per cent during this period with a much higher

6 VIDEO SNIPPETS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Rachita Munjal, Acknowledgements
Consultant, Birla
Fertility & IVF, New Thank you for the coverage and filing stories on the
Delhi throws light Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Much appreciated.
on the association We look forward to collaborating with you in the future
between healthy diet as well.
and polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS). - Akhil Vaidya, New Delhi

Scan the QR Code » The cover story of the August edition is a truly
wonderful piece. Thank you very much for shining a
Samrat Reddy, light on the innovations underway! The Good Food
Founder, Drunken Institute India loves the framing of 'smart foods',
Monkey, Hyderabad which fits in very well with how we call these plant-
reflects upon how based meat, egg, and dairy products as 'smart
smoothies have proteins' because of their public and planetary health
become a new implications.
segment of the
market. - Varun Deshpande, Mumbai

Scan the QR Code » FICCI appreciates the coverage on the issues
surrounding India’s food export scenario in the article
Sohil Wazir, titled ‘Untapped potential of Indian processed foods
Chief Commercial export’
Officer, Blue Tribe
Foods, Mumbai talks - Abhinav Singh, New Delhi
about the concerns
around inferiority of We are happy to see the spread Celcius has received
plant proteins against in the NuFFooDS Spectrum magazine. Being featured
animal proteins. with other industry experts was nice to see. It was a
good coverage, we got a lot of space to showcase
Scan the QR Code » our thoughts. We are happy to also be featured on the
cover page.

- Swarup Bose, Mumbai

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 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in GUEST EDITOR 7

Enabling Sustainable
Food Systems

ARUN SINGHAL
Chief Executive Officer,
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

With market and trade globalization, people in both WHO’s target, in synergy with the Prime Minister Narendra
developing and developed nations have been Modi’s vision of a New India on 75 years of the country’s
experiencing many changes in their way of living independence.
as well as eating habits. Within the supply chain which
is increasingly becoming more and more complex in the The second is to train and build capacity of various
globalized market, adulteration is the key food safety stakeholders in the food ecosystems such as food
issue. handlers, administrators, frontline health workers, etc. to
help food businesses succeed, ensure compliance of food
Changes in the food production and supply along safety measures and serve safe food to the public at large.
with environmental changes are leading to contamination
of food with new and emerging bacteria, toxins, and The third is to certify various food businesses from
antibiotic resistance. Consumer preferences and habits clusters of street food vendors to restaurants, schools
are also leading to increase in imported foods from and campuses based on benchmarks for food safety and
outside. Increase in imports of food items due to cost hygiene. So far, 28 Street Food Hubs have been certified,
concerns, consumer demand provide chances for food thereby raising the confidence of consumers in consuming
contamination/adulteration. Further, ease of accessibility food from local street food hubs; and over 170 campuses
to processed foods which are high in sugar, salt/sodium are now certified as Eat Right Campus.
and fats are leading to the cause of rising burden of
non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, The fourth is to nudge food businesses by encouraging
hypertension, heat diseases, etc. in India. them to reformulate packaged foods into healthier options
and to use safe and sustainable packaging materials;
At this juncture, what should be the effective strategies reduce usage of fat, sugar and salt in food; donate food
to address the emerging challenges to provide safe, under one of our initiatives – Save Food Share Food.
healthy, nutritious and sustainable produced food to the The final action point is to ignite large-scale social and
world's population? The answer lies in the food systems behavioural change among the people of India towards
approach. The world needs to rethink the ways in which safe, healthy and sustainable eating habits through
food is produced, processed and consumed. initiatives such as Eat Right Fairs, mobile food testing
vans called “Food Safety on Wheels”, and awareness
Today, India needs a new paradigm where the food campaigns on electronic and social media platforms.
systems approach becomes more holistic with policy
coherence across all sectors like agriculture, food, health, Eat Right India is also aligned with various Government
trade and environment to name a few. To narrow down flagship programmes like POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anemia
the gap, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of Mukt Bharat, Ayushman Bharat and Swacch Bharat
India (FSSAI), an apex food regulator in the country, has Abhiyaan. It brings together diverse stakeholders from
embarked on a large-scale effort to transform the country’s various institutions like government departments,
food systems through the ‘Eat Right India’ movement. consumer organisations, development partners, industry
The tagline - ‘Sahi Bhojan. Behtar Jeevan’, thus, forms the associations, academia, professional associations etc.,
foundation of this movement. working closely on the food systems identified from pre-
existing multi-stakeholder platforms or coalitions working
Eat Right India has devised FIVE KEY ACTIONS to on various food-related issues.
achieve its vision. The first action is to formulate new
regulations to promote healthy eating. FSSAI has come The food systems being complex in nature invites a
up with regulations on labelling, elimination of trans- more holistic and coordinated approach. The "whole of
fats, mandatory fortification of milk, oil and rice, and government" and "whole of society" approaches adopted
strengthening food testing. The government’s effort by FSSAI underpin its role as "enabler and reformer" to
to make India Trans Fat free by 2022, a year ahead of build a positive, collaborative and inclusive environment to
foster a sustainable food system in India.

8 INSIDE NUFFOODSSPECTRUM | March 2020 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

TESTING 22

OUTWITTING
FOOD FRAUDSTERS
WITH NEXT-GEN TECH

Spices and herbs are at the forefront of global food
adulteration and security concerns. With a rapidly
growing population and number of food firms,

adulteration continues to be a serious challenge. Further,
the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted global supply

chains and forced producers to work with new, unproven
suppliers, escalating concerns related to food fraud.

25SPEAKING WITH

“WE HOPE TO DEVELOP
A MORE MATURE
PRIVATE SECTOR FOOD
ECOSYSTEM FOR INDIA”

RITA TEAOTIA

Chairperson, Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi

GUEST EDITOR

Speaking With

28

“FSSAI IS CONSTANTLY
ENCOURAGING ORGANISATIONS

TO DEVELOP RAFT KITS”

ARUN SINGHAL

Chief Executive Officer,
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in INSIDE 9

Speaking With RTD

30 40

“To reduce rejection of exported Ready-to-Drink
food products, strengthening segment bubbles
testing procedures is crucial”
Vikram Damodaran,
Dr Manoj Pillai,
Chief Innovation Officer,
Director, Application Support & Diageo India, Bengaluru
Market Development (India), SCIEX, Bengaluru
Strategy
Quality Nutrition
42
32
Why businesses
The 'Why & How' of must fine-tune their
Achieving Quality Nutrition 'Online Reputation'

Dr Jagmeet Madan, Sanish Bhaskaran,

National President, Reputation Management
Indian Dietetic Association (IDA), Mumbai Strategist, Surestory, Kochi

Veganism Speaking With

34 43

Vegan industry must capitalise “We strive to ensure food safety
on rising veganism in Indians and accurate labels with our
wide range of solutions”
Dr Prabodh Halde,
S V Ganapathi,
Regulatory Head- R&D, Marico, Mumbai
Managing Director,
UN Food Systems Summit Phenomenex India, Hyderabad

36 REGULARS

India at cusp of Editorial 05
Transforming Food Systems
Video Snippets 06
Tarun Vij,
Regulatory News 10
Country Director- India, Global
Alliance for Improved Nutrition, New Delhi Company News 12

Dairy Start-Up News 16

38 World News 20

Rising Dairy adulteration Finance News 21
poses severe health risks
People News 44
Samir Vyas,
Ingredients News 46
Country Manager,
Agilent India, Mumbai R&D News 47

Supplier News 48

Let’s Talk Nutrition & Science 50

10 REGULATORY NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Centre sets up dairy investment accelerator

The Department of Animal opportunities; addressing queries
Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), about application to government
Government of India, with a schemes; connecting with
view to provide dedicated focus strategic partners; and providing
towards promoting & facilitating on-ground assistance with
investments in the Indian state departments and relevant
Dairy sector, has set up a Dairy authorities. Further, the Dairy
Investment Accelerator under Investment Accelerator will work
its Investment Facilitation Cell. with DAHD to organise a series
This Investment Accelerator is a of events with global and local
cross functional team constituted industry participants and one-on-
to serve as the interface with one discussions with the investors
investors. It shall provide to understand their perspectives,
support across the investment facilitate direct interactions with
cycle offering specific inputs government officials and connect
for evaluation of investment with other players in the industry.

India extends footprint of mango
exports to newer countries

The Agricultural and Processed The authority has also been
conducting virtual buyer-seller
Food Products Export meets and festivals to promote
mango exports. APEDA had
Development Authority also recently organised a
mango promotion programme
(APEDA) in collaboration with at Doha, Qatar where nine
varieties of mangoes including
Indian embassy and the Abu Geographical Identification
(GI) certified ones from West
Dhabi-based importer LuLu Bengal & Uttar Pradesh were
displayed at the stores of
group, recently organised a importer Family Food Centre.
Recently, a consignment of GI-
Telangana mango promotion programme certified Fazil mango variety
sourced from Malda district of
approves new food in Dubai for varieties from West Bengal was exported to
Bahrain.
processing policy northern India. Juicy varieties

The Telangana government has approved including Chausa and Langra,
a new food processing policy under which
rice mills, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, flowers, sourced in collaboration with
vegetables, meat, chicken, fish, milk, and
dairy products food processing units Uttar Pradesh mandi board,
would be set up. The policy also provides
guidelines for various incentives that will were displayed in the United
be given to the entrepreneurs setting up
food processing units in the state. Special Arab Emirates. APEDA has been
incentives will be given to the export-
oriented units. At present, there are four initiating measures to boost
major food park projects worth Rs 492
crore, seven integrated cold chain projects mango exports from the non-
worth Rs 208 crore, 20 National Mission on
Food Processing (NMFP) projects worth Rs traditional regions and states.
108 crore in the state.

Today, manufacturers around the world rely on Waters to help ensure safe,
consistent food and beverages – like milk that is free of contaminants.
That’s because we partner with our customers not only in the evolution
of analytical technologies, but also in an ongoing mission to be
instigators of industry change and progress. It’s another instance
of how we at Waters are driven by an obligation to advance science
and push the boundaries of wha t’s possible. To learn more about
our science in the service of humanity, visit waters.com/food

Waters (India) Pvt. Ltd.

36A, 2nd Phase, Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore - 560 058. Tel: 080-49292200-03 (3 lines)
Fax: 080-49292204, E-mail: [email protected]
Mumbai : Tel : 022-25170127, Fax : 022-25170616, E-mail : [email protected]
New Delhi : Tel : 011 - 40194100 - 4149, Fax : 011 - 40194115, E-mail: [email protected]
Kolkata : Tel : 033-23678338, Fax: 033-23678339 , E-mail: [email protected]
Hyderabad : Tel : 040-27901532, Telefax : 040-27901586, E-mail: [email protected]
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Ahmedabad : Tel : 079-29702903, Fax : 079-29702904, E-mail: [email protected]
Chennai : Tel : 044-22350336

©2016 Waters Corporation. Waters and The Science of What’s Possible are registered trademarks of Waters Corporation.

12 COMPANY NEWS NUFFONOUDFSFOSOPDECSTSRPUEMCTR|UM Se|ptemAbperirl 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

MuscleBlaze Dabur launches new range
unveils of honey-syrups with Vit D
new range
of protein FMCG firm Dabur India has in boosting energy, is a rich source of
supplements announced the extension of its nutrition, antioxidants and minerals;
brand Dabur Honey with the
Owned by Bright launch of ‘Dabur Honey which helps boost
Lifecare, sports nutrition Tasties’, a honey-infused immunity. The new
supplements brand sweet, healthy and products come
MuscleBlaze (MB), based No Added Sugar in colourful and
in Gurugram, has recently take on the classic stimulating
unveiled a special range sugary Chocolate squeezy packs
of supplements for all the and Strawberry and will be
fitness freaks. Specially syrups. The range available in
formulated for athletes, of Chocolate select retail
MuscleBlaze is launching and Strawberry stores and
its best-selling Fuel One flavoured Honey on leading
Whey but this time with Tasties has the ecommerce
a prodigious addition of goodness of honey, platforms.
Creatine Monohydrate. It is enriched with These are
aims to volumise gains and Vitamin D and has no priced at Rs
maximise post-workout added sugar. It helps 120 for a 200
muscle recovery. The second gm pack.
power punch in the line-up
is the MB pre-workout 200, Uniza Group launches nutri
curated to handle an intense supplement for diabetes in India
sweat session. The third and
final product from the range Ahmedabad-based Uniza Group has entered into an exclusive tie-up with
is the MB Peanut Butter, Lysulin, Inc - headquartered in San Diego, US to launch Lysulin - a breakthrough
specially created to give all evidence-based nutritional product for the Indian market. Lysulin is patented
fitness enthusiasts a guilt- in the US for the prevention
free snacking experience. of protein glycation using
Lysine supplements and as a
method of diabetes support
using a supplement. It helps
manage blood sugar by binding
naturally to the glucose in the
blood and safely removing it
from the body. When taken
daily, the supplement has
been clinically shown to help
people with type 2 diabetes
and prediabetes maintain
healthy blood sugar and A1c
levels. Uniza is a pharmaceutical
venture of Pashupati Group. The
company has set up a modern,
state-of-the-art facility complying with WHO-GMP and PIC/S guidelines at Kadi
near Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Having launched India business in August 2020, the
company has gradually expanded its product range to over 80 SKU’s with a sale
of Rs 25 crore in the first year.



