FFOODSSpectrum August 2022

4 EDITORIAL NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Tough Times Ahead?

Dr Milind Kokje How the food processing industry reacts to the
imposition of GST is important to watch. This is
Chief Editor particularly important as the sector is witnessing some
positive developments. A Singapore-based company
The introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has shown interest in running, till now non-operative,
on some food items is being discussed from a Jharkhand Mega Food Park. Shares of Kohinoor Food, a
consumer-centric perspective. It is natural since popular Basmati rice brand, wheat flour, etc., gained over
in a chain of GST charging, the consumer is at the end 200 per cent in one month in June.
of this chain and hence he will have to shell out more
money for these food products now. This price hike is Our export of processed food products (along with
expected to lead to further inflation, which is already agri products) rose 14 per cent in the first quarter of
as high as 7.01 per cent (in June 2022). Though it 2022-23 to $5.98 billion, as against $5.25 billion in the
reduced a bit from 7.04 per cent (in May 2022) and same period previous year. In yet another development,
even little less than the market expectations of 7.03 Sri Lanka and India have agreed to explore further
per cent, it is still much higher than the Reserve Bank avenues for more cooperation in food processing and
of India’s (RBI) target of 2 to 6 per cent, since the past dairy sectors and to form a study group for the purpose.
six months. Double digit wholesale price inflation has
been reported for 14 consecutive months. However, But, on the domestic front, the picture is not so bright.
considering people's sentiments, some items on Persistent inflation has started affecting demand as FMCG
which GST was proposed have been left untouched. buyers are cutting back on purchases. Several major
FMCG companies have reported reduced consumption as
Consumers will have to pay more now due to consumers have to spend more on staples. This is resulting
introduction of 5 per cent GST on packed and labelled in moderate market growth rate and negative volume
products including curd, cheese, honey, flour, paneer, growth rate. As a result, the domestic FMCG industry
dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin continued to be hit hard as margins of FMCG companies
flour, jaggery, puffed rice, dried leguminous vegetables are expected to remain under pressure for some time.
and mutton (not frozen) and fish products. The GST on Particularly, the rural market has shown slower growth
tetra packed items is increased from 12 per cent to 18 compared to the urban market.
per cent.
While inflation is one factor for this situation, for
The grain and food traders are upset over the speedy growth of the food processing sector the
decision as it is the first time that non-branded food industry’s stability and initiative is important. Imposing
items had been included in the GST. As a result, Delhi’s taxes could possibly affect the stability and thus
wholesale and retail grain markets as well as markets adversely affect the initiative for growth. Hence, the
in Vashi, Navi Mumbai were shut down for a day to government needs a proper balancing act of generating
protest against the decision, which, traders felt, was not tax revenue from the sector and also not affecting
in the interest of consumers and business owners alike. the initiative and stability of the sector by taking the
However, some big players from the food processing stakeholders in confidence. While admitting the need for
sector are reportedly satisfied over the decision as they generating more revenue and hence imposing GST on
feel that this move will regulate the business. food items, the other aspects like inflation and industry’s
reaction also needs to be looked at. Has that been done
GST on some food processing related items has is the question.
also been increased. The GST on dairy machines,
water pumps, machines segregating fruits, vegetables
has been increased from 12 to 18 per cent. As these
machines are an important and integral part of food
processing, the cost of various processed foods will
increase first. Then, there will be an additional GST on
them.

Volume 9  |  Issue 12  |  August 2022 www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Publisher & Managing Editor Production & Design TOP STORIES
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Editor: Narayan Kulkarni alarm over
[email protected] Dy. General Manager consumption
Digital Intell & Growth of fish oil in
Executive Editor: Dr Manbeena Chawla Ankit Kankar pregnancy.
[email protected] [email protected]

Sub Editor: Nitesh Pillai Operations and HR
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Content Team
Singapore: Hithaishi C. Bhaskar Circulation, Subscription and
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6 INSIDE NNUUFFOFOOODDSSSSPPEECCTTRRUUMM || AMuagrucsht 20220 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

19COVER

WHEN FOOD
SAFETY IS

PARAMOUNT
Over the past few years, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has put in
considerable effort to encourage food safety research and innovation in the country. Many initiatives

are under way to foster the scientific spirit among private and public institutions in food safety
research. One such appreciable initiative is the Eat Right Research Awards that identify and reward
innovative, high-quality research in food safety and nutrition. The 2022 awards spotlighted some

ground-breaking research which has the potential to be hugely impactful. Here, we take a look.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in INSIDE 7

Frozen Foods Foodtech

26 39

Frozen Foods Take On Cool Factor Foodtech Braves a Brief
Storm on its Growth Journey
Condiments
Amod Ashok Salgaonkar,
29
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer,
What Is Going On In The Condiments Aisle? A2S2 Enterprises
Peanut Butter
Ayurveda

43

11 Ways of
Modernising the
Traditional Medicine Industry

Dr Anand Swaroop,

President, Cepham, Inc.

Awards

32 45 04
08
Why the Humble Peanut Butter is 'Old Reliable' MM Activ bags recognition 09
for exhibition excellence 11
Speaking With 13
REGULARS 15
35 17
Editorial 46
“We plan to continue exploring Video Snippets 47
further options to provide Regulatory News 48
plant-based alternatives” Finance News 49
Start-Up News 50
Dipan Dalal, Company News
World News
Business Director, Azelis India- Academics News
Food & Nutrition Business Ingredients News
R&D News
37 Supplier News
Let’s Talk Food
‘“’FDSeSmAaInmdafyordmefoinre gvauliiddealtineeds about
hapnaroramvlyeotnincaiasnlianmlgyetDtichaaoilrdymsteefotshrtoindgsttohat
choamrmpolyniwseithmFilSkStAesI tsintagnpdraortdosc’o’ ls”

Dr Jitendra Kelkar,

General Manager – Customer Support
Centre, Shimadzu Analytical (India)

8 VIDEO SNIPPETS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

‘Clinical research in Acknowledgements/ Feedback
nutrition is missing The market for healthier food options is now a
in India’- says booming one, with a distinct spotlight on plant-based
Dr Krishna Ella, alternatives. The interview feature on Beneo looks
Chairman & great in the July edition. Thank you. Look forward to
Managing Director, working with you again in the future!
Bharat Biotech.
- Chenyue Yuan, Singapore
Scan the QR Code »
Thank you so much for the coverage of a write-up on
Dr Sawinder Kaur, our research on ‘food quality assessment using digital
Head of Department image processing’ in your cover story on ready-to-eat
(Food Technology foods.
and Nutrition), Lovely
Professional University - Dr Sahil Kalra, Jammu
shares her views on
how the government The coverage on ready-to-eat & ready-to-cook food
is strengthening the market looks great in the July issue of nuFFooDS
concept of food safety Spectrum.
with new policies.
- Yashika Gupta, New Delhi
Scan the QR Code »
Thank you very much for the latest edition of
Shantanu Srivastava, nuFFooDS Spectrum - it's great to see so much
Consultant, VC Fund coverage on the plant-based food sector. Appreciate
Climate Angels talks you shining a light on startup announcements like
about implementing Katharos and BVeg's updates as well!
‘Zero- Single Use
Plastic’ challenge - Ayesha Marfatia, Mumbai
under its startup
cohort. Thanks for your feedback. We have taken note of
your suggestions and will surely try to incorporate
Scan the QR Code » 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 | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in REGULATORY NEWS 9

Processed food exports witness Nitin Gadkari
36.4% growth during Q1 2022-23 backs exports
of fruits and
Continuing with the trend from the previous year, the exports of vegetables from
agricultural and processed food products rose by 14 per cent in the first Vidarbha region
three months of the current Financial Year 2022-23 (April-June) compared
to the corresponding period of FY 2021-22. For the year 2022-23, the “There is a significant potential
government has set an export target of $23.56 billion for the agricultural for boosting exports of fruits and
and processed food products basket under the Agricultural and Processed vegetables from the Vidarbha
Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The initiatives region of Maharashtra,” said Nitin
taken by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry have helped the country Gadkari, Union Minister of Road
in achieving 25 per cent of the total annual export target in the first three Transport and Highways of India at
months of the current fiscal. According to the Quick Estimates data released the programme for boosting exports
by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics of citrus fruits and vegetables
(DGCI&S), the overall export of products under APEDA’s ambit increased organised by Agricultural and
to $5.98 billion in April-June 2022 from $5.25 billion over the same period Processed Food Products Export
of the last fiscal. The export target for April-June 2022-23 was $5.89 billion. Development Authority (APEDA), in
The APEDA basket excludes tea, coffee, spices, cotton and marine exports. association with Agrovision. Stating
The exports of fresh fruits & vegetables registered 8.6 per cent growth, that the GI-tagged Nagpur orange is
while processed food products like cereals and miscellaneous processed grown in more than 70,000 hectares
items reported an impressive growth of 36.4 per cent (April-June 2022-23) in the Amravati region, Gadkari said,
compared to corresponding months of the previous year. “There is huge potential for export
of Nagpur oranges and other citrus
UAE invests $2B to fruits from the region.”“Since Nagpur
develop food parks in India Orange is a GI product, it can also
be sold at a premium,” he pointed
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be investing $2 billion in India to develop out. However, he also urged the
food parks across the country to tackle food insecurity in South Asia & the scientists that R&D needs to be done
Middle East. This announcement was made during the I2U2 (India, Israel, for this sector in terms of increasing
the UAE, and the US) Summit. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi the yield, varietal improvement and
participated in the I2U2 Summit, along with the Prime Minister of Israel value addition. Gadkari stated that
Yair Lapid, President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan & while exports of Indian mandarin
President of the US Joseph R. Biden. The first Leaders’ Summit of I2U2 was have doubled in the last two years,
held virtually on July 14, 2022. The I2U2 Grouping was conceptualised manifold increase in the exports can
during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries held on be achieved only through required
October 18, 2021. Each country also has Sherpa- level interactions regularly R&D and value addition.
to discuss the possible areas of cooperation. I2U2 is aimed to encourage
joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy,
transportation, space, health, & food security. It intends to mobilise private
sector capital and expertise to help modernise the infrastructure, low
carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, &
promote the development of critical emerging & green technologies.