14 PRODUCT INSIGHT NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Selecting the Optimal Water
Quality for F&B Testing and
Microbiology Applications

UNDERSTAND WATER QUALITY RECOMMENDATIONS AS PER ISO 11133: 2014 STANDARD

Jean Christophe Hemy Jean Christophe Hemy is deliver accurate and reliable
a specialist of lab water results and meet regulatory
Global Product Manager, purification technologies requirements while under
Milli-Q® Lab Water Solutions, and has long expertise in time pressure. Many tests
bioburden, sterility testing, and and procedures depend upon
Merck sterile filtration at Millipore and culture media being capable
Merck, and has also extended of providing consistent and
support to microbiology quality reproducible results. In this
control laboratories. interview, Jean Christophe
talks about role of water in
Microbiology testing is of microbiology applications,
major importance to guarantee water quality requirement
the safety and quality of food. recommended in EN ISO 111:33
Laboratories performing and how obtain it.
these tests are required to

What are the water quality requirements precipitation, as indicated in Annex H of the EN ISO
recommended in EN ISO 11133: 2014 standard for 11133 standard.* Due to use of contaminated water in
the quality of the culture media used? the testing, the user may find difficulties in interpreting
For culture media preparation, EN ISO 11133 the data. It may give erroneous results, which may
recommends using only purified water free from cause you to repeat your analysis and source the
substances likely to inhibit or influence the growth sample/reagent again. Increasing TOC level results
of the microorganisms under the test conditions for in extraneous peaks on HPLC baselines, formation
ex: traces of chlorine, traces of ammonia and traces of Na+ adduct peaks and additional peaks in LC-
of metal ions. The purified water shall be stored in MS Mass Spectra. Contamination may also cause
tightly closed containers made from an inert material fluctuation in detection limit due to high BEC and may
however recommended that the water is used as cause calibration curve failure.
soon as produced. Microbial contamination should not
exceed 103 cfu/mL and preferably be below 102 cfu/ Food Quality Regulations are becoming stringent
mL. The conductivity shall be no more than 25 μS/ across the globe? How does Milli-Q® Lab Water
cm (equivalent to resistivity ≥ 0.04 MΩ cm), preferably Solutions comply with these standards at Global
below 5 μS/ cm (grade 3 water, ISO 3696) at 25 °C. and India level?
The conductivity should be checked before use. Merk is supporting F&B Industry across the world.
In India also, we have partnered with the leaders in
What role does quality of lab water plays in the the F&B segment taking care of their water related
microbiology laboratory and in other sensitive concerns, so that they can focus on their vital work. To
analysis like HPLC / LC-MS / ICP-MS? comply to the stringent regulations, we performed a
When preparing culture media, it is important to select study in the Merck KGaA Life Science QC laboratory for
the correct water quality, since water may contain microbiological products in Darmstadt, Germany. The
impurities that can affect media productivity or cause laboratory is accredited by the German accreditation
abnormalities such as incorrect pH, wrong color or authority DAkkS as registered test laboratory D-PL-

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in PRODUCT INSIGHT 15

15185-01-00 according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 170252
for the performance testing of media for microbiology
according to DIN EN ISO 11133. Water purified by the
Milli-Q® IX water purification system fitted with a 0.22
μm final filter was confirmed as validated to deliver water
meeting or exceeding the water quality requirements of
the EN ISO 11133 standard.*

Distillation is one of the oldest and popular Use Milli-Q® IX Pure (Type 2) Water
technique of water purification used in many for Microbiology Media Preparation
laboratories. How is water purification system
better than a distillation technique? latest regulations. Our sites are ISO 14001 certified
Yes, the distillation is the oldest method but it’s and our systems comply with critical environmental
slow, requires lot of energy and water, and needs regulations, such as RoHS, REACH and WEEE. In
regular cleaning. Sterile water produced remains addition, as a member of the Together for Sustainability
subject to contamination along storage. Water (TfS) network, we strive to work with suppliers that
purification system combines several purification have been audited for sustainable supply chain
technologies recommended in the ISO 11133 norm to practices.
effectively remove all contaminant types and ensure
reproducibility such as Depth Filter, Activated Carbon,
Reverse Osmosis, Electro-Deionization, UV lamp, and
0.22µm final filter. Along those steps, resistivity cells
allow to real-time monitor purification process and
water quality improvement.

How has the water purification technology How do you help your customers achieve optimum
advanced over the years and what role does water quality for F&B Testing applications?
Milli-Q® Lab Water Solutions plays as a pioneer? Microbiology media preparation is supported by the
From developing the ElectroDeionisation Elix® modules Milli-Q® IX water purification system which provides
40 years ago that ensures constant water quality consistently high-quality pure water thanks to its
production without ion resins regeneration drawbacks, to combination of innovative purification technologies like
today offering compact systems, versatile installations, reverse osmosis, Elix® EDI, bactericidal UVC LED,
flexible and multiple dispensing modes, and easy remote and 0.22 µm filtration. Stored water is protected against
access to system and dispensing events data, we are airborne contaminants by a vent filter. An ergonomic
continuously innovating keeping our customers current E-POD® water dispenser provides easy delivery of
and future needs in mind. pure water. It has a HD touchscreen giving real-time
access of system data & water quality. In addition,
Merck is a Platinum Ecovadis Member. What water from this system can feed lab equipment, such
steps company is taking for providing sustainable as autoclaves or dishwashers, making it a versatile
solutions, which is a growing requirement of the solution for microbiology laboratories.
Industry?
This recognition placing us in the top 1% of all Water purified by the Milli-Q® IX water purification
companies assessed and it comes from years of system fitted with a 0.22 μm final filter is validated to
engagement in that direction. Elix® EDI eliminates deliver water meeting or exceeding the water quality
the need for hazardous chemical regeneration and requirements of the EN ISO 11133 standard.* It is
associated waste. E.R.A.® technology optimizes water validated to deliver water with conductivity < 0.2 μS/cm;
recovery from RO membrane, reducing water use by typically 0.1 μS/cm. Data obtained during the system’s
up to 50%. The Milli-Q® IX pure water systems achieve validation process: Free chlorine < 0.02 ppm, Ammonia
up to 30% energy savings (>500 kWh over the product ≤ 0.00003%, Heavy metals ≤ 0.00001%, and microbial
lifecycle) vs. previous generation Elix® systems. contamination ≤ 102 cfu/mL.
ech2o® UV lamps are Mercury-free, compliant with
(*Connect with Lab Water Solutions Team to know
about compliance of water tested with EN ISO 11133 requirements.)

To know more n e-mail: [email protected] n web: www.MerckMillipore.com/LabWater

16 STARTUPS NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

The Whole Lo! Foods' new nutritional
Truth raises product range caters to diabetics
$6M in series
A funding Lo! Foods, a Bengaluru-based FMCG startup that offers a range of Low-Carb
and Keto friendly packaged products, has announced its entry into the diabetic
The Whole Truth (TWT), a 100 food market with the launch of a range of diabetic friendly Low-Carb and
per cent clean-label startup Sugar free food products. The products are affordably priced and are available
based in Mumbai, has raised for consumers on Lo! Foods website and on e-commerce platforms. The new
over $6 million in its series range has been designed keeping in
A round, led by Sequoia mind the nutritional requirements of
Capital India. The round saw diabetics. Curated by Lo! Foods’ inhouse
participation from existing nutritionists, the products are Low-Carb,
investors Matrix Partners India sugar free, Maida free and is 50 per cent
and Sauce.Vc, along with a lower in glycemic index. The products
clutch of marquee angels like have been tested using Continuous
Kalyan Krishnamurthy (Flipkart), Glucose Monitor (CGM) and Blood sugar
Sujeet Kumar (Udaan) and meters. Recommended by dietitians,
Ashneer Grover and Suhail the new product range offers a tasty yet
Sameer (BharatPe). Earlier healthy alternative to manage diabetes
angels in the company include better. In addition to the new diabetic
Nithin Kamath (Zerodha), friendly products, Lo! Foods has an
Sriharsha Majety (Swiggy) and existing range of sugar free chocolates. Within a short period of time, Lo! Foods
Jaydeep Barman (Rebel Foods). has gained tremendous traction and has served over one lakh customers
This fresh capital will be used since early 2020. In addition to packaged food products, the startup has 20
to hire high-calibre talent, cloud kitchens across Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad that offer fresh Low-
expand TWT’s manufacturing Carb food on demand through food delivery apps.
capabilities and enter new food
categories, where consumers Sixth Sense Ventures
currently do not get high- invests in GoodDot
quality, clean food options. With
a mission of creating the most Sixth Sense Ventures has invested in Udaipur-based plant-based meat
transparent, clean and ‘truthful’ startup GoodDot. This marks the first VC investment in the plant-based meat
food brand in India, TWT is the space in India. The investment will enable GoodDot to further cement its
only Indian brand to list each leadership status in the plant-based meat space in India while supporting
and every ingredient that goes
into their food, upfront. So its international growth, on the back of increased
consumers never have to turn emphasis and spend on R&D, marketing, and
the pack or feel cheated by channel broadening. The company sells through
their food. direct-to-consumer channels, e-commerce
platforms as well as 7500+ offline stores. GoodDot
has recently launched its products in Canada,
Dubai, Nepal, South Africa, and Singapore, and
plans to cover the US and Europe in the months
ahead. It is also working on expanding the rollout
of its retail QSR outlets under two formats ‘GoodDo’
and ‘GoodKhana’, which are currently in Mumbai,
Delhi, Udaipur, and Kathmandu. Founded in 2016, GoodDot has developed
proprietary state-of-the-art technology that replicates the taste, texture, and
flavour of plant-based chicken, mutton, beef, etc. using purely plant-based
ingredients, resulting in a tasty, healthy, and cruelty-free way to produce
meat with a very sustainable environment footprint.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in STARTUPS NEWS 17

Matrix-backed Captain Fresh bags $12M in funding

Captain Fresh, a tech-enabled B2B complex fish and seafood supply platform and a robust and dynamic
seafood marketplace that’s focused chain. Captain Fresh aims to drive physical fulfilment layer to
on aggregating the fragmented predictability through a unique consistently deliver fair, efficient and
retail demand across the country and combination of a digital commerce transparent purchase experiences
linking them to the small fishermen for retailers across multiple formats.
and farmers throughout the Indian The startup is also looking to play
coast, has raised $12 million in a a catalytic role in reforming the
series A investment round led by $400 billion global fish and seafood
Accel. The funding round also saw trade by laying foundation blocks
participation from existing investors for efficient market microstructures
Matrix Partners India, Ankur Capital, and practices. It is leveraging deep
as well as, Incubate Fund and other technologies to smoothen the high
marquee angel investors. Founded amount of friction in the traditional
in 2019, Bengaluru-based Captain trade and optimise the value accrued
Fresh is attempting to transform the to the supply communities.

Rooted Actives Cherise launches
pioneers medicinal
mushroom extracts IoT-enabled tea

Gurugram-based Rooted Actives has pioneered Medicinal vending kiosks
Mushroom Extracts and Superfood blends of Medicinal
Mushrooms with herbs like Elderberry, Bacopa, Maca, Mumbai-based startup Cherise India has forayed
Ashwagandha, etc., for areas such as Immunity, Cardio, Brain into smart vending by launching a range of
health and others. The startup blends only the best-available smart, IoT & Android based vending machines.
herbs and mushrooms and has also recently introduced its It has a wide portfolio of Teas, Coffees, Soups
flagship product - Mushroom coffee, a healthier coffee with and Milk, under their popular Cherise brand.
mushroom infusions that tastes exactly like coffee. Medicinal The user-friendly smart vending kiosks of
Mushrooms such as Reishi, Chaga, Turkey Tail, Lions Mane, Cherise come with its own proprietary Cherise
Shiitake, etc. are increasingly being consumed as powdered IoT dashboard and app for monitoring the
extracts (easily mixed with water, tea, salads, juices, etc.) for a operations. Cherise, unlike other vending
variety of health concerns. Post the launch of its pioneering operators, provides its customers with access to
Mushroom coffee, Rooted Actives is set to launch an entire the IoT vending platform that gives real time data
range of medicinal mushroom-infused personal care range, on consumer consumption patterns, inventory
formulated to have high impact in the areas of blemishes, and billing, all at the click of a button. The Cherise
hydration, pigmentation and overall beauty benefits. Medicinal vending machines dispense home-made style
Mushrooms are in general, high on fibre, vitamins, minerals Teas, Coffees, Milk and Soups in a jiffy. Along
and amino acids, and are powerful adaptogens and super with their smart vending machines, Cherise
antioxidants to help manage illnesses and boost immunity. has formulated and launched a wide range of
premium beverages in the Tea, Coffee, Milk and
Soups category. These beverages are all vented
through their smart vending machines, which
makes this into an ideal printer-cartridge model.

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20 WORLD NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

US invests Report reveals 811 million
$500M for undernourished in 2020
expanded
meat & poultry While the pandemic's impact has yet to be fully mapped, a multi-agency
processing report estimates that around a tenth of the global population - up to 811
capacity million people - were undernourished last year. The number suggests it
will take a tremendous effort for the world to honour its pledge to end
The United States Department hunger by 2030. This year's edition of The State of Food Security and
of Agriculture (USDA) has Nutrition in the World is the first global
announced that it intends to assessment of its kind in the pandemic era.
make significant investments The report is jointly published by the Food
to expand processing capacity and Agriculture Organization of the United
and increase competition in Nations (FAO), the International Fund for
meat and poultry processing to Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United
make agricultural markets more Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN
accessible, fair, competitive, and World Food Programme (WFP) and the World
resilient for American farmers Health Organization (WHO). According to
and ranchers. The USDA has the report, 2021 offers a unique opportunity
announced its intent to invest for advancing food security and nutrition
$500 million in American Rescue through transforming food systems. The report also talks about intervening
Plan funds to expand meat and along supply chains to lower the cost of nutritious foods - for example,
poultry processing capacity by encouraging the planting of biofortified crops or making it easier for
so that farmers, ranchers, and fruit and vegetable growers to access markets. Above all, the authors urge,
consumers have more choices the world must act now - or watch the drivers of hunger and malnutrition
in the marketplace. USDA has recur with growing intensity in coming years, long after the shock of the
also announced more than $150 pandemic has passed.
million for existing small and
very small processing facilities UK study points to chicken as
to help them weather COVID-19, primary foodborne disease vector
compete in the marketplace
and get the support they need A recent report published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the
to reach more customers. USDA UK confirms that chicken is the source of the majority of human cases of
is also holding meatpackers Campylobacter infection, followed by other animals such as sheep, pigs and
accountable by revitalising the cows. This infection may have been passed to people directly through food, but
Packers and Stockyards Act, could also be via environmental
issuing new rules on 'Product and water contamination.
of USA’ labels, and developing Researchers embarked on
plans to expand farmers’ access this project to determine
to new markets. the key reservoirs of human
Campylobacter infections and
help identify potentially effective
risk management strategies.
The project assessed patient
samples from two locations –
a representative urban site in
North Tyneside and rural site
in Oxfordshire – alongside foods sampled from retail in York, Salisbury and
London. With regards to antimicrobial resistance, the study revealed a rise in
fluoroquinolone and tetracycline resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolates
from human infections between 1997 and 2018.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FINANCE NEWS 21

Tata Consumer pumps-in Rs 100 Cr Heineken N.V.
in new tea packaging plant obtains control
of UBL in India
Tata Consumer Products (TCP) by TSSEZ and machinery
has recently inaugurated its new investment by TCP. It is the largest Dutch multinational brewing
tea-packaging plant located in tea packing plant for TCP products, company Heineken N.V. has
Gopalpur Industrial Park of Tata producing around 60 million kg announced that it has obtained
Steel Special Economic Zone per annum by 2024-25. The project control of Bengaluru-based
(TSSEZ), post successful trial will generate direct and indirect United Breweries Limited
production. The Gopalpur plant employment for 250 people in the (UBL). This follows Heineken’s
will be operated by Amalgamated first year and 700 people by 2024- recent acquisition of additional
Plantations Private Limited (APPL), 25. The state-of-the-art packing ordinary shares in UBL, taking
an associate company of Tata machinery will be equipped with its shareholding in UBL from
Consumer Products. APPL currently IoT capabilities for enhanced 46.5 per cent to 61.5 per cent.
operates 3 tea packing factories, operational efficiency. India offers an exciting long-
with 2 in Assam and 1 in West term growth opportunity as
Bengal. Gopalpur plant is the first per capita beer consumption
TCP plant to pack both leaf & dust is low at 2 litres per annum. Its
tea, providing higher flexibility to growing population of nearly 1.4
the operations network. The total billion people includes a strong
value of the project is Rs 100 crore emerging middle class, enabling
with investment in infrastructure further premiumisation. UBL will
be a top Heineken operating
Makers of Choco-Pie company and Kingfisher a top
invest Rs 200 Cr in India 5 global brand. The business
operations of UBL had been
South Korean food company Orion has announced its plans of expanding in significantly impacted by way
India. The company has put in an investment of Rs 200 crore in India and has of interruption of production,
set up a 17,385-square-meter manufacturing facility for the production of supply chain, etc. due to the
Original ‘Choco-Pie’ locally and the soon-to-be-introduced product portfolio pandemic.
in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan as part of its growth drive. The new plant will also cater

to local taste preferences and is
producing a 100 per cent vegetarian
range of Choco Pies. Orion is
committed to invest more and
make more in India and is aiming
at delighting Indian consumers
with high-quality food products at
a reasonable cost. India is Orion's
10th overseas production base, the
company also has manufacturing
units in Korea, Vietnam, Russia, and
other locations. Orion has partnered
with confectionary specialist Mann
Ventures for the production of
Choco-Pie locally. In the coming months, Orion plans to add more ‘Made in
India’ products to its offerings and will be introducing more global offerings
to Indian consumers. The company has already onboarded 250 employees
to drive the brand’s growth in India and is aiming at adding 1000 more to its
India team in the next two years.

22 TESTING NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

OUTWITTING
FOOD

FRAUDSTERS
WITH NEXT-
GEN TECH

Spices and herbs are at the forefront of
global food adulteration and security
concerns. With a rapidly growing population
and number of food firms, adulteration
continues to be a serious challenge. Further,
the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted
global supply chains and forced producers
to work with new, unproven suppliers,
escalating concerns related to food fraud.

India is the largest spice manufacturer and caters to 48 with microorganisms, which may be harmful to human
per cent of the global demand. These herbs and spices health after consumption. Consumption of adulterated
are often cultivated by small farmers and villages, spices for prolonged periods may result in stomach
thereby increasing the associated risks of adulteration disorders, cancer, vomiting, diarrhoea, ulcers, liver
and sharing the burden of combating food tampering. disorders, skin disorders, neurotoxicity, etc. Thus, there is
a need for better control in all aspects of the production,
According to the 2018-19 annual report of the Food processing and usage of food products to prevent
Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), nearly 28 potential food spoilage and food-borne illnesses due to
per cent of the food samples tested for quality, including contaminated spices and herbs”, says Dr Amit Krishan
spices, were adulterated. De, Former Executive Secretary, Indian Science Congress
Association, Kolkata.
Ground spices and herbs could be adulterated with
artificial colours, starch, chalk powder, etc. to increase Corrective measures
their weight and enhance appearance for economic To address the growing concerns, scientists at the Indian
gains. Moreover, spices and herbs can often be a major Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode, under the
source of adulteration and microbial contamination, with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), have been
potentially harmful microbes, such as Staphylococcus detecting adulteration in spices available in the domestic
aureus, Yersinia intermedia, Shigella spp., Enterobacter market using DNA barcoding. After a series of studies,
spp., Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Hafnia alvei. In since 2010 IISR scientists found that black pepper, chilli
some cases, Salmonella concentrations have also been powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon bark and mace
reported in spices. Aflatoxin produced by the fungi have been adulterated using plant-based adulterants.
Aspergillus is the most common mycotoxin in spices. The institute has recently opened two new facilities -

“Even though most of the spices have antimicrobial
and antioxidant properties, they are sometimes affected

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in TESTING 23

Spice Processing Facility and Pesticide Residue Analytical So, it is important for suppliers to protect against
Laboratory, intended to play a vital role in the efforts for these risks by asking the right questions and having the
enhancing food safety across agricultural products. right answers. Having adequate information through
descriptions of the product, including species, kinds of
Simultaneously, the FSSAI has recently revised the processing used, and content of active chemicals, helps
manual of ‘Methods of Analysis of Foods’, focusing on prevent adulteration and fraud. Knowing where norms
checking adulteration in spices, herbs and condiments. or enforcement in a supply chain might otherwise be
The manual highlights numerous methods and lacking provides improved understanding to strengthen
techniques to detect moisture content, total ash, calcium the scrutiny. Further assessing one’s market well enough
oxide, crude fibre and extraneous matters in different to know the unusual time or low prices of the product
spices. For instance, it is possible to detect oil-soluble can help authorities detect frauds before they spread.
dyes in capsicum, turmeric and their products using
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Next-gen tech to the rescue
Incorrect information on food is a widespread problem,
“The manual is principally intended to provide particularly in products with high economic value.
unified, up-to-date testing methods for regulatory Complex supply chains and market pressures can leave
compliance. It brings together testing methodologies food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers vulnerable to
approved by the FSSAI for use in surveillance and food fraud and mislabeling. Though protective measures
implementing regulatory programmes. The objective can keep fraudulent goods out of the supply chain, they
is to adopt the ‘One Parameter, One Method’ approach. cannot provide the same level of assurance as laboratory-
These methods will be constantly updated with the based testing. Traditional methods, however, have an
latest technological advancements in food analysis”, inherent weakness – they are designed to detect and
reveals Arun Singhal, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety quantify a known substance, meaning laboratories will
and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi. only find adulteration if it is in the form they are looking for.

In addition, when the samples are sent to the
laboratories for testing, it entails a minimum turnaround
time of 24-48 hours on account of detailed operative
procedures as specified by the regulators which all labs
have to adhere to as a part of the performance analysis.
Apart from being a highly skilled job mandating highly
qualified professionals to undertake this study, the
conventional equipment used is quite costly.

This provides an opportunity to go in for onsite
rapid testing solutions for the spice industry and one
such next-gen solution is being offered in the form of
Qualix, by Mohali-based startup AgNext. Qualix has the
potential for testing proximate and attribute testing
parameters in chilli, turmeric, pepper, ginger, etc. The
runtime per sample for this device is 30 seconds with a
system built accuracy of 95 per cent.

Sharing more information about this technology,
Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, Founder & Chief Executive
Officer, AgNext, Mohali says, “Being able to provide
results within 30 seconds, Qualix has created a new
paradigm of the ‘Test and Buy’ model in the value chain
and has the potential to enhance the confidence of
the buyer to buy a product after witnessing the tests
performed. The USP of the device lies in the fact that it
does away with the requirement of skilled personnel
to perform the job, and testing can be done by any
unskilled person as well.”

Further, DNA-based approaches for food testing
have significantly improved with the recent application

24 TESTING NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

“The manual of ‘Methods of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques. This
of Analysis of Foods’ is technique is recognised as one of the most reliable
principally intended to methods for species detection and identification. NGS
provide unified, up-to- allows untargeted detection of thousands of organisms
date testing methods for without requiring previous knowledge of the supply
regulatory compliance. It brings chain, or about the species to search for. As a result, NGS
together testing methodologies is becoming an increasingly useful and powerful way to
approved by the FSSAI for use in surveillance and check the robustness of controls for a large number of
implementing regulatory programmes.” steps in a process or to reduce the risk of undiscovered
fraud when the number and variability of suppliers
- Arun Singhal impact the supply chain.
Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, New Delhi
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s NGS has, recently, come
“Even though most around as one of the leading testing methods that
of the spices have ensure correct identification of species in complex foods
antimicrobial and including herbs and spices. Therefore, the use of this
antioxidant properties, method is increasing, and it is routinely being applied in
they are sometimes food authenticity analysis.
affected with microorganisms,
which may be harmful to human “With complexities involved in the food supply chain,
health after consumption.” growing demand for spices and herbs for exports, along
with the rising need for healthier and safer products,
- Dr Amit Krishan De concerns related to food fraud and authenticity have
Former Executive Secretary, escalated. Thermo Fisher Scientific brings together a
Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata unique offering of products and expertise to deliver
simpler, faster, and advanced food-testing workflow
“Being able to provide solutions from sample to result to knowledge. One
results within 30 advancement is the application of Next Generation
seconds, Qualix Sequencing (NGS). The Thermo Scientific NGS Food
has created a new Authenticity Workflow utilises the Ion Torrent Next
paradigm of the ‘Test Generation Sequencing technology to enable an
and Buy’ model in the value untargeted screening approach making it possible
chain, with the potential to to identify the species contained in food samples in
enhance the confidence of the buyer to buy a comparison with a DNA database of more than 5000
product after witnessing the tests performed.” plant species, including spices and herbs. This promising
technology will continue to play a vital role in supporting
- Taranjeet Singh Bhamra regulatory authorities to enable proper authentication
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, AgNext, Mohali and speedy trials, and control adulteration as soon as
possible”, explains Amit Chopra, Managing Director, India
“The Thermo Scientific and South Asia, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Mumbai.
NGS Food Authenticity
Workflow utilises Having confidence in the authenticity of the food
the Ion Torrent Next ingredients is essential to protect the brand against
Generation Sequencing food fraud. Conducting and maintaining strict market
technology to enable an surveillance is an essential tool for tackling food fraud
and ensures consumers’ protection. So, it is relevant
untargeted screening approach to bring new technologies into routine use to ensure
consumer confidence and safety, and of course fair trade.
making it possible to identify the species
The new technologies represent a step-change in
contained in food samples in comparison with a food authenticity testing. This new way of testing can
provide the authenticity needed for raw materials to
DNA database of more than 5000 plant species, guarantee a high-quality finished product. Furthermore,
the use of technology will continue to play a vital
including spices and herbs.” role in supporting regulatory authorities to enable
proper authentication and speedy trials, and control
- Amit Chopra adulteration in the shortest time frame.

Managing Director, India and South Asia,

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Mumbai

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 25

“We hope to develop a
more mature private sector
food ecosystem for India”

Food Fortification is a scientifically The FSSAI has been working on a war footing to
proven, cost-effective, scalable and
sustainable global intervention fortify staples such as food grains, edible oil, salt etc.
that addresses the issue of micronutrient
deficiencies. In October 2016, the Food to battle hidden hunger. But, are consumers - in this
Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) operationalised the Food Safety case, the public - aware of the facts and benefits of
and Standards (Fortification of Foods)
Regulations, 2016 for fortifying staples fortification? What steps have been taken to raise
namely Wheat Flour and Rice (with
Iron, Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid), Milk public awareness on fortified foods?
and Edible Oil (with Vitamins A and D) Food fortification is the process of adding micronutrients
and Double Fortified Salt (with Iodine to food items to improve the quality of diet for a group,
and Iron) to reduce the high burden of community, or population. It is a scientifically proven,
micronutrient malnutrition in India. sustainable and cost-effective solution to address
Further on, the ‘+F’ logo was notified micronutrient deficiencies that has been adopted in over
to identify fortified foods. At present, 100 countries. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of
the Food Fortification Resource Centre India (FSSAI) released the standards of fortification for five
(FFRC) is on a mission to motivate, staples, and unveiled the +F logo for consumer awareness
nudge and facilitate the food and identification of fortified products in October 2016.
industry to adopt Food Fortification FSSAI also set-up the Food Fortification Resource Centre
as a norm. In conversation with (FFRC) with support from Tata Trusts, as a nodal point
NuFFooDS Spectrum, Rita Teaotia, to provide required support to stakeholders. The FSSAI
Chairperson, FSSAI, New Delhi shares has conducted awareness campaigns like Swasth Bharat
more in this regard. Edited excerpts;
Yatra where 2.5 crore citizens were engaged directly
RITA TEAOTIA through a pan-India cyclothon. This has been
followed up with advocacy efforts within
Chairperson, Food Safety and Government, with industry and with key
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), consumer groups.
Eat Right Melas have been organised
New Delhi to build awareness on safe food and
healthy diets through an interactive
and informative model. To generate
awareness on vitamin D, project Dhoop
was introduced in the schools of Delhi-NCR
which urged schools to shift their morning
assembly to noon time, mainly between 11
am and 1 pm to ensure maximum
absorption of Vitamin D
through natural sunlight.
FSSAI has organised a
radio campaign by
FFRC across 40
cities in India
between July
19 and
August

26 SPEAKING WITH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

20, 2021 to sensitise the public on fortified milk and staples. Since the Gazette notification for voluntary
popularising the + F logo. Efforts have been made to fortification was released in August 2018, a significant
generate wider awareness amongst people through proportion of the milk and edible oil industry has
featured articles on fortified foods and their health voluntarily started with the fortification process which
benefits in leading magazines/ online media platforms. in itself indicates a positive response from the industry.
Rice millers throughout the country are playing a pivotal
Will fortification of milk and edible oil be mandatorily role in making the centrally sponsored scheme on rice
implemented across the nation? If so, how will such a fortification a success. Currently 341 brands of oil; 40
huge undertaking be executed? brands of milk; 11 brands of flour; 2 brands of rice and
National level surveys indicate that a large section of our 22 brands of salt are being fortified. Apart from Milk and
population remains deficient in essential nutrients such as Oil, the industry has adopted fortification of rice, wheat
Vitamin A and Vitamin D. This is a major health concern. flour and salt. Distribution of fortified rice, wheat flour
Food Fortification is a complementary strategy that has and double fortified salt through Midday Meal (MDM),
been proven, cost-effective and sustainable to fight Public Distribution System (PDS) and Integrated Child
micronutrient malnutrition. FFRC is actively involved in Development Services (ICDS) has become possible
providing training and building capacities of Food Safety because of the support extended by the industry and
Officers (FSO) with the support of Regional offices, State the decision by Government of India to implement
Food and Drug Administrations (FDAs) and development fortification of staples in these key schemes.
partners. This training programme ensures that the Food
Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) regulations Is the FSSAI working with ministries and other
are well understood at the field level which in turn, will government bodies to address the impact of the
assure effective compliances to maintain quality of the pandemic on the health of women and girls? If yes,
fortified products available in the market. Till date, 668 how?
FSOs have been trained and more such training are in the COVID-19 has made a significant impact on the global
pipeline. The FSSAI has also conducted training for the lab population. In order to fight against diseases like
personnel in 15 labs on method of analysis of fortificants COVID-19, it is really crucial to have stronger immunity.
in cereals and method of analysis of fortificants in oil in 21 Micronutrients like iron are essential for fighting against
labs. The industry is today voluntarily fortifying 7.5 Million anemia. At the same time, Folic acid and vitamin B12
Metric Tonnes (MMT) per day of edible Oil reaching 880 help in maintaining normal functioning of the vital body
million people and 176 Lakh Litres Per Day (LLPD) of Milk systems and blood formation. Folic acid is an essential
which is reaching 117 million people. micronutrient, especially for pregnant women. These
micronutrients further improve overall health and
The industry is ready with the infrastructure and
technical capacity to fortify all the packaged milk and
edible oil available in the market. The compliance
procedures are also in place. A draft notification for
mandatory fortification of milk and edible oil with
vitamins A and D was released in December, 2020
and suggestions/ comments received are under
consideration. However, a final decision on mandatory
fortification will be implemented only if considered
desirable from the public health point of view. Our entire
process has been inclusive and the private players are
being heard and taken along in the journey of food
fortification. I am optimistic that fortification will improve
the nutrition status of our country in the longer run.