10 REGCUOLMAPTAONRY NEWS NUNFUFOFFOODOSDSSPSEPCETCRTURMUM| |AuAgpusritl 20221 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

India scales NITI Aayog, WFP
up food & lay focus on ‘Take Home
nutrition Ration’ programme
security in
the south NITI Aayog and World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a report titled
Asian region ‘Take Home Ration-Good Practices across the State and Union Territories
(UTs). The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted in
A Memorandum of Agreement the implementation of the Take Home Ration (THR) value chain by the States
(MoA) has been signed and UTs. The government of India provides Take Home Ration under the
between the Department of Supplementary Nutrition component of the Integrated Child Development
Agriculture & Farmer Welfare
(DA&FW) and International Services (ICDS) to fill the gap in nutrition
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) among children as well as pregnant
on commencement of Phase and lactating women (PLW). As a way
-2 activities of IRRI South Asia forward the report suggests that in order
Regional Centre (ISARC) to scale to realise the full potential of the THR, all
up the existing partnership for components of this value chain need to
food and nutrition security in the function at optimum. This requires building
South Asian region. The ISARC a robust system for procurement, supply
was established following the chain management and monitoring that ensures complete transparency,
Union Cabinet approval five standardised process, sustainability, full coverage, leveraging local ties,
years ago. ISARC also set up a fostering a culture of collaboration and building trust within a community.
Centre of Excellence in Rice Value These measures improve THR access in rural areas, produce THR with high
Addition (CERVA) that includes nutrient value, enhance community ownership involving self-help groups
a modern and sophisticated (SHGs) and promote income generating activities and female empowerment.
laboratory with capacity to
determine quality and status of Govt formulates strategy
heavy metals in grain and straw. to promote NE region as
One of the critical achievements an agri-food export hub
of CERVA is the development of
one low and one intermediate To boost the export of horticulture products grown in North-Eastern (NE)
glycaemic index (GI) rice variety: states, the Indian government has come up with a robust strategy to
IRRI 147 (GI 55) and IRRI 162 promote locally produced agri-food products to the international markets.
(GI 57), respectively, through To provide potential market linkages, the Agricultural and Processed
the joint efforts of the CERVA Food Products Development and Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry
team and IRRI HQ. Since most of Commerce and Industry has
rice varieties are high in GI and planned to undertake several
most Indians consume rice, the projects like capacity building of
popularisation of low GI rice 80 budding entrepreneurs and
varieties will reduce or even exporters from the region, the
reverse India’s increasing trend Farmer Producer Organisations
of diabetes. Main objectives (FPOs) and Farmer Producer
of the 2nd phase include the Companies (FPCs) and the state
development, dissemination, government officials, organise
and popularisation of high- skill development and training in
yielding, stress-tolerant and bio- food processing, and value addition on horticultural produce, etc. APEDA
fortified rice, particularly high also extends its support for branding and promotion of products from the
zinc and low glycemic index rice, North- Eastern Region (NER) such as Kiwi wine, processed foods, carrying
amongst others. out a wet sampling of Joha rice pulao, and black rice kheer.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FINANCE NEWS 11

Bikano expects 14% Health food brand
additional sales in FY 22-23
with new launches Supply6 raises

New Delhi-based snacks company Bikano has rolled out its summer cooler pre-series A
range by introducing Strawberry, Choco and Banana drinks in their wide
selection of flavoured milk drinks. With this new launch, the company funding
is expecting better sales volume during this season. Consistent market
feedback has helped the company in developing this portfolio. Though Bengaluru-based Health Food and
COVID-19 gave sales a setback for quite some time, the sales numbers Convenience brand Supply6 has
started falling back in place. For this financial year, Bikano is expecting raised pre-series A funding from ah!
growth of 14 per cent as compared to last year. For their summer cooler Ventures’ Angel Platform and others
range products, the majority of their sales start from February and including Silicon Road Ventures,
continue until August. As the season changes after that, most of the MaGEHold, and Ravina Ventures.
consumers do not prefer to have cold drinks during winter. This is the time Co-founded by Vaibhav Bhandari
when the company starts witnessing reduced sales numbers for their and Rahul Jacob in 2019, Supply6
beverage section. Keeping in mind inflation, Bikano has reconsidered has scaled up over 10x in the past
their prices for the complete summer cooler range. year. It aims to solve the problem of
accessing nutrition for individuals
57 Stars leads $40M investment leading busy lifestyles and those
in food tech platform WayCool who are always on the go. It does so
by making nutrient-rich food items
57 Stars LLC, an independent while reducing food waste by in extremely convenient formats that
global alternative investment up to 70 per cent. Through can be consumed anywhere and at
firm targeting high-growth strict environmental, social, and any time. Its flagship product is the
sectors driven by technological governance (ESG) management, Supply6 Drinkable Meal, which is
innovation, led a $40 million WayCool seeks to become nutritionally complete, vegan, and
investment in Chennai-based energy-, water-, and carbon- functionally convenient. The brand
food and agri-tech startup neutral, further mitigating its is currently aiming to expand its
WayCool Foods & Products. The environmental impact. 57 Stars’ range of products by introducing
investment is the first transaction investment exemplifies the firm’s similar healthy food items that can
for 57 Stars Direct Impact Fund commitment to sustainable be consumed on a busy schedule.
and the second investment for development and its dedicated It also has an eco-friendly and
57 Stars Global Innovation Fund impact investing strategy, which sustainable vision, promoting plant-
2 (GIF 2). WayCool provides seeks to deliver compelling based food alternatives that cause a
farmers with cohesive solutions, financial returns alongside much smaller carbon footprint. ah!
potentially increasing their meaningful positive social and/or Ventures’ has made140 investments
income by up to 30 per cent environmental impacts. in 104 startups till date taking its
total investment portfolio to Rs 285
crore (~$37 million) with 14 exits and
28 follow-on rounds. 40 investments
have happened through the three
platforms First Gear, Angel and High
Tables in 2022 till date.

12 FINANCE NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Ankurit Cipla buys nutritional
Capital supplement brand Endura Mass
picks 7.71%
stake in Mumbai-based pharmaceutical firm Cipla has announced that Cipla Health
nutraceutical Limited, a wholly -owned subsidiary and consumer healthcare arm of the
firm Deccan company has signed definitive agreements for acquisition of Endura Mass,
Healthcare a renowned nutritional supplement brand in the category of weight gain
from Medinn Belle Herbal Care
Ankurit Capital, SEBI regulated Private Limited. Endura and all other
alternative investment associated trademarks will be part
fund, picks up a 7.71 per of the acquisition. As per the Lancet
cent stake in Hyderabad- Journal (study from 1975 - 2014),
based Deccan Healthcare, India has approximately 20 crore
a leading nutraceutical and adult (male and female) population
cosmeceutical products who are underweight. Endura Mass
company. The company has has a legacy of over 20 years in
allotted 13. 30 lakh equity providing solutions for consumers
shares at Rs 37.60 per share actively looking to gain weight. It has a range of proven, efficacious, and safe
to the fund as part of their weight gainers that help to gain weight in a healthy way. This acquisition is
preferential issue. Deccan’s in line with Cipla’s strategic imperative to augment the company’s wellness
product line of nutraceutical portfolio for bringing about a shift from an illness to a wellness mindset.
and cosmeceutical products
is diverse, with over 1,600 The Baker’s Dozen secures
proprietary blends all sourced $5M funding for expansion
locally and organically in
India. The company would Mumbai-based startup The Baker’s Dozen has secured $5 million in a pre-Series
utilise the proceeds from the A round, led by Fireside Ventures. This funding round will help them invest
preferential issue to fund its in R&D, build out their C-suite, strengthen marketing, expand distribution,
digital transformation into
gamified health and wellness and upgrade technology even
for millennials. In addition, further. The Baker’s Dozen was
Deccan would continue the first bakery brand in India to
to increase its footprint in use international technology like
offline stores and expand into modified atmosphere packaging to
international markets in the retain the freshly-baked experience
UAE and USA. The company is of their products while significantly
currently exploring placing its extending their shelf life. Its strong
products in 600 retail stores in back-end technology integrations
the USA which is the largest for demand estimation helps
market in this segment. manage wastages, and ensures
traceability. The Indian bakery
market is worth $10 billion today
with mass brands on one end of
the spectrum, and super-premium
imported brands and fresh food
gourmet bakeries at the other.
There are significant challenges
to building a pan-India-serving packaged artisanal baked goods brand, like
distribution challenges and shelf-life issues. In a category set to cross $12
billion by 2027, The Baker’s Dozen has been growing quickly and efficiently.
They scaled 5X in the last two years, and plan to continue this blazing pace.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in STARTUPS NEWS 13