How have private players responded to this push for
fortification?
The industry has responded very well to the initiative.
Staple specific advocacy meetings have been conducted
at the States level for interacting with the industry to
understand their challenges before bringing in the
Gazette notification for voluntary fortification of key

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 27

The FSSAI is following a 'graded' approach to
address the entire spectrum of Food Business
Operators (FBOs). For large food businesses,
the approach is focused around traditional
regulatory instruments and tools such as
third-party audits. For small and medium food
businesses, the focus is largely on capacity
building and improving hygienic conditions,
especially at the manufacturer’s level. With
micro food businesses, we are using a cluster
approach, a systematic way not only to ensure
compliance with food safety standards but
also to organise/register hawkers and micro
food vendors. With this graded approach, we
hope to promote a culture of self-compliance
by the organised food businesses, and support
the informal food sector to develop their
capabilities through training and audits.

immunity and help fight against diseases. For large food businesses, the approach is focused
Government of India, under the PMGKAY (Pradhan around traditional regulatory instruments and tools
such as third-party audits. For small and medium food
Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) has distributed free businesses, the focus is largely on capacity building
ration to more than 80 crore people during the lockdown and improving hygienic conditions, especially at the
in 2020. Food commodities such as Wheat Flour, Rice, Oil, manufacturer’s level. With micro food businesses, we are
Milk and Salt are being fortified in various schemes like using a cluster approach, a systematic way not only to
PDS, MDM and ICDS as a perfect vehicle for delivery of ensure compliance with food safety standards but also
crucial micronutrients to the most vulnerable section of to organise/register hawkers and micro food vendors.
our society. FSSAI has been working towards inclusion Many such initiatives have been adopted to ensure safe
of these fortified staples in Government safety net and healthy diets for citizens under the Eat Right India
programmes with support from other line ministries initiative that includes creating and recognising clusters
like the Ministry of Consumer Affairs; Food and Public of street vending market, fruits and vegetables markets,
Distribution; Food Corporation of India; Ministry of Eat Right Campuses as well as Eat Right Schools.
Health and Family Welfare; Ministry of Women and Child
Development; Ministry of Education and various other The FSSAI is encouraging a 'self-compliance' model as
State departments. its approach and is moving towards a 'prevention-based'
system with this shared vision. Scaling-up availability
The FSSAI, through FFRC, regularly conducts of fortified foods in both Government safety net
various advocacy and consultation meetings to provide programmes along with the open market; encouraging
technical support and address bottlenecks around food options with lower levels of fat, salt, and sugar
scaling-up the distribution of fortified foods in the safety content; reducing level of transfats in various food items
net programmes as many States are still struggling with as well as fats and oils and improving the quality of
the same. The FSSAI has stayed committed to ensure information to consumers are some of the noteworthy
food safety even during the pandemic by promoting efforts for transforming the food environment.
safe, healthy and sustainable diets through its Eat Right
India initiatives. The aim is to encourage food companies to become
joint stakeholders in assuring that Indians get access
How can the manufacturing industry and other to safe and nutritious food. With this graded approach,
food businesses partner with FSSAI under various we hope to promote a culture of self-compliance by the
programmes and efforts to converge their actions organised food businesses, and support the informal
towards a 'Healthy India'? food sector to develop their capabilities through training
The FSSAI is following a 'graded' approach to address and audits, thus developing a more mature private
the entire spectrum of Food Business Operators (FBOs). sector food ecosystem for the country.

28 SPEAKING WITH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

“FSSAI is constantly encouraging
organisations to develop RAFT kits”

The burden of food-borne illnesses is What initiatives have been taken so far to enhance
comparable to malaria, HIV/AIDS
and tuberculosis. Every year 100 the food testing scenario in India and what is the
million cases of food-borne diseases
(FBD) are reported in India, incurring future roadmap?
a whopping $15 billion annual cost to The FSSAI has released over Rs 300 crore in the last few
the country. By 2030, FBD are expected years to various State Food Testing Laboratories for
to rise to 150-177 million annually. strengthening the food testing infrastructure, including
To ensure the availability of safe and setting up microbiological testing. In addition, Mobile
hygienic food to consumers, effective Food Testing Labs and rapid food testing kits have been
food testing measures are vital at every provided under a Central Sector Scheme. FSSAI has also
stage of the food value chain. Food signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
testing, as an important part of the food different states which included a strong component of
safety ecosystem, helps in determining food testing infrastructure. Last year, MoUs were signed
risks associated with food products with 24 States/UTs, and a substantial amount of funds
and builds confidence in consumers were released. The process is continuing this year as well.
regarding the safety and hygiene of the
food. In conversation with NuFFooDS To ensure quality and consistency of results from
Spectrum, Arun Singhal, Chief Executive participating laboratories, FSSAI has notified food labs
Officer, Food Safety and Standards as per ISO 17025/2017 which have obtained approval
Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi, from the National Accreditation Board for Testing
reveals how the regulatory body and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). These labs are
is working towards improving the being monitored by NABL through audits, verification
food testing infrastructure in the and other periodical desktop surveillance audit,
country. Edited excerpts; reassessment and renewal of accreditation.

ARUN SINGHAL At present, two well-established and fully
equipped laboratories designated as National
Chief Executive Officer,
Food Safety and Standards Food Laboratories of FSSAI are located in
Authority of India (FSSAI), Delhi-NCR and Kolkata locations. Another two
National Food Laboratories are being set
New Delhi
up under public-private partnership (PPP)
mode at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT),
Navi Mumbai and Chennai Port Trust (CPT),
Chennai. As on date, the food authority has a
network of 267 laboratories.
Further, the FSSAI has introduced a scheme

for approving rapid analytical food testing
(RAFT) devices/kits/methods. Several recent
rapid and automated kits/equipment/
methods are commercially
available globally to bridge the
gap for rapid detection of
food borne contaminants
etc. and instantaneous,
on-line monitoring
to ensure the
safety of food
products.
In line

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 29

with global experiences, FSSAI is facilitating rapid food scrutinising RAFT Kits/ Equipment/ Methods for
testing methods to reduce the screening time of food various applications received by FSSAI under its
products by Food Safety Officers (FSO) at the field level RAFT Scheme. The RAFT Committee scrutinises
and accelerate surveillance activities through fast track the application in two stages: Final Approval and
approval of rapid food testing kits/devices. The goal of Provisional Approval. The Committee recommends
these rapid testing devices and equipment is to provide those rapid kits/ equipment/methods for final
results within a few hours, if not in 'real time'. RAFT kits approval that meet the requirements of the Food
are most advanced, easy to use, portable hand-held Safety and Standard Regulations and are validated
devices. They don't require any sophisticated equipment against International Standards without any
and reagents to run the tests. The tests can be performed verification from identified laboratories.
anywhere by anyone without any specific training
requirements. Provisional approval is recommended for those rapid
kit/equipment/methods, which needs further verification
Also, various FSSAI Manuals of Methods of analysis from the identified laboratories.
for food products are in place, specifying the methods
for regulatory requirements as per the Food Safety and Conformance certificate with a validity of three years
Standards Regulations. The manuals are continuously is issued to approved rapid kits/ equipment/devices and
updated taking into consideration the latest analytical a provisional conformance certificate, with a validity of
advancements. Recently, few revised manuals have one year, is issued to provisionally approved rapid kit/
been placed in public domain and also circulated across equipment.
laboratories. Further, documentation on Standard
Specifications of Equipment for Model Basic Food Testing How many domestic kits/equipment have been
Laboratory have been placed on the website of FSSAI for approved so far? What is the current status of their
inviting public comments. production and distribution?
So far, 65 rapid food testing kits/devices have been
The FSSAI is actively involved in building capacities approved to ensure faster, better and cheaper real-time
of laboratory personnel and food analysts to upgrade testing of food even at the field level, thus assuring safe
the strength of the technical lab personnel. A state-of- and good quality of food while raising the bar for food
the-art laboratory on a public private partnership model safety in the country. All approved RAFT kit/equipment
at Ghaziabad (National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad) are commercially available in the market and some of
ensures periodic training and capacity building of them are also available for procurement at the GeM
laboratory personnel under advanced methods and portal.
techniques. A Centre for Microbiological Analysis
Training (C-Mat) has been built under the CSR initiative How can we speed up indigenous development
of Merck at National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad which of food testing kits/equipment? What are the
serves as a world class laboratory for skill development challenges?
of food analysts and other research areas. Food Safety FSSAI has published a Regulation in the Gazette,
Solution Centre established by Thermo Fisher Scientific namely 'Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and
India at National Food Laboratory, Ghaziabad conducts sample Analysis) First Amendment Regulations, 2020’
research activities, provides demonstration and training which provides legal sanctity to Rapid Analytical Food
in the field of food safety. Testing kits. This step will ensure that indigenously
developed kits/ equipment for food testing are
It is extremely important to ensure that the food validated and approved under the FSSAI regulations
is free from biological, chemical and physical hazards on a fast track basis. Further, to facilitate ease of
and finally what reaches the consumer is safe and business in the food testing ecosystem, development
healthy. As we move forward, FSSAI will continue to of a handbook containing validation/ verification
focus more towards upgrading testing infrastructure criteria for these kits/equipment is under process by
and commissioning quick, easy and reliable testing kits/ domain experts.
equipment for better functioning at the field level so that
we can collectively achieve the goal of creating a safe The FSSAI is constantly encouraging research
food testing ecosystem in the country. organisations/ startups to develop rapid food testing
kits for contaminants and adulterants and connecting
What parameters are being followed by the RAFT with the National Reference Laboratories of FSSAI for
validation of their rapid kits/equipment.
committee for approving new food testing kits/
Manbeena Chawla
equipment? [email protected]
The FSSAI has constituted a committee for

30 SPEAKING WITH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Manoj Pillai, “To reduce rejection of
exported food products,
Director, Application Support & strengthening testing
Market Development (India), procedures is crucial”
SCIEX, Bengaluru

Food safety analysis is crucial in providing absolute but also perform targeted screening and find formerly
certainty that products are safe for consumers. For unknown residues, allergens, speciation and toxins
food suppliers, food safety quality assurance is a high using standardised workflows. In India, beyond being
priority as the risk of product recalls, or warnings can have a top-notch LC-MS/MS solutions provider, SCIEX is
a seriously detrimental effect on business, brand and even actively engaged in building local expertise on food
the bottom line. A global leader in mass spectrometry (MS), analysis through LC-MS/MS training programmes at
US-based SCIEX offers a range of high-throughput liquid our centre of excellence in Bengaluru. Building an
chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/ ecosystem of methods for a wide range of important
MS) solutions that deliver robust and accurate quality food contaminants forms a critical part of the customer
assurance and control testing, with reliable results that support that SCIEX provides in India.
one can genuinely count upon. To find out more about the
recent innovations taking place with the supplier in the What are your offerings for residue analysis in the
food testing space, NuFFooDS Spectrum interacted with food testing space?
Dr Manoj Pillai, Director, Application Support & Market SCIEX offers a range of integrated LC-MS/MS solutions
Development (India), SCIEX, Bengaluru. Edited Excerpts; that cover:

How is SCIEX helping companies achieve and adhere  Residue analysis (pesticides, antibiotics,
to new food safety standards in India? mycotoxins and natural toxins)
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI), in collaboration with regulatory bodies such as  Food safety, quality assurance and quality control
the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), the (allergen testing, food ingredient analysis and analysis of
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration food contact materials)
Laboratories (NABL), Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) regulators, the Agricultural and Processed Food  Food authenticity testing (meat speciation and
Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) product adulteration)
and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has brought
significant changes to the implementation of food  Non-targeted screening for identification and
safety standards. This regulatory thrust has translated confirmation of unknown contaminants
to the upgradation of food analysis labs in India, in
both government and private spaces, at par with global  Foodomics
standards. The types of workflows and mass spectrometry
instrumentation vary, depending on the required
The success and growth of any food testing analysis. The entire SCIEX product portfolio includes
laboratory depends on versatile mass spectrometry software solutions that surpass regulatory requirements.
solutions that can efficiently support workflows SCIEX Triple Quad systems—such as the SCIEX 7500,
including residue analysis, food authenticity, food safety SCIEX Triple Quad 6500+, SCIEX 5500+, SCIEX Triple
and quality control. Liquid chromatography-tandem Quad 4500 and SCIEX Triple Quad 3500 systems—are
mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology can not only used extensively for targeted compound analysis and
quantify pesticides, antibiotic residues and mycotoxins, are known for their sensitivity and robustness, even in
complex matrices. QTRAP systems from SCIEX include
unique capabilities that allow for a single workflow to
be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis and
that helps to reduce false positives and negatives. SCIEX
also offers QTOF systems for undertaking qualitative and