Shaka Harry aims Healeo Nutrition offers
for aggressive gene-based fatty liver
growth over the treatment programme
next 5 years
Healeo Nutrition, an emerging D2C health and wellness brand,
Bengaluru-based Liberate Foods, a plant has launched the country’s first DNA-based fatty liver reversal
protein startup with a meat alternate programme. Based out of Bengaluru, the startup strives to offer
line, Shaka Harry is aiming for aggressive clients highly customised nutrition programmes based on their
growth over the next 5 years. The startup genetic reports which can reverse up to stage 2 fatty liver within 12
has recently received a total investment weeks. The 12-week programme aims to provide patients with an
of $2 million in a seed funding round led intense and highly personalised course of treatment that thoroughly
by Better Bite Ventures, Blue Horizon and cleanses and revitalises the body, liver and skin, removing excess
venture debt fund Panthera Peak. Other fat accumulated in the liver. The programme begins with a blood
investors include Dexler Holdings, Chef sample taken from the clients’ home, which is then sent to a genetic
Manu Chandra and a group of domestic laboratory for DNA sequencing. The report is generated using DNA
family offices and angel investors. Shaka Microarray technology and once the raw data is generated, a team
Harry, one of the fastest growing plant- of bioinformatics experts using advanced machine learning and AI
based meat brands, offers a range of translates the data to create a GSA report with polygenic risk scores
meal and snacking products which are for over 230 health, nutrition and exercise attributes. Then, Healeo’s
designed around the Indian cuisine and experienced team of nutritional genetics experts use this report to
palate. The range includes snackables formulate a personalised and precise nutrition regimen that will
and meal accompaniments. The product successfully reverse fatty liver status within 12 weeks.
has a distinct advantage with access to
proprietary taste and flavour solutions
due to the brand’s partnership with Chef
Manu Chandra, one of India's top chefs.
The company has a monthly customer
base of 25,000. The monthly growth
expected for the next few quarters is
around 20 to 30 per cent.

Vedas Cure launches ayurvedic
solutions for skin & blood related problems

Noida-based startup Vedas Cure extract, Palash Beej, Pipal Chhal,
has launched two products - Skin Choti Harad, Anantmool, Giloy
Healing and Kaishor Guggulu, extract, and Kutki. It acts as a blood
which treat skin-related problems purifier and provides spotless
and blood diseases respectively. skin by eliminating skin problems
Both the products heal different like eczema. The other product is
types of health issues, but the Kaishor Guggulu by Vedas Cure
commonality between the two is which is effective in treating blood-
that they are Ayurvedic in nature related diseases like raised uric acid
and composition. The first in levels, gouty arthritis, acne, wounds,
line is Vedas Cure Skin Healing, a muscle cramps, dysmenorrhea,
100 per cent Ayurvedic mixture sprains, and stomach-related
(consumed with water) with herbal issues. It is a multi-purpose, generic
ingredients such as Khair Chaal, Ayurvedic tablet that boosts body
Haridrakhand, Neem, Chirayata metabolism and clears the stomach.

14 STARTUPS NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Lil’ Goodness Estate of Wilderness brings fresh,
unveils India’s organic and nutritional products
first prebiotic
cocoa powder Estate of Wilderness has announced
the official launch of the brand
Bengaluru-based startup Lil’ that brings fresh, near organic and
Goodness has introduced zero nutritional products like preserves and
added sugar Prebiotic Cocoa jams, select fruits, spices, pulses, and
Powder for the first time in pure Desi cow ghee. Based in Shimla,
India. The Prebiotic Cocoa Estate of Wilderness sources the
Powder contains fat-reduced produce locally from its own orchards
cocoa powder (99.98 per cent) in Himachal Pradesh and from farmers
derived from ethically grown and orchards in and around the area. The brand procures its preserves and
cocoa sourced from Ghana jams from a charitable trust based out of Kerala, which is dedicated to the
and naturally derived fructo- rehabilitation and generation of sustainable livelihoods for differently-abled
oligosaccharides (3 per cent). children and young adults of the rural plantation community in Kerala. Apart
While prebiotics improve from the fresh fruits and spices, Estate of Wilderness offers pure Desi ghee
gut health, aid in digestion (clarified butter) made from the milk of indigenous Himachali cows. The
and improve absorption of products are currently available in Delhi, Gurugram, Rohtak and Noida.
minerals and vitamins, cocoa
which is rich in antioxidants Sudo Foods introduces
called flavonoids, promotes plant-based snacks
heart health and fights
inflammation. Existing cocoa Bengaluru-based Sudo Foods has fresh, natural, and ethical ingredients
powders do not provide any launched plant-based chicken – plant-based sources like seitan
of the gut health benefits. To samosas, chicken seekh kebabs, and soya with zero preservatives,
spread the delight of baking chicken popcorn, and mutton zero cholesterol, and zero trans fats.
with natural cocoa powder galouti kebabs. The plant-based The clean label aims to make plant-
and help home bakers make startup’s ethos is to ‘unjunk’ based meat healthier, tastier, and
their way towards achieving packaged food and offer kinder more convenient. Their ready-to-
their entrepreneurial dreams, alternatives to India’s vast non- cook products can be served up in
Lil’Goodness has launched vegetarian population. With four under 10 minutes and are currently
100Baking Dreams. Under this products out in the market and a retailing via D2C and B2C channels.
unique initiative, 20 bakers fifth (plant-based chicken burger Experts at Good Food Institute India
will be selected based on patty) in the pipeline, Sudo Foods are working closely with plant-
their innovative recipes and is redefining plant-based snacking. based startups like Sudo Foods
awarded cash prizes of up to The founders, Abhinav Chawla and towards improving and optimising
Rs 1 lakh each for upgrading Sadhika Agarwal, believe in using their products.
their baking skills.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COMPANY NEWS 15

Reliance forays into F&B Nature Sure
retail with Pret A Manger introduces
health
Reliance Brands has announced a strategic partnership with global fresh gummies
food & organic coffee chain, Pret A Manger, to launch and build the brand
in India. With this long-term master franchise partnership, RBL will open the Nature Sure has launched
food chain across the country starting with major cities and travel hubs. chewable health gummies, a
Raliance’s partnership with Pret is rooted in the strong growth potential novel and convenient dosage
of both Pret as a brand and also of the food & beverage (F&B) industry in form that helps improve
India. Indians, like their global counterparts, are seeking fresh and organic compliance and outcomes.
ingredient-led dining experiences which has been synonymous with Pret’s Suitable for both men and
core offering. Pret A Manger, French for ‘ready to eat’, first opened in London women, these gummies
in 1986. It was a shop with a mission to create handmade food, freshly are infused with potent
prepared each day. Over 35 years later, the brand currently has 550 shops ingredients such as curcumin,
globally across 9 markets including the UK, US, Europe, and Asia, offering omega-3, blueberry, elderberry,
organic coffee, sandwiches, salads and wraps freshly made each day. pomegranate, apple cider
vinegar, biotin, inositol,
Tata Consumer Goods zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, lutein,
enters plant-based meat sector folic acid, zinc and many more.
Offering nearly 30 different health
In the latest advancement in India’s smart protein sector, Tata Consumer products for the entire family,
Goods has launched its own brand of plant-based meats. Tata Consumer Nature Sure is known for its hair
Products (TCPL, a $9 billion giant and one of India’s leading FMCG players) oils, massage oils, facial oil and
has begun selling their new ‘TATA Simply Better’ line of plant-based meats natural health supplements.
across India through their store on Amazon Prime and Flipkart. This Made in India with technical
nationwide launch of plant-based meats, from a company that is strongly know-how from the US and
committed to delivering better nutrition to their consumers, is a significant Europe, Nature Sure gummies are
milestone in India’s smart protein story. The plant-based products within free from cholesterol, gelatine,
the TATA Simply Better brand include a mix of dishes designed for both the gluten, milk, eggs, soy, nuts, fish,
Indian palate as well as for consumers wanting to snack like their global proteins, trans fats, saturated fats,
counterparts. These snacks range from traditional Awadhi Seekh Kebabs artificial flavour and preservatives.
to popular options like Plant-Based Chicken Nuggets, Plant-Based Spicy Nature Sure is a registered brand
Chicken Fingers, and Plant-Based Chicken Burger Patties. owned by Delhi-based Wet and
Dry Personal Care, a PAN Health
initiative and a part of the Rs 3000
crore business conglomerate, PAN
Group.

16 COMPANY NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Orion & CCL Products steps into
Keventers plant-based meat segment
join hands to
create Orion Hyderabad-based CCL Products has meat packing and flexitarian diets. In
Choco-Pie launched its plant-based food brand the past few years, the popularity of
milkshake ‘Continental Greenbird’ in India. With plant-based meat has been gaining
this launch, CCL plans to tap into momentum globally as well as in
South Korean brand Orion, the growing consumer set who are
the makers of the original looking for sustainable India. Continental Greenbird range
Choco-Pie, has partnered products while bridging starts from Rs 295 for 260 gm and is
with Keventers to create the gap between currently available in Grocery stores
the Orion Choco-Pie meat cravings and and Modern Trade outlets across
milkshake in India. This guilt-free habits. With Hyderabad, Pune, and Chandigarh.
is a new addition to the Continental Greenbird,
iconic milkshakes by the CCL will initially offer
Keventers, one of the first four plant-based meat
ever ‘Made in India’ brands varieties: Chicken-like
with over 250 outlets. nuggets, Chicken-like
Along with Orion, the Orion seekh kebab, Chicken-like
Choco-Pie milkshake aims sausage, and Mutton-like
to serve all age groups. keema. All their products
Available at 200+ Keventers are made from plant-
stores across India, this based protein which
milkshake is available in the are derived from Green
distinct vintage-style, glass pea, Chickpea, and in the case of
bottles across the nation. Keema from soya. Globally there is
With the accelerating an increase in awareness among
demand of online food consumers about sustainability,
orders, this milkshake is environmental impact, industrial
also available on Zomato
and Swiggy. Founded in Parle diversifiés biscuit portfolio
1925, Keventers has long
been known for its classic Parle Products is expanding the innovative offerings at affordable
milkshakes. Along with portfolio of its flagship brands Parle rates to tap newer consumers. By
Orion, the Orion Choco- G and Kismi with two new offerings venturing into the health segment
Pie milkshake aims to - Parle G Oats & Berries and Parle with Parle G Oats & Berries biscuits,
serve all age groups. G Kismi Cinnamon biscuits. With Parle has developed a unique
a focused distribution approach, product to fill the gap of an
the company is strengthening its affordable health biscuit available
foothold in the biscuit industry with for a price pack of Rs 10; thereby
providing a healthy and inexpensive
alternative for health-conscious
consumers. The latest offerings will

be available to consumers in
the western markets of India
and soon will be released
in other markets by August.
Parle aims to continue to
provide products that are more
accessible, affordable and
cater to various taste palates.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in WORLD NEWS 17

USAID commits Science and
$200M in fight against
global malnutrition business join forces

The United States Agency for International Development in Brazil to accelerate
(USAID) Administrator Samantha Power took a historic step
forward in the fight against global malnutrition by announcing food innovation
a $200 million contribution to UNICEF to combat the deadliest
form of malnutrition, child wasting. The Administrator was Three leading global companies, Givaudan,
joined by philanthropist Sir Chris Hohn, the CRI Foundation Bühler, and Cargill, have formed a consortium
(CRI), The Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF), and The ELMA Relief in collaboration with the FoodTech HUB Latam
Foundation who collectively committed at least an additional and ITAL, Food Technology Institute, to build a
$50 million in philanthropic resources to bring life-saving food innovation centre in the city of Campinas,
care to severely malnourished children around the globe. In recognised as Brazil’s tech powerhouse. The
the lead up to the 2022 UN General Assembly in September, “Tropical Food Innovation Lab” will be located
USAID Administrator Power encouraged other bilateral donors, at the Food Technology Institute, ITAL, in a
corporations, and country governments to come to the table fully refurbished, 1,300 square metre area.
with $200 million in additional contributions, targeting a total This new hub will be the go-to place in Latin
of $500 million in public-private investments. Child wasting America to connect and develop sustainable,
is the deadliest form of malnutrition, but it is treatable in the future food and beverage products. Startups,
form of Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). These newly companies, investors, universities and research
announced investments will drive more than a 50 percent institutions will have direct access to high-
increase in the provision of RUTF, the largest single expansion end technologies for rapid prototyping and
in treatment coverage in history, and help UNICEF scale up plugging into the global food tech ecosystem
treatment of wasting for an additional 2.4 million children. that will foster fast-paced innovation in the
food and beverage sector. The Tropical Food
Innovation Lab is planned to open in Q1 2023.
When complete, the facility will feature new
application labs and a state of the art demo
kitchen, where consumers, food scientists,
nutritionists, chefs, mixologists and marketers,
among other professionals, will work together
to create sustainable new products.

FAO seeks support for Food Import Financing Facility

Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the severely food insecure in 2021 - 350 support, it could be implemented
Food and Agriculture Organisation million more people compared to by the leading multilateral financial
of the United Nations (FAO) has 2019. The Food Import Financing agencies under their balance of
underlined to G20 Finance Ministers Facility (FIFF), proposed by FAO payments financial mechanism.
and Central Bank Governors, the earlier this year, will assist countries The FIFF is also aimed at increasing
growing food security and nutrition in financing their food purchases to global agricultural production and
crisis facing the world. Highlighting minimise any risk of social unrest.With productivity in a sustainable way.
data from the latest edition of the It would complement existing
State of Food Security and Nutrition mechanisms within the UN system,
in the World (SOFI) by FAO and its would be strictly based on urgent
partners, Qu noted that in 2021, needs and limited to low and lower
up to 828 million people suffered middle-income net food-importing
chronic hunger. This is an increase of countries. In addition, the FIFF is
46 million from 2020 and 150 million designed to increase future resilience
from 2019, before the COVID-19 by asking eligible countries to
pandemic. Around 2.3 billion people commit to invest more in sustainable
in the world were moderately or agrifood systems.

18 WORLD NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

WFP, UNCDF join forces US strengthens child
against hunger through nutrition programmes
innovative financing
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and nearly $1 billion in additional funding to schools across
the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) the country to support the purchase of American-grown
have agreed to a strategic partnership aimed at foods for their meal programmes. The department also
strengthening cooperation in the areas of food systems highlights the President’s recent signing of the Keep
and innovative financing. A Partnerships Framework Kids Fed Act, which equips schools, summer meal sites,
was signed in Rome by WFP Programme Director, and child care food programmes with extra resources
Humanitarian and Development Division, David so they can continue serving children through the
Kaatrud, and UNCDF Executive Secretary Preeti Sinha. school year 2022-2023. Both actions are a response to
Both agencies are interested in scaling up programmes the significant challenges child nutrition programme
that support the goals of the coalitions that emerged operators continue to face, such as high food costs and
from the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. These include supply chain disruptions. The $943 million boost from
coalitions focusing on school meals, the Humanitarian- the department is provided through USDA’s Commodity
Development-Peace Nexus, climate-resilient food Credit Corporation. Funds will be distributed by state
systems, social protection, the zero hunger pledge, agencies to schools across the country, so they can
healthy diets, resilient local food supply chains, women purchase domestically-grown foods for their meal
and girls in food systems and people with disabilities. programmes. This assistance builds on the $1 billion
in Supply Chain Assistance funds USDA previously
allocated in December 2021, which states can use this
school year as well as the next to provide schools with
funding for commodity purchases. The Keep Kids Fed
Act will also provide assistance to programme operators
across the country by extending nationwide flexibilities
to summer meal programmes through September 2022,
including allowing sites to continue serving meals in all
areas, at no cost to families.

WHO highlights healthy public food
procurement and service policies

The State of Food Security and legumes, vegetables and fruit, creating large-scale predictable
Nutrition in the World 2022 report and consumption of sodium/salt, demand and making production
reveals the heavy global burden sugars and harmful fats. There are more economically viable; shaping
of hunger and malnutrition in all three main ways in which healthy eating habits and shifting demand
its forms. The lingering effects of public food procurement and and consumption patterns towards
the COVID-19 pandemic along service policies can complement the healthier food; and Improving the
with disruption to the food supply repurposing agenda - stimulating access of at-risk groups to healthy
caused by intensified conflict and the supply of nutritious food by diets and supporting vulnerable food
extreme climate events continue to system actors. Healthy public food
impede progress towards achieving procurement and service policies are
the Sustainable Development part of the WHO-promoted package
Goals (SDG) targets. Globally, more of game-changing food systems for
than 3 billion people cannot afford health actions. These actions focus
a healthy diet. Unhealthy diets on improving the nutritional quality
cause millions of deaths per year of food along the food supply
through, for example, inadequate chain and creating healthier food
consumption of whole grains, environments.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER 19

WHEN FOOD
SAFETY IS
PARAMOUNT
Over the past few years, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has put in
considerable effort to encourage food safety research and innovation in the country. Many initiatives
are under way to foster the scientific spirit among private and public institutions in food safety
research. One such appreciable initiative is the Eat Right Research Awards that identify and reward
innovative, high-quality research in food safety and nutrition. The 2022 awards spotlighted some
ground-breaking research which has the potential to be hugely impactful. Here, we take a look.

Since 2006, the Food Safety and Standards The FSSAI has developed a nationwide modern
Authority of India (FSSAI) has been laying down food regulatory system, by scaling up testing
science-based standards for articles of food and
for regulating manufacturing, processing, infrastructure, strengthening surveillance,
storage, distribution, sale and and building regulatory and enforcement
import of food so as to ensure capacity and resources. It has set
the availability of safe and in motion many new directives
wholesome food for human that while in line with modern
consumption in the country. regulatory systems, also
address India’s unique
food safety challenges.
As part of its initiative
to raise the food quality
in the industry, the FSSAI
instituted the Eat Right
India Movement in
2018. The Eat Right
India movement
is a people’s
movement
and it engages
various
stakeholders
including
consumer
organisation,
associations,