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 31

unknown screening applications, which can also be used As food product exports from India continue to
for quantitative applications.
grow, how can LC-MS/MS help reduce the rejection of
How do you plan to empower the Indian food testing
market through analytical technologies? exports by global regulatory agencies?
The biggest bottleneck in analytical food testing is There are multiple aspects of rejection, but since
the availability of a trained workforce. In India, SCIEX the question focuses on the role of LC-MS/MS, I will
has a centre of excellence in Bengaluru where training emphasise the importance of strengthening testing
programmes are conducted on using LC-MS/MS systems procedures, following global best practices, keeping track
for food residue testing. These training programmes of advancements related to banned substances, staying
empower scientists to upgrade their skills, knowledge aware of new adulterants in the market and proactively
and competencies related to hardware, software, setting up robust analytical methods to identify and
data interpretation and new method development. In quantify these substances and adulterants. In certain
addition, the SCIEX application team supports customers cases, the traceability of ingredients, their origin, their
on-site to help them make sure that they have the storage conditions and their mode of transportation, all
requisite technical capabilities to generate high-quality must be established. SCIEX LC-MS/MS systems are used
data with high throughput from their instruments. SCIEX worldwide to test food products and routinely monitor
also provides trained workforce for FSSAI labs where the harmful compounds contained in them.
SCIEX instruments are installed. The centre of excellence
in Bengaluru runs collaborative projects with customers What are your views on food fraud and adulteration
to develop new methods for meeting regulatory
requirements, enabling Indian labs to keep pace with taking place in India and how can this be controlled?
evolving frameworks and markets. It is also engaged in The type of adulteration taking place can change
publishing papers in scientific journals to help educate periodically, which means that the adulterant must be
the public. identified, it must be quantified with a testing method
and tolerance levels must be determined. With the
What are the challenges posed by complex food right technologies and support, organisations can
matrices and how can mass spectrometry help labs develop a progressive fraud management system for all
overcome them? ingredients, with traceability to suppliers and defined
As with any analytical method, sample preparation is quality parameters, along with a mechanism for sharing
critical in LC-MS/MS workflows. Current developments information on newly identified adulterations with the
in mass spectrometry allow us to routinely monitor community.
several hundred analytes in a single analytical run. The
challenge lies in finding a suitable extraction method. Real-time data access can help create transparency
In recent years, the number of multiclass methods about the origin of products, and quality checks at
covering up to 600 compounds has steadily increased. various steps through the supply chain can help ensure
Most applications with more than 600 compounds the authenticity of products. SCIEX plays a crucial role by
follow a generic extraction protocol, such as QuEChERS developing advanced LC-MS analytical methods that are
or dilute and shoot in combination with an LC-MS/MS widely used to test commodities in Indian food testing
instrument. laboratories, such as testing for rice syrup adulteration
in honey. SCIEX also helps customers achieve quick
Since matrix effects remain the major bottleneck in turnaround times and high data quality, which are key
multiclass method development, and compensation parameters for success.
and reduction strategies are somewhat limited, only
strong dilutions of crude sample extracts can lead to a How can technology help with setting new
significant reduction of these unwanted effects. Using
robust, sensitive equipment such as SCIEX Triple Quad benchmarks for food safety in India? What needs to
systems allows us to significantly dilute the sample
before analysis. This considerably reduces the matrix be done to monitor and enhance the quality of food
effects and promotes methods with hundreds of analytes
in a single run, which in turn expands the scope of products?
analytes monitored within the global food supply chain. There is a need to increase awareness and build
False positives and negatives can also be alleviated with expertise. Food processing firms and testing labs can
QTRAP systems from SCIEX. help keep pace with global advancements by proactively
implementing gold-standard analytical workflows to
set benchmarks for the domestic market through a
systematic roadmap. The FSSAI and other agencies have
expanded their roles in ensuring food safety through
regional labs spread throughout the country.

Ankit Kankar
[email protected]

32 QUALITY NUTRITION NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Jagmeet Madan, The 'Why & How'
of Achieving
National President, Quality Nutrition
Indian Dietetic Association (IDA),

Mumbai

India, as a country, suffers from a unique triple burden to early onset of malnutrition, non-communicable
of Malnutrition – Gross Undernutrition, Gross Obesity diseases and infections which are appended below:
and Lean Obesity with Micronutrient Malnutrition. This
observation cuts across age groups and socioeconomic  Decreased spike in blood sugars after a meal
strata in India. What became a stark truth during the which is the major cause of insulin resistance and
pandemic was that individuals in each shade of the canvas hypertriglyceridemia – a major prerequisite to rising
of malnutrition suffered and succumbed not only because prediabetes and increased cardiometabolic risk factors.
of the lack of Food in terms of Quantity, but also due to the
gross ignorance about the Quality Nutrition in Food.  Increased Dietary Fiber Intake would improve
gut microflora which impacts metabolic health and
The basic concept of Quality Nutrition (QN) stems inflammation in the body which is the beginning
from the nutrient density of foods. In other words, of the story of all problems across age groups and
what is the total nutrients (which includes the Socioeconomic Strata.
Macros – Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats and the Micros-
Vitamins and Minerals and the Non- Nutrients- Dietary  Increased protein intake and rationed
Fiber and Phytochemicals) per calorie of a given food. In carbohydrate coupled with physical activity will go
other words, QN refers to those foods which give ‘More a long way in addressing preventing Malnutrition,
Nutrients in Less Quantity’. Diabetes and Sarcopenia in Indians.

The ‘Why’ of QN  Improved micronutrients and antioxidant intake
The triple burden of malnutrition in India can be simply which will boost immunity and ability to fight infections
addressed ‘nutritionally’ if we pay attention to the which has immense relevance in the present pandemic
following key nutrients on priority: times.

 Quality Carbohydrates which are dense in Quality Carbohydrates
dietary fiber, proteins, good quality fats, minerals and India is a ‘Carb Country’ and thus it is most important
phytonutrients. that we look for food choices of carbohydrate rich foods
which are Nutrient Dense.
 Plant Protein sources which provide not only
protein but are fiber dense and good sources of good As a country we need to invest in our cultural and
quality fats, important vitamins and minerals. local heritage of coarser grains which are millets and
look at all aspects of making it viable to reach the Indian
 Good Quality fats through Nuts and Oilseeds. This consumer across socioeconomic strata. The nutrient
group is also a powerhouse of cardio-metabolic risk density of millets needs to be maximised to its fullest for
protective nutrients. the benefit of Indian population.

 Fruits and vegetables that are locally available, The White Paper on Millets submitted to the
specifically seasonal green leafy and coloured vegetables Government of India- NITI Aayog, by the Working
and fruits, which are rich in antioxidants and dietary Committee constituted by Indian Agricultural Research
fibre. Institute (ICAR) - Indian Institute of Millets Research
(IIMR), 2021 is the starting point in this direction.
The Format of Quality Intake will address the major This white paper is a culmination of inputs from all
problems of Indian population which predispose them experts, organisations and stakeholders starting from
Farm to Fork and its integration to formulate One
Wholesome approach …..a great work in progress with

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in QUALITY NUTRITION 33

India approaching to significantly contribute to the prediabetes in Mumbai city demonstrated that two
International Year of Millets 2023. handfuls of almonds in a day when used in the diets for
a span of 90 days lowered the HbA1c, LDL, high insulin
The second food group which needs to be levels and inflammatory markers in a span of three
emphasised for QN is the Pulses and Legumes of India. months.
The nutrient density of this powerhouse of nutrients
needs to reach all the people across age groups and Seasonal coloured vegetables and fruits
socioeconomic strata. India’s diversity in its ‘local variety of vegetables and
fruits is immense and needs further maximisation of
The ‘How’ of QN its nutritional awareness to people at large’ so that
One of the suggestions here can be- making locally the common people are made aware of the nutritious
grown dals and pulses available through public vegetables and fruits which are seasonally and locally
distribution system, through midday meals, Integrated available in their geographic regions. The most
Child Development Services (ICDS) centres to reach the important aspect here is that they are available and also
under privileged in adequate quantity and on the other affordable.
hand bring in innovation on pulse-based preparations
with variety to reach all age groups in the middle and A scientifically validated resource generated by the
higher socioeconomic strata. National Institute of Nutrition - Indian Council of Medical
Research, (NIN -ICMR) 2017- Indian Food Composition
In addition to this, a continuous effort towards Tables’ needs to be converted into a simple, vernacular
nutrition literacy is needed. It is heartening to see that and easy to comprehend format which should be made
the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), available to people at large and disseminated widely
and the Government of India, through its ‘Eat Right across the country through different mediums. This
India’ Initiatives are doing a fabulous job, especially will be an important step towards nutrition literacy to
by leveraging social media like Facebook, Twitter and improve Diet Diversity across Socioeconomic strata.
Instagram to reach the lay population with scientific and
credible information in innovative formats. Thus, Quality Nutrition for India can be achieved
through Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture and Plant-
Here again, the FSSAI is working very closely Based Diets which are native to India considering that
with NetProFaN which is the amalgamation of seven a majority of the Indian population is vegetarian. This
important professional associations in India- Indian needs to be supported by a strong mass movement
Dietetic Association (IDA), Nutrition Society of India towards nutrition literacy which should be an essential
(NSI), Association of Food Scientists & Technologists prerequisite for each Indian across socioeconomic strata.
AFSTI (AFSTI), Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian The nutrition and dietetics fraternity of this country is
Association of Analytical Communities (IAOAC), Indian committed to realising this dream.
Chefs Association and Indian Institute of Public Health).
This network further empowers and leverages the reach
of each association through its network to each and
every part of this diverse country.

QN from nuts and oilseeds
India is native to a variety of nuts and oilseeds. All
of them are known to have nutrient density. There
is a lot of Indian research which has been generated
through Randomized Control Trials in the recent past
on adult population and Type 2 diabetics through the
dietary intervention of nuts to demonstrate benefits to
lower Glycosylated Hemoglobin, LDL levels and other
cardiometabolic risk factors.

A recent randomised control done by our
Institutional Research Cell from Sir Vithaldas Thackersey
College of Home Science (Autonomous), Shreemati
Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University
(SNDTWU), Mumbai in collaboration with Kasturba
Health Research Society and Medical Research
center, Mumbai in adolescents and young adults with

34 VEGANISM NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Dr Prabodh Halde, Vegan industry must
capitalise on rising
Regulatory Head- R&D, veganism in Indians
Marico, Mumbai

India is well known for its widely vegetarian population. fear and stress. For people who love consuming meat
Going vegan is just a step further into plant-based diets. products, for them dietary change could be challenging.
Indians are turning to veganism due to health concerns and The word ‘switching’ to the vegan diet is also not easy
as plant-based foods gain acceptance, the companies that looking at the culture and social-economic factors, the
are providing vegan solutions are also on the rise. Veganism easy availability or accessibility of the plant-based food.
as a lifestyle acceptance needs efforts and alternatives to However, along with these challenges, there is sharp
replace animal-based products as well as have a flexible and availability of plant-based products in the market in any
alternative meal option to fulfill the nutritional needs. The part of the world.
Vegan industry is showing a 20 per cent growth rate, a post
COVID-19 aftermath. Making a connect
Venus Williams - tennis player, Tony Gonzalez - NFL player,
According to a 2019 survey, 63 per cent of Indians David Haye - British boxer, Nate Diaz - martial artist,
were willing to replace meat with plant-based Heather Mills- skier, Lewis Hamilton- Formula 1 driver
options for their dietary needs. The survey revealed are a few of the international athletes who have adopted
that there is a big market for plant-based foods in a a vegan lifestyle and performed better than ever. Such
country of over a billion. 2020 has completely changed influencers turning vegan have inspired many of their fans
how we live, travel, especially eat and has been the most and followers to go vegan too!
evolving time since history. Notably, it has brought a new
version to going vegan - one without meat and animal- Various Indian brands and startups are flourishing and
based products. have made their place in the market and among vegans.
Goodmylk, SAIN, Good Dot, EVO foods, WEGAN foods, etc.
Veganism benefits the environment by reducing are a few of them.
greenhouse gases which are emitted directly or indirectly
by the livestock sector and the biggest advantage is that Many food manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and
the plant-rich diet has health benefits for our own body. restaurants are coming up with vegan alternatives to
Lactose intolerance (due to milk and milk derivatives)
and anaphylactic symptoms (allergy to peanuts, tree nuts
and seafood) are the leading causes of an increase in
veganism. Studies have also shown that milk is one of the
leading causes of diabetes.

‘Fad’ or ‘trend’ perhaps would be a wrong word for
something that comes out of a deeper philosophy.
Veganism, after all, rests on the idea that humans are
compassionate beings and it is in their nature to choose
kindness over killing—or that such a state must be aspired
to and can be taught or inculcated.

In countries where meat consumption is high, animals
are ill-treated including intensive confinement to the area,
mutilations (without anesthesia) and slaughter causing

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in VEGANISM 35

regular foods. For example, alternatives to milk, butter, that are analogs of B12 and thus block the intake.
cheese, and eggs are now available. Here, the challenge And, due to low amounts of folic acids from plant
is to replicate the same texture, aroma, flavour, and
appearance, without sacrificing the nutritional content sources, it decreases the rate of iron absorption by 85
of the original product. Vegan alternatives of milk cannot per cent which causes anemia which is prevalent in both
be anymore termed as ‘milk’ on the packaging of the men and women. It is also noted that lactating mothers if
products to distinguish from the dairy products. consuming a vegan diet become deficient in B12 and the
child suffers from neurological disorders.
Due to the increase in sedentary lifestyles people have
started suffering from lifestyle disorders and becoming Veganism as a lifestyle acceptance will need efforts
health conscious is moving them towards veganism. and alternatives to replace animal-based products as well
Also, the products must not contain any animal-derived as have a flexible and alternative meal option to fulfill
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or animal-derived the nutritional needs. For protein sources nuts and seeds,
genes used to manufacture products and the product legumes, lentils, and combinations with lentils can be
should not be cross contaminated with any other animal used and omega 3 Chia and flax seeds, etc. can be used.
product.
Veganism faces a challenge in terms of changing
Vegan products are exclusive as well as expensive and people’s perceptions, availability, and affordability.
many people cannot afford a vegan lifestyle. Moreover, There is a growing body of research that indicates the
there are only a few numbers of restaurants that provide positive effects that a vegan diet rich in fibrous foods like
vegan foods and have limited alternatives. There is vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds, and cereals can
very little scope for vegan restaurants but the scope for have on our microbiota (the bacteria that lives in our guts).
convenient vegan foods is rising as they have a longer
shelf life and are easy to digest. According to surveys conducted, a rise in vegan food
in India is expected by the end of 2021, as people are
Pros with Cons noticing many health benefits like lowering of cholesterol
There are a few limitations of a strict vegan diet that levels in the body, weight loss, reversing lifestyle disorders,
despite gaining immense popularity, it lacks few essential etc. Many celebrity stars are also promoting veganism and
nutrients which have to be supplemented additionally. its health benefits. As people are aware of the positive
There are benefits of a strict vegan diet like foods that results of following a vegan diet more and more people
are rich in vitamin C, high in fibres, low in saturated fats have started following veganism which will lead to the
but there are also few disadvantages, as the vegan diet growth of the vegan food market in India.
is deprived of vitamin B12, vitamin D, folic acid, calcium,
zinc. Although there are supplements available, they are Many people share their experiences about being
full of fats and sugars which need to be considered. vegan and coping up with everyday life and the changes
that happened after embracing veganism. Many vegan
To counter the loss of vitamin B12, vegans proclaim recipes are available online which will provide better
the availability of certain plant sources such as seaweed, options of vegan food. There is a rise in the Indian vegan
fermented soy, and spirulina which are claimed to contain market since 2017 and is expected to rise more by 2025.
B12. But when derived from plants, they contain cobamide
Future trends
Since India has a 1.4 billion population, vegan food has
a huge scope and slowly it is growing. Particularly, post
COVID-19 scenario, the Vegan industry is showing 20 per
cent growth rate and few trends are Multigrain foods,
Plant-based protein, Plant-based milk, Plant-based meat
alternatives. Industry and academia need to work
together to meet the consumers' acceptance and real
innovation for affordable solutions.