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“Technological innovations industry, research scholars and professionals in food
in the area of food and safety and nutrition to come together and align with
nutrition are the need of the common objective of assuring safe, healthy and
the hour and these kinds sustainable diets for people in the country. To promote
of research should be and facilitate new research and innovation in the space
promoted widely to scale-up the of food safety and nutrition, the authority introduced
scope of food safety.” the Eat Right Research Awards and Grant in 2021 to
engage and collaborate with various academic and
- Arun Singhal, research institutions.
Chief Executive Officer,
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India The overall objective of Eat Right Research Awards
is to encourage and recognise high-quality research in
“Rapid methods such as the area of food safety and nutrition in India which can
paper-based sensors be adapted/ adopted by FSSAI to further strengthen its
are new alternative role in the country in order to update or upgrade food
technology for formulations and technologies (as per the standards
fabricating simple, low- defined); awareness and availability of more variants
cost, portable, and disposable of safe and healthy food; and to foster a culture of
analytical devices and can scientific thinking among students and research
be used for the detection of community.
pesticides in cereal-based foods.”
The winners of the Eat Right Research Awards
- Vaishali Dasriya, in the individual category were felicitated on the
PhD scholar, Dairy Microbiology Division, occasion of World Food Safety Day on June 7, 2022 by
the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr
National Dairy Research Institute Mansukh Mandaviya. The winners were felicitated with
a certificate of excellence and a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh
“Our harvested each and runners-up with a certificate of appreciation
vitamin D2 enriched under each of the 3 themes – Eat Safe, Eat Healthy and
mushroom mycelium Eat Sustainable
can be further used
to develop functional “Eat Right Research Awards have been constituted
food items and health to recognise the outstanding work already done in the
supplements.” area of research and development specifically in areas
of food safety, healthy diets and sustainable foods.
- Umesh Singh Rawat, All the winners have received encouragement and
PhD Scholar, financial support to conduct high-quality research in
the space of food safety and nutrition in India. This truly
Indian Institute of Technology- Delhi defines the new role of FSSAI from being a regulator to
an enabler and a facilitator. Technological innovations
“The alarming need to in the area of food and nutrition are the need of
find an alternative to the hour and these kinds of researches should be
single-use synthetic promoted widely to scale-up the scope of food safety",
polymers has urged us highlights Arun Singhal, Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI.
to develop biopolymer-
based cling wraps to enhance A total of three evaluation committees were set
the shelf life of fresh-cut fruits up to decide on the winners. Each committee had
and vegetables.” 5 members that included representatives of FSSAI's
scientific panels and committees, reputed scientists
- Vimala Bharathi S K, working in government and private R&D organisations,
PhD Candidate, and associated institutions as well professionals
working in the space of food safety and nutrition.
University of Manitoba, Canada
Eat Safe
Winning project- Paper strip-based sensor

for screening cereal-based foods for pesticide
residues Winner- Vaishali Dasriya, PhD scholar, Dairy

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER 21

Details of Eat Right Research Awards 2022- Team and Institutional

Alongside individual winners, team efforts were Organisation).
also recognised by FSSAI for the Eat Right Research Eat Healthy: Under the Eat Healthy theme, a team
Awards under the three themes- Eat Safe, Eat Healthy
and Eat Sustainable. The Eat Right Research team of researchers from Tezpur University in Assam was
award of Rs 5 lakh is given for completed research selected for developing a low-fat, high-protein baked
work, while ongoing research work does not qualify. snack using de-oiled soya flour. The primary objective
of this invention was to develop a machinable dough
Eat Safe: A team of researchers from CSIR-Indian which is made with 100 per cent soya flour and the
Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow received desired binding is achieved without adding any other
a certificate of excellence for developing a Food- cereal or pulse.
Additive-Consumption-Safety Database (FOCUS-DB).
It comprises 2885 food additives, distributed into 18 Eat Sustainable: Extraction, characterisation and
categories with 40,800 collected data points, 89,435 delivery of 'green' carotenoids from carrot bio-waste
predicted data points, and 14,425 external links. This for food applications was one of the winning projects
database is a promising tool that will help understand under this theme, developed by researchers from the
the relationship between food additives and toxicity, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute. Since bio-
which can be used to develop a future food safety waste like peels and seeds from the food industry are
framework. a rich source of bio-active components but are poorly
managed. So, the extraction of carotenoids from
Another certificate of excellence was given to carrot pomace presents exciting prospects for further
a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of application.
Technology (IIT) Varanasi (BHU) for developing a
nano-engineered portable sensing device for onsite A team of researchers from the Indian Institute
milk pasteurisation monitoring. This device allows the of Technology, Roorkee received a certificate of
direct quantitative detection of alkaline phosphate in excellence for developing ethylene scavenging
merely a few seconds in a personalised manner, which functional paper from pine needle waste to create
is an indicator of milk pasteurisation. It can be installed sustainable packaging materials. The researchers
in milk parlours, industries, and also in home kitchens. are already in communication with a couple of food
The patent of the developed technology is filed companies to start the production. There are also plans
through IIT (BHU) and is under evaluation currently. to fabricate paper bottles for liquid food products in
the future.
Two more projects received certificates of
appreciation under the Eat Safe theme- species Another project that received recognition under
identification to check the adulteration of cheap the Eat Right Research Institutional Award category
quality of meat (ICAR- National Research Centre was from the Department of Food Engineering and
on Meat) and development of a precision iodine Technology, Tezpur University, Assam. Their work was
value analyser (CSIR- Central Scientific Instruments focused on sustainable approaches in food processing
and packaging.

Microbiology Division, National Dairy Research in food commodities needs a tall affectability and
Institute, Karnal precision since these chemicals are frequently found
at minute levels. Currently, these are observed
Accumulated pesticide residues in food products quantitatively as well qualitatively using traditional
have been associated with a wide variety of human strategies like chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-
health hazards, ranging from short-term effects to MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS),
long-term toxic effects. Monitoring pesticide residues and other spectroscopic techniques. While traditionally
in food for the evaluation of food safety is a priority used techniques are reliable, effective and delicate,
objective of pesticide research, to avoid possible risks they also have disadvantages like requirement of
to human health. trained technicians, and complex extraction protocols.
Thus, Vaishali Dasriya’s research concentrated on
The winner of Eat Safe theme, Vaishali Dasriya discovering quick,easy-to-use and sensitive devices.
at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, has aptly
addressed the issue of pesticide contamination in food While elaborating on the usability of paper-based
by developing a paper strip-based sensor that screens sensors, Vaishali Dasriya says, “There is a conventional
cereal-based foods for pesticide residues. chromatography method for pesticide screening, but it

Monitoring the presence of toxigenic pesticide

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Themes of Eat Right Research Awards 2022

Individual Winners of Eat Right Research Awards 2022

Theme Name Project Title Institute Rank
Safe Vaishali Lekchand Screening of cereal based foods ICAR-National Dairy Research Certificate of
Safe Dasriya for pesticide residues using Institute Excellence
Healthy Priyanka Sharma paper strip based sensor Certificate of
Healthy An Assessment of Food Safety Centre for Early Childhood Appreciation
Umesh Singh Rawat and Hygiene under Integrated Development and Research,
Sustainable T. Anukiruthika Child Development Service Jamia Milia Islamia Certificate of
Centres in Delhi Excellence
Sustainable Vimala Bharathi S K Development of functional Indian Institute of Certificate of
food products from mycelium Technology Delhi Appreciation
Kanhaiya S Chaudhary of medicinal mushrooms
Design and Fabrication of National Institute of Certificate of
Customized Foods using 3D Food Technology, Excellence
Printing Entrepreneurship and
Management (NIFTEM)- Certificate of
Biopolymer based cling wraps Thanjavur (Formerly Indian Appreciation
as an alternative to single use Institute of Food Processing
plastics Technology - IIFPT)
National Institute of
Edible packaging formed by Food Technology,
cellulosic waste in corporation Entrepreneurship and
with alovera, rose Management - Thanjavur
(NIFTEM-T)
Lovely Professional University

is difficult to use and non-portable. So, rapid methods of a large number of food samples for pesticides. The
such as paper-based sensors are a new alternative samples can further go for GC-MS for confirmation of
technology for fabricating simple, low-cost, portable, the pesticide group. Hence, it can decrease the sample
and disposable analytical devices and can be used for load for GC analysis. Obtained results show a wide
the detection of pesticides in cereal-based foods.” range of applications of paper strip sensors and found
it to be a cost-effective, robust, and rapid method for
The sensor has shown 97.6 per cent accuracy, the detection of pesticides.
0.9428 precision, 97 per cent sensitivity, and 97.8 per
cent specificity in comparison to the referenceGC- According to Vaishali Dasriya, paper strip-base
MS/MS system. This paper strip-based sensor cannot sensors are able to detect pesticide residue at the
differentiate between the pesticide groups. It can only concentration guidelines prescribed by FSSAI. The new
indicate the presence and absence of pesticide in a technology has been transferred to many labs and has
food sample. So, this can help in the initial screening been seen to work well for screening pesticides in milk

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER 23

and milk products at Hyderabad-based private dairy cultivation of mycelium in bioreactors (with various
Hatsun Agro and food and dairy adulteration testing amendments to increase its nutraceutical potential)
providers Florecer Services in New Delhi. can also be another novel way to obtain nutritionally
rich fungi-based products.”
This is a major boost for the rapid analytical
food testing space currently being backed by FSSAI. With the aim of developing mushroom mycelia as
According to reports, the Indian food testing market is potential Vitamin D2 rich vegan sources, a UV-based
projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3 per cent to reach technology was developed to cultivate mycelium of
$26.4 million by 2024. With dairy being the largest as selected mushrooms namely Calocybe Indica, and
well as the fastest growing food-type segment in the Pleurotus Eryngii. Pleurotus Eryngii mycelia were
market, stringent food testing guidelines need to be in cultured through submerged fermentation. The
place prior to any export of dairy products or even for ideal UV-B irradiation conditions were determined
domestic consumption. for Vitamin D2 formation in harvested mycelia
using response surface methodology. The effects of
Although the food testing market has prominent three independent variables, namely, temperature,
players like SGS, Eurofins Analytical Services, ultraviolet-B intensity, and time of exposure on Vitamin
TUV, Intertek, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products, D2 were investigated.
and Thermo Fisher Scientific etc., rolling out new
solutions in the Indian market, government-backed Further commenting upon the future of this
efforts such as the paper strip-based sensor are also research, Rawat shares, “This harvested Vitamin D2
much needed. enriched mushroom mycelium can be used to develop
functional food items and health supplements. The
Further in the Eat Safe category, besides Vaishali large-scale production of mycelia is done in industrial
Dasriya who received the Certificate of Excellence, fermenters. Industries are also associated with the
Priyanka Sharma from the Centre for Early Childhood project to take forward the technology to consumers.
Development and Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, Other than industrial usage, this research can also help
New Delhi bagged the Certificate of Appreciation. small scale and Gram Udhyog centres to emerge as a
Priyanka Sharma has developed a monitoring app mushroom producing industry thereby generating
to monitor hygiene parameters at cooking and food huge employment for both urban and rural sectors.”
manufacturing facilities. This tool has been used for the
assessment of food safety and hygiene in Integrated A patent has been filed for the submerged
Child Development Service Centres in Delhi. fermentative production methodology for the
production of nutraceutically-enriched mushroom
Eat Healthy mycelia of Calocybe Indica.
Winning project- Development of functional food
Even though developing countries like India are
products from mycelium of medicinal mushrooms a rich source of raw materials for functional food
Winner- Umesh Singh Rawat, PhD Scholar, Indian products because of their vast biodiversity and cost
advantages in crop production, there are significant
Institute of Technology- Delhi barriers. For instance, bringing a new product to the
The winner of the Eat Healthy theme, Umesh market can be challenging in terms of the upfront costs
associated with high-value food processing, meeting
Singh Rawat, a PhD scholar from the Indian Institute regulatory demands, and consumer research. Thus,
of Technology, Delhi, has developed a processing the industry needs new approaches to leverage the
technique for boosting the nutritional potential of functional food segment effectively.
medicinal mushrooms which can later be used in
functional foods, addressing demands for quality food Besides Umesh Singh Rawat, who received the
and nutritional security. Certificate of Excellence in the Eat Healthy category,
T. Anukiruthika from National Institute of Food
While emphasising the need to retain the Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management
nutritional quality of medicinal mushrooms, Rawat (NIFTEM)- Thanjavur received the Certificate of
says, “Although both the mycelium as well as the fruit Appreciation for designing and fabricating customised
bodies of medicinal mushrooms are equally beneficial foods using 3D printing.
for our health, the problems related to perishability
and peculiar taste in the fruit bodies often limits the Eat Sustainable
consumption of medicinal mushrooms in our country. Winning project- Biopolymer-based cling wraps as
This envisages employment of proper processing
techniques to not only retain its nutritional quality and an alternative to single-use plastics
therapeutic effectuates but also to turn mushrooms Winner- Vimala Bharathi S K, Former M. Tech.
into a shelf-stable product. Along with that, the mass

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Sub-categories of Eat Right Research Awards 2022

Team and Institutional Winners of Eat Right Research Awards 2022

Theme Name Project Title Institute Rank
Safe
Deepak Kumar Sachan Digital Food Safety System and CSIR-Indian Institute of Certificate of
Safe Meetali Sinha Excellence
Shweta Singh Chauhan Risk Assessment Databases Toxicology Research
Ramakrishnan Parthasarathi
Nano-engineered portable Indian Institute of Certificate of
Supratim Mahapatra Excellence
Dr Pranjal Chandra sensing device for onsite milk Technology (BHU)
Certificate of
pasteurization monitoring Varanasi Appreciation

Safe S B Barbuddhe Species identification to check ICAR-NATIONAL Certificate of
Appreciation
S Vaithiyanathan adulteration of cheaper quality RESEARCH CENTRE ON

Vishnuraj M R meat in meat MEAT

Safe Manu Sharma Precision Iodine Value Analyser CSIR-CSIO, Chandigarh

Dr Anupma Sharma

Saurav Kumar

Dr Rishemjit Kaur

Dr Ritesh Kumar

Dr Amol P Bhondekar

Healthy Laxmikant S. Badwaik Development of low-fat, high- Tezpur University, Certificate of
protein baked snack using de- Napaam, Assam, India Excellence
Devesh Kumar oiled soya flour
ICAR-National Dairy Certificate of
Ayan Bhattacharjee Extraction, characterisation Research Institute Excellence
and delivery of 'green'
Sustainable Ashish Kumar Singh carotenoids from carrot bio-
waste for food applications
Ganga Sahay Meena

Ravinder Malhotra

Shailesh Meena

Hemant Thawkar

Kuldeep Kamble

Swati Tiwari

Neelam Upadhyay

Sustainable Kirtiraj K Gaikwad Pine needles lignocellulosic Indian Institute of Certificate of

Shashank Saini ethylene scavenging paper Technology Roorkee Excellence

Suman Singh impregnated with nanozeolite -VCSG Uttarakhand

Vidhi Gupta for active packaging University of Horticulture

Avinash Kumar applications and Forestry

Sustainable Prof. Nandan Sit Sustainable approaches in Department of Food Certificate of

(Eat Right Food Processing and Packaging Engineering and Excellence

Research Technology, Tezpur

Institutional University

Award)

No entry was found suitable for Start -Up Awards

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER 25

Scholar, National Institute of Food Technology, activity showed that Zein nanofibers coating on
Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) – Chitosan has increased the antioxidant activity of
Thanjavur; Currently, PhD Candidate, University of the Chitosan drastically. In conclusion, Zein-based
Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada biofilms and Zein nanofibers-coated Chitosan films
can be used as biodegradable wraps for fresh-cut fruits
While addressing the issue of microbial spoilage and vegetables; however, the polymers in contact
and enzymatic browning which contribute to the with fresh-cut apple cubes showed a reduction in the
loss of minimally processed fruits and vegetables, the quality of the film over time, due to their moisture
winner of Eat Sustainable category, Vimala Bharathi S K, sensitivity.
Former M. Tech. Scholar at NIFTEM, Thanjavur has come
up with biopolymer-based cling wraps. To overcome the issue of moisture absorption,
Zein- and Chitosan-based cling wraps were prepared
Several methods including the application of using PEG 400 and glycerol as the plasticisers,
anti-browning agents, and thermal and non-thermal respectively. Further research is needed to improve the
treatments are adopted to prevent the enzymatic characteristics of the films to expand their application
browning of fruits and vegetables; however, their on a commercial scale.
inefficiency, cost ineffectiveness, and the negative
impact on sensory properties restrict their wide Commenting on future plans for this research,
commercial application. Cling wraps are widely used to Vimala Bharathi S K adds, “We will focus on improving
protect the freshness of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. the film, especially in terms of the balance between
Nevertheless, the quantity of plastic waste generated overcoming the moisture sensitivity and creating the
and the detrimental impact of these single-use wraps appropriate clinginess. Moreover, the major aspects
on the environment is a cause for concern. such as cost-effectiveness, bulk and continuous
production need to be addressed before making them
“The alarming need to find an alternative to commercially available. The ultimate aim is to help
single-use synthetic polymers and the emerging the government of India eradicate single-use plastics
awareness for minimally processed food have urged completely and incorporate the biobased cling wraps
us to develop biopolymer-based cling wraps which into the day-to-day lives of the consumers, by focusing
also have functional properties in order to enhance on developing easy-to-use and cost-effective bio-
the shelf life of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables”, says based films.”
Vimala Bharathi S K.
In the Eat Sustainable category, besides Vimala
In the present work, Chitosan and Zein biopolymers Bharathi S K who was awarded the Certificate of
were chosen for their film-forming ability, antioxidant Excellence, Kanhaiya S Chaudhary from Lovely
property, biodegradability, and Generally Recognised Professional University received the Certificate of
as Safe (GRAS) characteristics. Moreover, Chitosan Appreciation for developing edible packaging material
is well-known for its mechanical and antimicrobial from cellulosic waste incorporating aloe vera, rose.
properties, while Zein is known for its moisture barrier
and heat-sealing properties. Plasticisers were added to Moving ahead
the polymers to reduce their brittleness and enhance To prevent burden from food borne diseases
their plasticity.
and to ensure food safety, a multifaceted and
In order to evaluate the anti-browning property multi stakeholder approach involving industries,
of the polymers, both Chitosan- and Zein-based government machinery, regulators etc. is required
biofilms were wrapped around fresh-cut apple and awareness must be created at each level of the
slices and the apple slices were analysed for their society. In this direction the government has launched
appearance and weight loss for a period of 24 various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the
hours at definite intervals. The results of the study Eat Right Research Awards and Grants – Phase II. Eat
revealed that zein-based biofilms possess the higher Right Creativity Challenge – Phase III, a competition
antioxidant ability required to enhance the quality of at the school level and logo for AyurvedaAahar which
the fresh-cut apple slices. contains the initials of Ayurveda and Ahara with five
leaves symbolising five elements of nature. This logo
Then, to evaluate the effect of increased surface would be beneficial in creating a unique identity, easy
to volume ratio of Zein on the quality of apple slices, identification and proven benefits to improve health
Zein nanofibers were electrospun on Chitosan biofilms and wellbeing.
and the resultant films were used to wrap the fresh-cut
apple slices. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Mansi Jamsudkar
(a dark-colored crystalline powder composed of [email protected]
stable free radical molecules), free radical scavenging

26 FROZEN FOODS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Frozen Foods
Take On Cool Factor

Frozen foods are gaining popularity and acceptance among the working professionals and millennial
generation, thanks to their convenience and the greater variety on offer. As a result, companies are
recording over 100 per cent volume growth for deep freezers this summer in comparison with the pre-
pandemic summer of 2019. This calls for strengthening of the cold storage infrastructure in India.