Recently the Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI) has released a draft on the Vegan standard
of food which will surely give a boost to the industry. As
per the regulation, every package of certified vegan foods
shall carry the logo that would help consumers effortlessly
identify and differentiate between vegetarian and vegan
products. This would increase transparency and offer
several services to assess, monitor, and ensure the safety
of vegan food products.

36 UNFOODSYSTEMSSUMMIT NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Tarun Vij, India at cusp
of Transforming
Country Director- India, Food Systems
Global Alliance for Improved

Nutrition, New Delhi

In September this year, the UN Secretary General is medium-sized enterprises. UN agencies, academics
convening the first ever UN Food Systems Summit and representatives from international and national
(UNFSS), a historic moment for centring food in many Non-governmental organisations and civil society
critical issues facing people all over our planet today; organisations (NGOs and CSOs); and finally and very
from hunger and malnutrition, environment and nature, crucially, together with representatives of stakeholders
livelihoods and human rights, to resilience to shocks and from groups with voices that too often go unheard
stresses like COVID-19 and the climate emergency. – women’s groups, consumer groups, young people,
indigenous people, and farmer organisations will also
India is a vast and diverse nation, but its food and join hands.
malnutrition challenges remain significant. Some 38
per cent of children under five are stunted – a third of India’s UNFSS Dialogues: Raising awareness,
the world’s stunted children. connecting stakeholders, prioritising actions
India, set to become the world’s most populous
The Summit is expected to serve as a turning point country in the next six years, has a crucial stake in
to achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals the Food Systems Summit. India’s primary, but not
(SDGs) with participating countries expected to launch exclusive, focus is on 'Action Track 4: Advance Equitable
bold new actions, solutions, and strategies to build Livelihoods' which aims to achieve solutions to
healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food advance equitable livelihoods in food systems through
systems across the world. tackling poverty from a multidimensional perspective
with a focus on those whose livelihoods (women,
The Summit is pursuing five specific objectives youth, indigenous peoples, the disabled, seasonal
under five Action Tracks, which include: labourers, etc.) are most adversely impacted by current
food systems practices, and norms that limit equity.
 Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all Advancing equitable livelihoods requires building
 Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns agency among those people in the food systems who
 Boosting nature-positive production lack the space or the enabling environment in which
 Advancing equitable livelihoods to exercise their power and rights by protecting and
 Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and strengthening their capacities and the knowledge,
stress resilience, and innovation that they inherently possess.
As a nation, India joins over 125 countries that
have embarked on coordinating efforts for inclusive, While India has separate policies on agriculture,
multi stakeholder Food Systems Summit Dialogues food security and nutrition, a food systems approach
to engage around the vision of the ‘people’s summit’. needs more attention. The problems of unsustainable
All over the world, countries have been holding – and production, producers’ livelihoods, consumer welfare
in some cases continue to hold – national and sub- and the environment, are often seen at odds with each
national dialogues to surface and prioritise needs other. However, these issues intersect for the farmer,
and actions. These convenings bring stakeholders who is both a producer and a consumer, and depends
from different areas of the public sector, national and on the environment for his/her livelihood.
subnational, representing ministries like agriculture,
food, health, and environment together with private Given this backdrop, and in preparation for the
sector players like food industry bodies or small and UNFSS, India had conducted one Member-State

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in UNFOODSYSTEMSSUMMIT 37

dialogue in April 2021: the National Level Dialogue on promoting organic farming practices, promoting crop
Agri-Food Systems-Advancing Equitable Livelihoods. diversity, strengthening bio-fortification and food
This Dialogue was facilitated by the Inter departmental fortification
Group constituted by the Department of Agriculture
Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and representatives 4) Focusing on backward and lagging regions to
from UN Agencies in New Delhi with participation from address inter-regional inequalities
farmers’ organisations, farmer producer organisations,
civil society organisations, research institutions 5) Empowering women by institutionalising rights
and experts, as well as representatives of different to agricultural land, housing rights, etc., building
government agencies. agency through knowledge and learning by leveraging
the social capital (women Self Help Groups (SHGs))
During the UNFSS Pre-summit convening in already created through National Rural Livelihood
Rome and virtually with participants from all over Mission (NRLM) and ensuring equal wages for equal
the globe, the Government of India’s Member work across all genders
State representative, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union
Minister for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, laid 6) Integrating healthy living and practices like
out "Important steps that we've taken to make our exercises and Yoga into food systems
agricultural food systems sustainable, to increase
farmers income, and to address the problem of 7) Developing consumer behaviour change
hunger in our country." campaigns to emphasise importance of switching to
millets, local foods, traditional diets rich in nutrition
These included for instance a focus on providing and organic foods; especially in wake of the COVID-19
agricultural infrastructure including through a pandemic
dedicated multibillion dollar fund, creating agricultural
marketing infrastructure with a focus on small-scale 8) Addressing weaknesses in the country’s
farmers, providing insurance, working to improve soil legislation with regards to pre-harvest food safety,
health, boosting efficient water use in agriculture, better research and development on scientific storage
celebrating the International Year of Millet in 2023 as of crops other than rice and wheat and registering
proposed to the United Nations by the Government of all warehouses dealing with food storage with
India, and, running food-based safety net programmes Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority
including the targeted public distribution system and (WDRA)
the midday meal scheme.
9) Building a robust ecosystem for cold chain
The minister went on to affirm, "We will continue logistics with involvement of both Government and
with our efforts to try to achieve the targets set out in private sectors
the sustainable development goals by 2030 and we
will definitely meet the expectations of our people." 10) Linking food and farm subsidy to nutrition
and environment targets, revisiting World Trade
The UNFSS Dialogues Gateway also records some Organization (WTO) treaties with an intent to revise
28 Independent Dialogues held in India, on wide- export rates and bringing policy changes to curb or
ranging topics including: Women, Work and Food put regulatory restraints on trans-national companies
Systems; Small Businesses; Faith and Food; Sustainable including their marketing practices.
Fishing; Localisation of food; Dryland food systems;
and Seaweed – and these independent dialogues Collective Action
continue to be held. The agenda for food systems transformation in India
is understandably large and complex with many
The report of the National Dialogue conducted in diverse stakeholders involved. Consensus-building
April revealed several areas of recommendations that on the way forward is critically important, and to this
arose including: end, committed non-governmental stakeholders
have recently initiated a 'Coalition of Partners for
1) Emphasising regional agri-food systems plans Food System Transformation' in India, with the aim of
aligned with agro-climatic conditions, technologies, building commitment for collective action for a safe,
rainwater water harvesting in water stressed regions more nutritious, sustainable, and equitable Indian food
and safe disposal of surface run-off in heavy rainfall system to accelerate progress towards achieving the
areas UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

2) Developing a research and implementation GAIN India is committed to working with
mechanism for soil productivity restorations and the coalition, other development partners, and
strengthening stakeholders in government at the national and state
levels to support the urgently needed acceleration of
3) Regulating use of chemical fertilizers and India’s food systems transformation.

38 DAIRY NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Samir Vyas, Rising Dairy
adulteration poses
Country Manager, severe health risks
Agilent India, Mumbai

Modern practices and technology can go a long way in adulterated with the highest health risks.

checking adulteration of food, especially milk and milk Exposing Milk Adulteration
Globally, and especially in India, milk continues to be one
products in India. Despite the government's drive against of the most adulterated food products on the market.
With the dairy market reaching a value of Rs 11,357
this public health and safety concern, milk and ghee billion in 2020 and about 188 million MT production in
2019-20, India is the world’s largest producer of milk.
continue to top the list of most adulterated food products,
Despite the nation-wide proliferation of private
posing a far-reaching threat to the health of consumers. and cooperative dairies, there exists a huge supply gap
between the production and consumption of milk in
Widely consumed in most parts of the world, the country. It is this gap that attracts unscrupulous
milk and milk-based products are an important food fraudsters who try to exploit the market by serving
source of nutrition for human beings. As the adulterated products. Since milk is an excellent medium
population increases and incomes rise, the popularity for the growth of bacterial pathogens that can cause
of dairy products in many developing countries is rising. spoilage and make individuals feel unwell if consumed,
With increased production to meet the growing demand, this perishable nature of milk along with the non-
ensuring high product quality and keeping adulteration standardisation of quality checks also serves to further
at bay is gradually taking center stage. illegal trade.

Food adulteration poses a grave health risk and A 2019 report by Consumer Guidance Society of India
has become a key global concern. In India, we have (CGSI), a nonprofit organisation reveals that a worrying
witnessed adulteration across food sources – from small 79 per cent of branded or loose milk available in the
pebbles or stones in rice and the presence of powdered market is adulterated. Of the 413 samples of milk tested
brick and boric powder in masalas to urea in milk and for fat and solids-not-fat contents between January and
animal tallow in pure ghee, there are many such forms of December 2019, only 21 per cent of samples complied
contamination. with the standard specifications set by the Food Safety
and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Statistics reveal that instead of a fall in
contamination, there has been a consistent increase Some of the common adulterants include table sugar
in food adulteration cases in the country. In 2012- used to increase the carbohydrate content and density
13, just 15 per cent of the samples collected by the of the milk, starch to increase the solid-not-fat (SNF),
National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration benzoic acid, salicylic acid to increase shelf life, and soap
Laboratories were found to be adulterated. However, to make the milk thicker or denser.
this figure rose to 29 per cent of samples that failed to
conform to standards in 2018-19. Of the 106,459 food Impact of dairy adulteration
samples collected by the laboratory, 3,900 samples were While these examples are concerning, the exhaustive list
declared unsafe and close to 17,000 were found sub- of adulterants includes various other products. Formalin
substandard. This data is worrying indeed. is a disinfectant used to increase its shelf life. Ammonium
sulphate is commonly used as it has the tendency to
The government has been active in driving increase the lactometer reading by maintaining the
preventive measures. Over time, there has been an
increase in penalties collected for violation of food
standards. And yet, some of India’s most popular
products – milk and ghee – are some of the most

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in DAIRY 39

density of milk. Another concern about adulterated Given the rampant adulteration of food
milk is the higher-than-permissible levels of antibiotic products such as milk and ghee, it is imperative
residues in it. that all necessary steps be taken to combat this
challenge. By incorporating modern food testing
The consumption of adulterated food can have workflow into production, food producers
both short-term and long-term impacts. Melamine, a and manufacturers are able to validate the
nitrogen-rich compound added to increase the protein authenticity and safety of their products in
count in milk can cause kidney-related problems, line with mandatory regulations. While the
starch can cause diarrhea, urea can lead to kidney qualitative detection of adulterants in milk
damage. Hydrogen peroxide, another additive used to for example can be easily done with chemical
increase shelf life, can affect the digestive system and reactions, quantitative detections are complex
consumption of detergents can affect the intestine and diverse. Milk and its byproducts need to
and kidneys. No wonder then that the World Health be tested for three main aspects: to secure the
Organisation (WHO) has warned that a major portion nutritional value of milk, to confirm the absence
of the Indian population might face life-threatening of suspected harmful chemicals in milk, and to
diseases by 2025 if milk adulteration is not checked ensure its authenticity and rule out adulteration.
immediately.
atomic spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry are
Adulteration of Ghee widely used to ensure that dairy products are free from
Like milk, another dairy product that has been known to adulteration and contaminants through testing of
be adulterated, is ghee. Ghee has always been a favourite beta-sitosterol, triglycerides, fatty acids, heavy metals,
product in India and its market demand has increased veterinary drugs, aflatoxins and pesticides. It is also
in recent years with the rediscovery of its benefits as a essential to test for potentially toxic elements such as
healthy fat. The Indian ghee market attained a value of Rs cadmium, tin, mercury, arsenic, and lead in animal-
2,374 billion in 2020. The market price of ghee is almost derived milk as contaminants could originate from
three times more than the price of edible vegetable oils animal feed, fertiliser, soil, or processing equipment.
and fats. Coupled with the high price and the output
falling short of the demand, adulteration of ghee has Since adulteration of dairy is a pressing concern
become a common malpractice in recent times. impacting health, various measures are being adopted
to monitor and reduce contamination. Apart from
At times, the adulteration of ghee starts at the milk government vigilance, the rise of branded food products
stage itself. Groundnut oil, emulsion of coconut oil or has helped the battle against food adulteration. Food
other cheap oils are added to the milk or cream. Tallow companies in India have been partnering with a host of
or other animal meat fats and bones are also mixed agencies to check and eliminate adulteration and ensure
with the ghee. When it comes to ghee, the detection the nutritional value of milk and its byproducts. These
of adulteration becomes difficult because the chemical have been key to national efforts to check adulteration in
characteristics of ghee adulterated with animal meat fat food. With product choices increasing not just in stores
falls within the normal range of pure ghee. but also online marketplaces, it is imperative that all
available resources are leveraged to monitor adulteration
Challenges in testing and ensure the health and safety of the consumer.
Given the rampant adulteration of food products such
as milk and ghee, it is imperative that all necessary steps
be taken to combat this challenge. By incorporating
modern food testing workflow into production, food
producers and manufacturers are able to validate the
authenticity and safety of their products in line with
mandatory regulations. While the qualitative detection
of adulterants in milk for example can be easily done
with chemical reactions, quantitative detections are
complex and diverse. Milk and its byproducts need to be
tested for three main aspects: to secure the nutritional
value of milk, to confirm the absence of suspected
harmful chemicals in milk, and to ensure its authenticity
and rule out adulteration.

Solutions such as gas and liquid chromatography,

40 RTD NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Ready-to-Drink
segment bubbles

Vikram Damodaran, India offers a favourable market opportunity to the alco-bev industry with the
youngest population in the world, and over 500 million people in its workforce.
Chief Innovation Officer, The country is also home to some of the highest number of billionaires, behind
Diageo India, Bengaluru only the USA and China. There's a growing and vibrant middle-class population
with rising disposable income, who are increasingly looking for an aspirational
lifestyle and premium experiences and products.