The Indian frozen foods market was valued at Rs North India accounts for a significant share of 40 per
42.7 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach cent of the frozen foods market, followed by West (30 per
Rs 93.8 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of cent) and East India (10 per cent).
around 17 per cent from 2020 to 2025. The frozen foods
market, which includes frozen snacks, frozen fruits and Consumer perception about frozen foods has also
vegetables, frozen meat, poultry and seafood, and changed. Since the industry now offers products that not
frozen meals, observed a faster growth rate over the only guarantee taste and convenience but some of them
past five years, thanks to a spike in number of millennial are also, free of added preservatives, colours and trans-
consumers among the semi-urban and urban markets fat, frozen foods are also viewed as healthy.
opting for convenience food, according to a global
consulting firm, Sathguru. Latest offerings
The frozen foods market is highly consolidated, with a
Frozen meat, seafood and vegetables make up more
than 85 per cent of the Indian frozen foods market. The few dominant players. The major companies that account
consumer preference for frozen potato fries and nuggets for more than 50 per cent share in the retail segment are
drives the frozen snack segment, the largest segment in Mother Dairy Fruits and Vegetables, Al Kabeer, Venky’s
the market. And now the entry of multiple plant-based India, Innovative Foods, Darshan Foods and McCain Foods
frozen snacks is attracting attention. The traditional India. But other players are aggressively rolling out new
Indian palette has pushed companies to develop Indian products and strengthening their presence. Not to be left
variants within frozen foods such as samosas, cutlets, behind, established players are also launching innovative
kebabs, and parathas. additions to their product ranges.

Frozen vegetables are the second largest segment, In the past few months, we saw Gurugram-based
due to the appeal of year-round availability of seasonal Prasuma announcing the addition of new snacks to its
vegetables in frozen format. Urban areas account for 80 frozen foods portfolio such as frozen nuggets, kababs and
per cent of the demand for frozen foods. According to samosas in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian forms.
reports, the domestic consumption of frozen meat and
seafood is small but is growing at a rate of 10 per cent. Then ITC Master Chef Frozen Snacks entered into a
strategic partnership with Havmor Ice Cream owned by
the Lotte group, a South Korean conglomerate, to sell
frozen snacks in Delhi-NCR region.

“About 50 per cent of the frozen foods market in India
is potato-based or chicken nuggets. During COVID-19
times, the search for frozen foods increased over the
internet, mostly about their taste, and health benefits.
However, post COVID-19 this search shifted towards
availability of variety in frozen foods as with increasing
acceptability of frozen foods, consumers are demanding
variety. In ITC, we are expanding our variety of frozen
foods offering in vegetarian, non-vegetarian, and vegan
spaces by building infrastructure and expanding the
touch points. In terms of variety, only 30 per cent of

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FROZEN FOODS 27

the ITC portfolio is potato-based, and the remaining “The constant availability
portfolio consists of lentil-based, cheese-based, veggies- of frozen foods on online
based, and dairy-based frozen foods”, says Ashu Phakey, platforms has increased
Vice President and Business Head - Frozen and Fresh due to the COVID-19
Foods, ITC. induced lockdown.
Therefore, the visibility and
Ahmedabad-based HyFun Foods, a unit of Asandas penetration of frozen foods have
& Sons, has announced the expansion of its product increased in India. The emergence of Quick Service
portfolio with the launch of innovative products like the Restaurant (QSR) chains and institutions have boosted
frozen pizzas which have four variants particularly for the the frozen foods industry.”
Quick Service Restaurant (QSR). HyFun Foods is in fact
the only Indian brand offering frozen pizzas at a pan- - Archit Goel,
India level. Director and Chief Financial Officer,

More variety is being added by Mumbai-based Shri Bajrang Alliance, Raipur
SwissBake in the form of frozen cakes and breads.
Further, Mother Dairy has introduced frozen Jamun Pulp, “We witnessed high growth
under its horticulture brand Safal, for consumers across this year for the deep freezer
Delhi NCR. category which accounts
for around 5 per cent of
“The constant availability of frozen foods on online our overall business. We are
platforms has increased due to the COVID-19 induced currently at 10 per cent market share
lockdown. Therefore, the visibility and penetration for this product category. In the next
of frozen foods have increased in India. Also, the two years, we plan to invest over Rs 25 crore towards
emergence of QSR chains and institutions have boosted adding new models and expanding production capacity.”
the frozen foods industry due to their adherence to
brand value and their challenge to provide uniform and - Kamal Nandi,
standard products to consumers across all locations”, Business Head and Executive Vice President,
says Archit Goel, Director and Chief Financial Officer, Shri
Bajrang Alliance, Raipur which recently launched frozen Godrej Appliances
foods brand, Goeld.
“The industry perspective
The organised segment of chain restaurants such as of cold chain has been
McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Domino’s, growing at a revolutionised and
rate of 23 per cent year-on-year in India, is emerging as a diversified and soon it will
key driver of the frozen foods industry in the country. Such have a significant impact
QSR in India consumes the major volume in the segment. on the hospitality and retail sectors
The retail market for frozen foods accounts for around 32 where customers prefer end-to-end
per cent of the total frozen foods market, as per reports. refrigeration solutions from one single vendor partner.”

Emerging technologies - Ranjan Jain, Director, Elanpro
The frozen foods industry has adopted and
“About 50 per cent of the
invested heavily in technological developments and frozen foods market in India
improvements. These foods are frozen quickly with is potato-based or chicken
blast, individual quick freezing (IQF) or spiral freezing nuggets. During COVID-19
technologies that not only make sure the foods stay times, the search for frozen
fresh till they reach your doorstep, but also safeguard the foods increased over the internet,
quality and freshness of those foods; thus, sometimes mostly about their taste, and health
even making them fresher than fresh foods as well as benefits. However, post COVID-19 this search shifted
giving them a 12-18 months of shelf life. towards availability of variety in frozen foods.”

Isochoric freezing is a new technology with relatively - Ashu Phakey,
low energy requirements that preserves food products Vice President and Business Head -
at sub-freezing temperatures without damage due to ice
crystal formation inside the product. Frozen and Fresh Foods, ITC

Besides these freezing technologies, new variants
of cooling technologies for deep freezers are entering
the market for sustained growth of the frozen foods

28 FROZEN FOODS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Key players in the chain storage segment across India. With its dominance
Indian frozen foods market in hotel, restaurant, and catering (HORECA) segments,
Icold Refrigeration is one of the leading suppliers of cold
 McCain Foods rooms also known as freezer rooms.
 Godrej Tyson Foods
 Innovative Foods (Sumeru) “The industry perspective of cold chain has been
 Venky's (India) revolutionised and diversified and soon it will have a
 Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable significant impact on hospitality and retail sectors where
 ITC customers prefer end-to-end refrigeration solutions from
 Hyfun Frozen Foods one single vendor partner”, says Ranjan Jain, Director,
 Top Fresh International Elanpro.
 Darshan Foods
 Swadhika Foods LLP With technological advancements in the cold chain,
there is also a rising demand for real-time temperature
“There is a need to encourage monitoring and location tracking. As cold chain
the formation and operation technology gets modernised and innovative, many
of industry bodies for startups such as Celcius, CloudTrack, TagBox, Tessol, and
supply chain actors Coldman Logistics are aligning their goals to the new
in the food industry, demands.
logistics companies, technicians
and engineering firms specialised Supporting the infrastructure
in cold chain infrastructure. These bodies can serve Setting up new and adequate infrastructure for the
to enable access to technologies, knowledge, finance
and equipment, as well as facilitate the dialogue storage and supply of frozen foods is an entry barrier
and coordination necessary for effective cold chain for new players, since food and safety regulation and
development.” compliance are quite strict. It also requires higher capital
investments to set up.
- Dr Minakshi Chakraborty,
Economist and Consultant Infrastructure and refrigerator facilities at small retail
stores is another major challenge in the frozen foods
segment. For instance, Godrej Appliances, business unit market as most of the owners are unwilling to invest in
of Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej setting up such a facility. This limits the easy availability
Group, has recorded over 100 per cent volume growth of the frozen products. Even if they are ready to maintain
for deep freezers this summer in comparison to the some stock, the range of the products is limited.
pre-pandemic summer of 2019. This growth was led by
rising temperatures that brought about an incremental Thus, the industry requires adequate support from the
demand and consumption of ice creams and other government to strengthen the cold chain infrastructure in
frozen foods across India. the country. Although there are different schemes being
provided by the government as financial assistance to set
According to Kamal Nandi, Business Head and up cold storage facilities, there is still an inadequacy.
Executive Vice President, Godrej Appliances, “We
witnessed high growth this year for the deep freezer Developing the cold chain in India involves a mix of
category which accounts for around 5 per cent of our awareness & technical capacity including investment,
overall business. We are currently at 10 per cent market information and technology. According to Dr Minakshi
share for this product category. In the next two years, Chakraborty, Economist & Consultant, “There is a need to
we plan to invest over Rs 25 crore towards adding new encourage the formation & operation of industry bodies
models and expanding production capacity. This will for supply chain actors in the food industry, logistics
help us to grow our market share to 15 per cent by FY 23- companies, technicians & engineering firms specialised in
24, and achieve our goal of doubling market share to 20 cold chain infrastructure. These bodies can serve to enable
per cent in the next 5 years in deep freezers.” access to technologies, knowledge, finance & equipment,
as well as facilitate the dialogue & coordination necessary
Elanpro, a professional appliance company based for effective cold chain development.”
in Gurugram, has recently invested in New Delhi-based
Icold Refrigeration to strengthen its presence in the cold Enhancement of the cold chain infrastructure
can provide India with a great opportunity to adopt
the latest technologies that are energy-efficient,
environment friendly and also ensure the quality and
safety of frozen foods.

Mansi Jamsudkar
[email protected]

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in CONDIMENTS 29

What Is Going On In
The Condiments Aisle?