While India’s per capita consumption of alco-bev The wave of craft
is one of the lowest in the world, given India is Craft beer was here first and continues to rise. Following that
the largest whisky market in the world and one curve, came the onslaught of craft gins. With the availability
of the top 10 economies, it remains one of the fastest- and consumption of beer adversely impacted during the
growing markets with a compound annual growth rate pandemic, consumers who craved craft have shifted to
(CAGR) in the mid-teens. Like most sectors, the pandemic higher ABV spirits such as gins. This has led to a host of
has adversely impacted the alco-bev industry with the offerings in the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) space – everything
complete closure of alcohol retail – both on and off trade from low calorie and flavoured tonic waters to pre-mixes
outlets during the lockdown. With all avenues of offline which can easily be consumed with a host of spirits.
socialisation suspended, the pandemic has redefined the
future of socialising and the alco-bev industry. Starting Organic and natural
with the onset of virtual happy hours and gradually as Consumers have started becoming selective about
normalcy returned, smaller gatherings around specific ingredients in their favourite beverages, looking to infuse
occasions, consumer behaviour has evolved with the new the best of natural ingredients stems from “nature” being
consumption patterns. a surrogate for 'good, sustainable and healthy'. Brands
have begun to respond with RTD’s manufactured with
In-bound consumption organic ingredients, removing artificial additives, and
As consumers are homebound, with the closure of bars adding flavour with natural ingredients such as juices and
and restaurants either shut or operating partially, the botanicals. The year 2020 saw one the largest number
permissibility of alcohol consumption at home has of claims with the word 'natural' globally and India is
increased. Consumers have discovered that they could certainly not going to be left behind.
drink better as in-home consumption has made it possible
for them to upgrade and enjoy their favourite drink within Healthy for life
the safe zone of their homes. Originating from the US in the early 2010’s, the hard
seltzer, an alcohol based and flavoured sparkling water,
Mixology experience at home revolutionised the North American RTD market. This trend
The premium and luxury categories have seen an is now repeating itself across Europe. Hard seltzers are
impetus, becoming an integral part of the current marketed as low calorie, low sugar alternatives to beer and
culture, with white spirits like vodka and gin an other beverages, and thus appeal to consumers who are
essential part of sundowners and brunches. With prioritising health and wellness. Their modern positioning
‘drinking better’ and in moderation at home gaining makes them a fresh alternative to traditional alco-bev
popularity, consumers have started to gravitate drinks. In India, while there are very few brands promoting
towards experimenting with new offerings, creating the hard seltzers, the growth rate and acceptance of these
'mixologist experience', stocking up on varied mixers, offerings have seen a meteoric climb in the last few months.
tonics and premixes to bring alive the bar ambience at
home. To cater to this rising demand, ready-to-drink Amidst the emerging and constantly evolving
brands have strengthened their presence at physical alco-bev landscape, 'Ready to Drink' offerings, while a
and digital retail distribution channels are witnessing small part of the Indian alco-bev market, is likely to see
phenomenal growth. exponential growth against the cultural and behavioural
metamorphosis of the Indian consumer.

Website: www.nuffoodsspectrum.in
Email: [email protected]

42 STRATEGY NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Sanish Bhaskaran, Why businesses
must fine-tune their
Reputation Management 'Online Reputation'
Strategist, Surestory, Kochi
Zoom and Google Meetings have replaced client meetings, exhibitions have taken a
virtual avatar and webinar is the new seminar. It is evident that it will take a while for the
world to function like in the past and till then, digital seems to be the obvious choice for
all of us.

Most of us are aware of the perks of being present HR policies stress validating the incumbent's behavioural
on digital platforms, the reason why almost 90 analysis, especially on social media platforms. And it just
per cent of B2B companies, today, own a website doesn’t end at hiring. Even top management teams and
as a point of contact. Unfortunately, that is not enough. professionals are put under the scanner and evaluated
Most companies are oblivious to their presence on the based on their online reputation. Their past statements
internet popularly known as Online Reputation. In simple to the media, online portals, response to customer
terms, your online reputation is what your customer or escalations, HR policies, and political views often come
anybody sees as a result of their search of your company across as critical points of validation and assessment.
name/ product on Google or similar search engines. It’s a And all these can be critical if you plan to diversify or
total of your digital footprint appearing on search engine looking for funds from potential investors or financial
results pages (SERP). institutions.

Google search results showing images, videos, media The roadmap to manage effective online reputation
coverage, social media handles, location maps, customer is an ongoing process and one should treat it as an auto-
reviews, ratings, among others, all lead to creating positive immune condition. You just have to keep managing it
or negative affinity towards any company or product. It with care and attention and consider it a work in progress
can be a make-or-break situation if you take your online department.
reputation for granted. Because, as per a recent study,
over 90 per cent of purchase decisions are made based Let’s remember that Online Reputation Management
on the user-generated content available online. is an ongoing, long-term process and one must put in
dedicated efforts to see the results. As a word of caution,
Likewise, Online Reputation is equally important for we must keep in mind that 'Undoing on the internet is
individuals. Gone are the days when companies hired tougher than doing', so everything that goes online must
people based on their scores and credentials. New age be vetted and inspected thoroughly.

Kickstarting an impactful digital presence begin any reputation management initiatives.
 Some of us still think that social media isn’t an ideal
 While most people worry about how their website
looks, what is often neglected is the domain name tool if you are in the B2B business. Social media
chosen for your site. It is recommended to have the platforms are icebreakers; they help in engaging
domain name the same as your company name with your customers with conversations beyond
which helps your customers to remember it easily business and make you sound less pushy.
and also for Google to put you on top search results.  Use videos to showcase your capabilities, because
Beware of fraudsters owning domain names and 'seeing is believing’. Micro videos are the trend, tell
coming up with fake sites. If you don’t own your your story in a crisp and engaging format and share
website domain name someone else will do. it online. Your customers are sure to find them and
learn about you before the meeting.
 Do a quick audit of how you appear on the internet.  Don't shy away from the media. Being featured in the
Simply begin with a search of your company name media adds credibility & transparency to your image.
and see your digital footprint. Understanding where
you stand at the moment is important before you

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 43

“We strive to ensure S V Ganapathi,
food safety and
Managing Director,
accurate labels with our Phenomenex India, Hyderabad
wide range of solutions”

From drug discovery and pharmaceutical development Strata X PRO under our GC and Sample Preparation product
to food safety and environmental analysis, US- portfolio. More than 90 per cent of human exposure to
headquartered Phenomenex has developed dioxins and dioxin-like substances is through food. With
chromatography solutions to equip researchers with the progressively lower regulatory limits and decreasing
tools they require to improve global health and wellbeing. PCDD/F levels in food, feed, and tissues, more demanding
During an interaction with NuFFooDS Spectrum, S V limits of detection, selectivity, and robustness are necessary
Ganapathi, Managing Director, Phenomenex India, in a high-throughput lab. The gold-standard for analysis of
Hyderabad talks about how the company is contributing to PCDD/F and PCB is GC/HRMS. Laboratories involved with
the food testing ecosystem in India. Edited excerpts; dioxin analysis must often deal with a variety of sample
matrices. A key factor for these laboratories is maintaining
What is your contribution in strengthening food safety? instrument uptime, column robustness and maintaining
Food Adulteration is one of our primary focus points. We resolution of critical pairs. We have various technical notes
strive to support our food safety and quality organisations on our website with different sample matrices. Also, as
with tools and resources to ensure that our food is we are aware Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
safe, and our food labels are accurate. Phenomenex are carcinogenic substances that must be monitored in
India is committed to support the industry through a food products per guidelines. PAH compounds may arise
comprehensive product portfolio of sample preparation, in meat and dairy products upon heat processing, during
chromatographic accessories along with strong which amino acid residues in food may react with sugars
application and method development guidance to meet and creatine to generate PAHs. In addition, packaging
food industry guidelines. Phenomenex is providing a wide materials in food may also introduce PAH components. It is
range of solutions pertaining to food safety standards in essential to analyse these 4 PAHs in the shortest run time to
India mainly in chromatography. improve the throughput of this analysis. We have products
and solutions that can offer this.
We have over 100 food applications using sample
preparation, LC, LC/MS, GC, and GC/MS. Compound How can we control the increasing incidences of food
classes include: Contaminants, Mycotoxins, Pesticides adulteration taking place in India?
Residues, Veterinary Drugs, Dietary Supplements, Fatty Food Adulteration can be controlled by regular
Acids, Organic Acids and Sugars and much more. monitoring, inspection, and risk assessment of various
ingredients, third party auditing and to develop Critical
To support the food safety and testing applications Analytical techniques. There are many newer and
we provide a broad range of products that include: emerging trends in food technology that help in creating
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 Sample Preparation- Quechers, Strata X, PRO, technologies in terms of more updated systems LC-MS
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 LC, LC/MS - Kinetex Biphenyl, Synergy Fusion RP, low level/trace levels of toxic chemicals in food which is
Gemini C18, KINETEX C18, LUNA C18 difficult by regular analytical systems.

 GC/MS – ZB-FAME, WAXPLUS, ZB-PAH EU, ZB-5MS, Manbeena Chawla
ZB-DIOXINS, ZB-MR1 MR2. [email protected]

Are you planning to launch new products in India?
We recently added ZB-DIOXINS, ZB-PAH EU, Strata -PFAs,

44 PEOPLE NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Licious appoints Durga Doraisamy joins
Himanshu Verma
as CPTO Diageo as Global Head

Licious, headquartered in Bengaluru, and operates of Investor Relations
on a farm-to-fork model, owning the entire back-
end supply chain and cold chain, has announced the British multinational beverage alcohol company
appointment of Himanshu Verma as Chief Product Diageo has announced the appointment of Durga
& Technology Officer (CPTO). In its sixth year of Doraisamy as Global Head of Investor Relations (IR).
operations, the Bengaluru-based brand is focused on Durga joins from Starbucks Corporation, where she
disrupting the industry with world-class tech-based was Vice President, Investor Relations, responsible
for the leadership of the IR function at the Fortune
solutions and approached 500 company. She brings over 20 years of broad-
the leading Tech-head reaching, finance-driven
search firm, Purple Quarter investor relations
to meet their CXO-level experience. Prior to
requirement. Verma's joining Starbucks in
appointment is a pivotal 2014, Durga led investor
step for the company. An relations at Puget
industry veteran with over Sound Energy, Inc., the
two decades of experience, largest investor-owned
Verma's last assignment was regulated electric and
with Amazon, where he served as Director of Product natural gas utility in
& Engineering. Prior to that, he has served as CTO at Washington State, where she successfully led the
Yatra.com, one of the largest online travel companies transition of the company from being publicly
in India. During his 25-year-long career, Verma had traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) into
leadership stints with leading technology companies private ownership. In Durga’s early career, she held
such as Flipkart, Yahoo!, and Oracle, to name a few. audit, analyst and controller roles at Cargill, Union
As Licious embarks on the next phase of growth, the Distributing and Unisource Energy in the U.S. To
company expects that Verma’s rich experience in ensure a smooth transition and focused delivery
building technology for transforming the supply chain through the financial reporting period, Vinod Rao,
and enhancing customer experience will help it chart a currently Global Head of Investor Relations, will
new path to success. partner with Durga to co-lead investor relations
through the end of November 2021.

Dabur picks Sanath Pulikkal as AGM for Marketing

Ghaziabad-based ayurvedic & business strategy culminating
natural healthcare company with Pioneering Innovations,
Dabur has announced the Product launches and
appointment of Sanath Category Marketing, gained
Pulikkal as Additional at various life stages of
General Manager (GM) for the brands. He has been
Marketing. He is an FMCG responsible for the business
marketing professional with revenue, market share &
over 18 years of experience profit growth for various
in managing key brands in FMCG brands. Prior to joining
challenging consumer goods Dabur, Pulikkal was working
such as Home Care, food as Senior DGM Marketing for
& beverages, automotive Jyothy Labs in Mumbai. He
etc. Pulikkal has valuable has also previously worked
experience in marketing and with Tata Global Beverages.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in PEOPLE NEWS 45

Geetika Mehta Unibic Foods names
Naveen Pandey as
takes charge as Chief Executive Officer

Hershey India MD Bengaluru-based Unibic Foods has announced the
appointment of Naveen Pandey as its Chief Executive
The Hershey Company has announced the Officer (CEO). Pandey will be responsible for leading the
appointment of Geetika Mehta as Managing strategic direction and growth journey of the company.
Director (MD) for India. She will be reporting to His last assignment
Herjit Bhalla, Vice President India and AEMEA before joining Unibic
(Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa). Geetika was as the Head of
was earlier serving as the General Manager, Marico’s New Foods’
Home and Hygiene, India and the Regional Brand Business Unit, where
he led the startup team
Director, South Asia, to launch category
Hindustan Unilever defining products
(HUL). She was with such as Saffola Honey,
HUL for 18 years Saffola Mealmaker
and has played wide and Immuniveda.
ranging roles there. Pandey commands
With a proven track over two decades of
record of building senior management
and nurturing experience in the
small businesses Indian FMCG space. An alumnus of Indian Institute of
and leading growth for large businesses and Management, Indore, he has had successful stints with
driving profitability and turnaround, Geetika's corporate giants such as PepsiCo and Asian Paints.
key responsibility is to lead the Hershey India
team into the next phase of growth, scale and
evolution.

Richa Singh steps in as CFO at Mars Wrigley India

Mars Wrigley India has announced the
appointment of Richa Singh as the new Chief
Financial Officer (CFO), thereby strengthening
the role of women in its leadership team.
Richa comes with a global experience of
over two decades across consumer durables
and FMCG companies, leading business
accelerations and transformations, process
optimisations, among others. She joins from
Niine, a startup in feminine hygiene that she
led for three years. Prior to Niine, she has
had stints with Philips Healthcare@Home,
Philips Consumer, J&J Medical ASEAN, Coca-
Cola and P&G across India, ASEAN, Australia
and Japan. She is a passionate team leader
having worked as CEO and CFO of growing
businesses, recognised for driving business
growth, turning around team performances,
and driving a winning culture with strong
focus on value creation by business building,
compliance and cost optimisation.

46 INGREDIENTS NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Tereos inks stevia supply agreement with Firmenich

As a leading company in innovative and appealing recipes for nutritional profiles, these products
sweeteners, French firm Tereos its customers. And with improved will take advantage of market
has offered its customers stevia opportunities in line with consumer
extracts for over 10 years. In July expectations. As a sweetener, stevia
2021, the Group consolidated this meets expectations in terms of
ingredient’s position in its product nutrition by allowing the sugar and
range by announcing the signing calorie content of finished products
of a strategic supply agreement to be reduced, and this trend is
with the Swiss firm Firmenich, the reflected in labelling systems such
world leader in the fragrance and as the ‘Nutri-Score’. This rating scale
flavour business. The combination translates the nutritional value of a
of Tereos solutions and Firmenich’s product, going from A (very healthy)
range of stevia extracts will lead to to E (rather unhealthy).

ADM accelerates GNT uses turmeric
growth of alternative
protein platform and spirulina for

US-based ADM has announced that it has reached an food colouring
agreement to acquire Sojaprotein, a leading European
provider of non-GMO soy ingredients. Serbia-based GNT Group, based in the Netherlands, has
Sojaprotein has sales into 65 countries, offering a wide array recently launched two EXBERRY Colouring
of non-GMO vegetable protein ingredients for an extensive Foods made from turmeric and spirulina,
list of European and global customers in the meat alternative, opening up new opportunities for clean-label
confectionery, protein bar, pharmaceutical, pet food, and greens. EXBERRY Shade Jade Green delivers
animal feed segments. The company had more than $100 a bright, bluish-green shade, while EXBERRY
million in sales in 2020. Thirty years ago, ADM invented the Shade Lime Green provides a yellowish-green
soy vegetable burger, giving rise to the plant-based protein hue. The products expand GNT’s range of
segment. Today, alternative proteins represent one of its green Colouring Foods, helping the company
core growth platforms, and as this $10 billion global industry cater to the growing global demand for cost-
grows to $30 billion over the next decade, ADM is investing effective green colours that support clean label
to expand its unparalleled capabilities. The addition would declarations. Shade Jade Green and Shade Lime
build on ADM’s recent investments in alternative proteins, Green are both liquid-based and can be used
including the company’s soy protein complex in Campo in a wide range of applications. They are ideal
Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; its new pea protein plant for confectionery such as fruit jellies and hard-
in Enderlin, North Dakota; its PlantPlus Foods joint venture; panned products; dairy products including
and partnerships with innovative startups like Air Protein. yogurt and ice cream; and decorative coatings
for bakery, dairy and more. They also have no
impact on taste in the final application as a
result of the physical, water-based methods
used to create the colours. Based on the
principle of colouring food with food, EXBERRY
products are made from edible, non-GMO fruit,
vegetables and plants using physical processing
methods and no chemical solvents.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in R&D NEWS 47

Shoolini University discovers bacterial
biopigment with food colouring properties

A team of researchers from Shoolini bio-colourants, researchers have and economical, besides being
University, Himachal Pradesh, identified microbes as potential non-toxic, inexpensive, and readily
have discovered a psychrophilic sources of pigments that promise available. Another advantage of
bacterial strain, called Rhodonellum to be environmentally friendly using pigments of microbial origin
psychrophilum GL8, at the high is, unlike certain plant or fruit dyes,
altitude Pangong Tso Lake in the their production is not dependent
Himalayas. The red pigment isolated on seasonal fluctuations, and, given
from this bacterium possesses the right growing conditions of
antimicrobial, antifungal, and skin the microbes, they can be mass-
cell growth stimulating properties. produced like synthetic dyes. The
This novel bio-pigment promises researchers have filed patents based
to be useful for the development on their impressive discoveries,
of antimicrobial smart fabrics, which they believe will provide
medicated bandages, and natural unique local solutions to global
food colouring and preservatives. problems of nutrition, medicine,
In their search for eco-friendly and environment.

NABI creates sensor Global experts use
to detect arsenic in
food & water in 15 mins orange peel powder to

A team of researchers at the National Agri-Food fortify bakery products
Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, has developed an
ultra-sensitive, easy-to-use sensor for detecting arsenic In a collaborative study from Saudi Arabia
contamination in water and food samples in 15 minutes. and Egypt, a group of scientists evaluated
The developed sensor is highly sensitive, selective, involves the effect of substituting wheat flour at 5, 10,
a single step, and is applicable for various water and food 15 and 20 per cent with orange peel powder
samples. The developed sensor can be easily operated by on the physicochemical, antioxidants and
a common man by just correlating the colour change (on organoleptic properties of cookies. The use
sensor surface) with the standard labels. Developed on of synthetic antioxidants has been applied
mixed metal (cobalt/molybdenum) based metal-organic for several foods but has had its restrictions
frameworks, it can detect a wide range of arsenic- from 0.05 as a result of its side effects. A new trend
ppb to 1000 ppm. In the case of paper and colorimetric in food processing is the use of natural
sensors, the colour of the Metal-Organic Framework antioxidants from plant source or wastes of
(MOF) changes from purple to blue after interaction with food processing to be good alternatives of
arsenic. The intensity of the blue colour increases with an synthetics antioxidants, in addition to their
increase in the concentration of arsenic. It has been tested added values as providing bioactivity in
successfully for the fabrication of spectroscopic as well as biscuits to introduce a new functional food.
paper-based tools for testing arsenic in groundwater, rice According to the research team, orange peels
extract, and plum juice. are a rich source of dietary fibre, phenolic
compounds and have effective antioxidant
activity. Therefore, they can be used as a
natural source in fortifying bakery products.
The researchers concluded that incorporation
of up to 15 per cent of orange peel powder
in cookie manufacturing improved the
physicochemical, nutritional quality with
respect to sensorial characteristics of cookies.

48 SUPPLIER NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Tetra Pak Elanpro makes new investment
triples recycling to minimise food product loss
capacity of
beverage cartons Gurugram-based Elanpro (Elan The new reforms and policies
Professionals) has recently and huge traction of tourism
Tetra Pak and Stora Enso have invested in New Delhi-based have reshaped the Middle
recently joined forces to boost the startup Icold Refrigeration, a East Market drawing huge
recycling capacity of beverage company specialising in cold attention of foreign investors.
cartons in Poland, with an storage. Elanpro has taken a As per UN, approximately 40
investment of €29.1 million. The majority stake in the company. per cent of food produced in
partnership, which follows a With this investment, Elanpro India is wasted and two of the
comprehensive feasibility study, strengthens its business major contributing factors
sees the introduction of a large- objective and forays into the being inadequate cold storage
scale carton repulping line at Stora cold chain storage segment and transportation systems.
Enso’s Ostrołęka production unit in across India. Additionally, this Elanpro being into a business
Poland. The line will triple the annual will allow Elanpro to significantly of Horeca (Hotel/Restaurant/
recycling capacity of used beverage add value to its business partner Café) segment, has identified
cartons in Poland from 25,000 and establish themselves the roadblocks and leaped in
to 75,000 tonnes. This will allow as a true comprehensive investing and acquiring firms
recycling of the entire volume of Refrigeration player in India. showcasing larger impact and
beverage cartons sold in the country Elanpro has made an investment potential for growth. Thus,
as well as ones from neighbouring to not only expand its business the corporation has invested
countries, including Hungary, outreach in India but also paves in Icold Refrigeration in order
Slovakia and the Czech Republic. way to penetrate its presence to minimise food or other
Stora Enso will invest €17 million in the Middle East market. pharmaceutical product loss.
into a new repulping line that will
recover the carton fibres, while Dow P&SP inks pact with
Tetra Pak, along with Plastigram, Vishakha Group to develop
will invest a total of €12.1 million 'Recyclable Barrier Film'
to build an additional line. This will
recover and separately recycle the Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics (Dow P&SP) has announced the
polymers and the aluminium, using advancement of a partnership with Ahmedabad-based barrier film
a patented separation technology. manufacturer, Vishakha Group, to develop a 'Recyclable Barrier Film' for
Both lines will be operational by the Solid’s packaging. These films will be used for the first time by Dharmesh
beginning of 2023. Foods, based in Ahmedabad, for vacuum-packing wheat. This recyclable
barrier film solution will not only add to
the shelf life of the product and reduce
food waste, it also helps communities in
allowing for recycling of the packaging
itself. The joint effort between Dow
P&SP, Vishakha team and Dharmesh
Foods saw the three companies come
together to co-develop a nylon-based
barrier film enabled by Dow's RETAIN
Compatibilizer to make recyclable packaging for wheat. This partnership
brings valuable stakeholders together to foster positive impacts with
sustainable packaging solutions. RETAIN is specifically designed to
compatibilize polyamide (nylon) and ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) into
a continuous polyethylene matrix.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SUPPLIER NEWS 49

GEA serum separator Agilent unveils rapid
boosts Amul's ghee
production by 30% PFAS testing protocol

Continuing its tradition of customer-centric, innovative for drinking water
solutions, German firm GEA has engineered a unique
ghee processing separator for Amul. The dairy firm Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced the
has reduced fat losses by 85 per cent and increased availability of an optimised and verified eMethod
ghee production by 30 per cent with no additional for PFAS Analysis in Water by LC/TQ for testing per-
investment in the already existing plant. GEA developed and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking
its groundbreaking serum separator based on Amul’s and surface water using liquid chromatography
requirements for the local market. With a capacity of and mass spectrometry. PFAS—known as ‘forever
3,000 liters per hour, the separator allows Amul to bypass chemicals’—are a group of man-made chemicals
the conventional pre-stratification setup and scale up that include PFOA, PFOS, GenX,
its production to generate an additional volume of 6 and many others. PFAS have
metric tonnes per day with no additional equipment been manufactured and used in
or investment in the plant. Amul’s new installation has a variety of industries worldwide
reduced the load on its effluent treatment plant (ETP), since the 1940s. Environmental
resulting in large savings in overall power and fuel contamination of PFAS compounds
consumption and benefiting the dairy’s sustainability continues to be a highly visible
initiatives. The GEA serum separator also helps reduce environmental issue. Customers can
the turnaround time of the production process. now use Agilent’s PFAS drinking and
surface water solution to run real
samples within hours, eliminating the requirement
for an exhaustive investigation, optimisation, and
method development that often took weeks. The
solution includes optimized analytical protocols
(sample preparation protocol, step-by-step workflow
guide, and ready-to-run acquisition and quantitation
methods) and a detailed list of consumables,
supplies, and lab equipment necessary to implement
the complete analytical protocol.

Multivac introduces novel packaging machine for snack products

With its F 286 thermoforming current demand in the market for designed to produce thermoformed
packaging machine, US-based snack packs, such as those for dried packs with a forming depth of up
supplier Multivac is launching a new or roasted duck portions, beef to 20 mm. With the optional upper
model, which is particularly suitable jerky, small sausages or tofu, and web forming of 10 mm, it is possible
for producing vacuum and modified these packs enjoy great popularity to replace existing, symmetrically
atmosphere packaging (MAP) for particularly in Asia. Packs made produced pouch packs. Thanks to
snack products. The main features from plastic films or aluminium its loading area of up to 3,000 mm,
of the new machine are its high can be produced. The F 286 was which can be extended flexibly,
level of flexibility, efficiency and it is possible to achieve high pack
pack quality, as well as its excellent outputs, even though the machine
price-performance ratio, and can also be accommodated in
the machine is available for confined working environments.
ordering with immediate
effect. The new F 286
thermoforming packaging
machine has been developed
by Multivac in response to the

50 NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | September 2021 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

LET’S TALK NUTRITION & SCIENCE

Rectifying Nutritional Neglect
Mysuru-based Central Food Technological
Research Institute (CFTRI) has developed at the price of over Rs 2000. Abbott’s ProSure
a food supplementary formulation, Powder is available at over Rs 1000 (400 gm).
named Encircle, as a Ready-to-Eat or Ready-
to-Drink supplement, to aid in cancer therapy The market will see the entry of many other
providing protection against cancer cells. This players in the coming months as we see a growing
formulation with Food Drug Administration incidence of cancer among the Indian population.
(FDA)/ Food Safety and Standards Authority of According to the National Cancer Registry
India (FSSAI) approved ingredients, has been Programme Report 2020, released in August 2020,
optimised using genetic algorithms, in ovarian by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
cancer cell lines, with a cut-off survival of less and National Centre for Disease Informatics &
than 40 per cent and ensuring normal cells lines’ Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, estimates that in
survival of more than 60 per cent. 2020 cancer cases in India will be at 13.9 lakh and
likely to increase to 15.7 lakhs by 2025, based
The team that developed the formulation on current trends. These estimates are based
noted that Encircle’s mode of action is adapted on information related to cancer collected from
from The Battle of Isandlwana of the First Anglo- 28 Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs).
Zulu War of 1879, between the British Empire and Additionally, 58 Hospital Based Cancer Registries
the Zulu Kingdom, and focuses on four specific (HBCRs) provided cancer data. In 2020, tobacco
targets converging on decreasing GSH/GSSG ratio. related cancers are estimated to contribute 3.7
The reduced glutathione/oxidised glutathione lakh (27.1 per cent) of the total cancer burden.
ratio (GSH/GSSG) is widely used in clinics for the
evaluation of oxidative stress status in biological According to several studies, medical
systems. oncologists and other healthcare professionals
treating patients with cancer seem to neglect
This, the team believes, is the first time that a nutritional issues, both considering screening
food supplement has been designed, inspired by a and information or intervention. This has led the
real military strategy, to assist in combating cancer European Cancer Patient Coalition to publish a
cells. The CFTRI has developed over 300 products Cancer Patient’s Nutritional Bill of Rights which was
and processes including equipment designs. presented in the European Parliament in Brussels
Most of these technologies have been released to in November 2017. The Bill of Rights is also based
over 4000 licensees for commercial exploitation on the updated European Society of Parenteral
and the Institute is now keen to commercialise this and Enteral Nutrition guidelines on nutrition in
patented formulation to interested parties. patients with cancer. In light of existing guidelines
and patients’ expectations, clearly, practising
Currently the market has both local and oncologists will have to do better than in the past.
multinationals offering a range of onco nutrition
products or supplements. Besides the leading Nutrition in patients with cancer is a complex
names of the industry such as Abbott, Nestle SA, issue that requires a multidisciplinary approach
Fresenius Kabi AG, we have now Mumbai-based by involving oncologists, nutrition specialists,
Esperer Onco Nutrition offering Es- Fortitude psychologists, nurses and other allied healthcare
(nourish, protect & recovery) (21 gm x 14 Sachets) professionals. Medical oncologists primarily need to
and Es- Invigour (base formula) (33 gm x 14 be aware of the complexity of nutritional questions
Sachets) directed towards cancer treatment, which and require better training on nutrition as a
are backed by extensive research on nutritional supportive care issue. With the rise in the incidence
deficiencies in cancer patients in India. Launched of cancer in the country, India should adopt the
in 2019, these two supplements are not available approach taken up by Europeans for the benefit of
over the counter but only with an oncologist’s cancer patients.
prescription. But these products are available on
e-pharmacy platforms like 1mg, Apollo Pharmacy Narayan Kulkarni
Editor

[email protected]