Changing lifestyles are leading to changes in eating habits and preferences. This is expected to drive
the growth of the condiments market, especially the use of sauces, herbs, spices and dressings in the
coming years. Not only do condiments enhance the taste or flavour of a dish, they are also used to
add some textural interest to food. But some condiments contain high levels of salt, fat, and sugar,

which is cause for an alarm. This calls for greater scientific attention towards the development of
healthier and natural options. Let’s delve deeper into this.

The Indian condiments market is projected to grow can be used with multiple Asian cuisines.
at a CAGR of over 13 per cent, to reach $1.34 billion “Our sales volume is currently 516.4 billion yen,
by 2024. This anticipated growth in the market can
be attributed to increasing cross-cultural interaction, and the brand has an over 350 year-old history of
inclination towards consumption of western cuisines, producing soy sauce. Given these facts, there are no real
and a growing number of modern retail outlets offering competitors as Kikkoman Soy Sauce is truly unique, and
price and convenience advantages to the customers. is different from chemically produced soy sauces. We
are hoping to become the most authentic brand in the
At present, the Indian condiments market is Indian Chinese category in India’s food service sector.
controlled by a few major players, namely Nestle, Field With the growing popularity of Indian Chinese cuisine,
Fresh Foods (Del Monte), Hindustan Unilever, Cremica there will be a greater chance for our product to further
Food Industries, Dr. Oetker, and Kraft Heinz which are penetrate the market and Indian households'', says
offering sauces, dressings, pickles, and chutneys. Harry Hakuei Kosato, Director- Kikkoman India and India
Representative at Kikkoman Corporation.
According to market advisory firm Sathguru
Management Consultants, significant investments On the other hand, Nippon Global, an olive oil
have been made in the last five years in startups like production company based out of Spain, and KIZ foods,
Wingreens and Veeba Foods in the dip, sauces and a pickled and cocktail onions producer in Bhavnagar,
dressings category. Moreover, many startups are now have announced their joint venture as the Holy Sauce
venturing into plant-based versions of sauces and dips. entity last year. Likewise, Australian food group Simplot
Australia launched its pasta and pizza sauces in India in
An exciting market 2021 despite the pandemic.
In addition, the Indian market has seen the entry of
Desi and foreign flavours
new international players in the last few months, with Exotic sauces are jostling for the top spot with the
novel offerings, particularly in the sauces segment.
For instance, Japan-based Kikkoman Corporation good old tomato ketchup, Indians have been so fond of.
has recently launched soy sauce and oyster sauce in The new varieties, in unique flavours such as chilli, garlic
the country. Brewed naturally using ingredients like chilli, dark soy, chilli vinegar, are gaining momentum in the
soybeans, wheat, salt and water, Kikkoman’s soy sauce Indian market across the food service and retail segments.

30 CONDIMENTS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

“There are no real competitors
as Kikkoman Soy Sauce
is truly unique, and is
different from chemically
produced soy sauces. We
are hoping to become the most
authentic brand in the Indian Chinese
category in India’s food service sector. ”

- Harry Hakuei Kosato,
Director- Kikkoman India and
India Representative at Kikkoman Corporation

“Though tomato ketchup, According to Akshay Bector, Chairman and Managing
tomato sauces, Indian ethnic Director, Cremica Food Industries, “Though tomato
chutneys in pudina and ketchup, tomato sauces, Indian ethnic chutneys in
imli flavours, mustard, and pudina and imli flavours, mustard, and mayo remain
mayo remain on the top of on the top of the list of most-used sauces overall, when
the list of most-used sauces overall, dining at restaurants or in other food establishments, an
when dining at restaurants or in other increasing number of people are searching for specific
food establishments, an increasing number of people are sauces with distinctive flavours. With the introduction of
searching for specific sauces with distinctive flavours.” our new products such as Chipotle Sauce, Sriracha Sauce,
Piri Piri Sauce, Tomato Ketchup, Honey Mustard, Sweet
- Akshay Bector, Onion Sauce, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Barbeque Sauce, we
Chairman & Managing Director, Cremica Food Industries would like to capture and become global leaders in the
cold condiment market.”
“With earlier variants
introduced, we analysed Apart from exotic sauces, many newer versions
the market and saw huge of chutneys are doing the rounds in the market.
demand from customers Mother’s Recipe, a leading player in this segment, has
in the chutney category. We strengthened its chutney range - Lemon Chutney,
recognised that in the crisis situation Dhania Pudina Chutney, and Tomato Chutney with
of the pandemic, all of us were multiple launches in the last few months.
restricted to our homes and were sceptical about eating
outside and consumers prefer home-cooked food.” “With earlier variants introduced, we analysed the
market and saw huge demand from customers in the
- Sanjana Desai, chutney category. We recognised that in the crisis
Executive Director, Mother’s Recipe (Desai Foods) situation of the pandemic, all of us were restricted to
our homes and were sceptical about eating outside and
“While earlier pickles were consumers prefer home-cooked food”, says Sanjana
considered a side dish, they Desai, Executive Director, Mother’s Recipe (Desai Foods).
have now been integrated
into the main menu in most Pickles are another favourite food accompaniment
households. Also, people in the Indian household. And just like other condiments,
at home are experimenting more new varieties are emerging here as well. In fact, the
with their food, and our objective is to overall size of the pickles market in India is pegged close
address those needs.” to Rs 1500 crore and has been growing at 6 to 8 per cent
CAGR.
- Dipak Sanghvi,
Managing Director, Nilon's Nilon's, a market leader in the pickles category,
recently expanded its portfolio with mango, green chili,
and mixed pickle variants focusing on Rajasthani flavours.
Dipak Sanghvi, Managing Director, Nilon's says, "We have
seen a shift in consumption patterns. We witnessed a
major change in the last few years. While earlier pickles

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in CONDIMENTS 31

Leading players of down design for enhanced dispensing and consumer
condiments market in India convenience.

 Nestle Premium UK condiment maker, Stokes Sauces, has
 Field Fresh Foods (Del Monte) announced the launch of a squeezy sauce bottle which
 Hindustan Unilever is made entirely from recycled plastic. Stokes is thought
 Cremica Food Industries to be the first condiment brand to launch a 100 per cent
 Dr. Oetker recycled plastic bottle in the UK.
 Desai Foods (Mother’s Recipe)
 Kraft Heinz Addressing health concerns?
 Nilon’s Many condiments are not particularly healthy,

were considered a side dish, they have now been containing large amounts of sugar (ketchup) and/
integrated into the main menu in most households. Also, or salt (soy sauce). In fact, just a single tablespoon of
people at home are experimenting more with their food, mayonnaise contains around 11 g of fat, 100 calories,
and our objective is to address those needs.” and 85 mg of sodium. But this is not commonly known,
and may not figure in people's calculations of how
A touch of Gujarati flavours is being pushed by healthy a dish or meal is. Thus, there is a need to carefully
Ahmedabad-based Indian Traditional Foods (ITF) under understand the presence of individual ingredients in
its brands Gujjuben and YO’S Kitchen Sandwich pickles. these condiments.
Under YO’s Kitchen Sandwich Pickles, ITF is introducing
the first ever mix of jam and pickles to attract all For example, commercial soy sauce contains a
generations. high amount of phytates that block the absorption of
minerals in our body. In addition, extra monosodium
Innovation in packaging glutamate (MSG) gets added to enhance the flavour of
Packaging is one major aspect being explored by soy sauce which can lead to metabolic disorders, have
harmful effects on reproductive organs, cause obesity,
condiment manufacturers across the globe. Beyond the and is neurotoxic.
colour of the product and its packaging, what is also
really important is the shape and form of the packaging. Likewise, ketchup is high in high fructose corn syrup.
Many brands in the marketplace are experimenting with This is used to allow the ketchup to exit easily out of
distinctive shapes for their product packaging lately to the bottle. Although there are brands that add "natural"
attract attention. flavouring, it is often made up of chemicals, and one of
the main chemicals used is MSG.
According to a report by Mintel, brands are
positioning table and cooking sauces in small Minus these ingredients in the ketchup bottle, the
squeezable tubes for aspiring cooks and those who basic tomato sauce is better than raw tomatoes as
occasionally cook. Tubes can also reduce the food cooking preserves a chemical called lycopene which
waste that might be generated during the course of boosts the probiotic effect and encourages the growth
experimenting with different sauces. of healthy bacteria in the gut. Researchers have also
examined the effects whole tomato extracts have on
As a new packaging format, the squeezable tube can gastric cancer.
play a role in revitalising the brand image of different
condiments and ensuring they appeal to the next Before consumers learn about how the hidden
generation of consumers. ingredients in their favourite condiments can disrupt
their healthy diets, big and small players should focus
Kraft Heinz is currently experimenting with the on making condiments with ingredients that are less
launch of Packet Roller, a ketchup bottle-shaped gadget processed and lower in calories. A few niche, artisanal
that allows users to squeeze the most out of a condiment brands - Circa Pickles, Maa’s Pickles, Wood Street Sauce,
packet. Simultaneously, the brand has announced that Not just hot, Maikaa Foods, are already bringing healthy
their iconic ketchup bottles could look very different in versions of condiments to the consumer. The addition of
the future as they plan to introduce a paper version of elements such as cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, chilli
their packaging. powder, basil, mint, pepper, ajwain, and curry leaf to the
condiments is also increasing, with growing consumer
On the other hand, Berry Global has launched a new awareness of their immunity-boosting properties. In the
range of hot fill sauce bottles that feature a curved, top- years ahead we are likely to see a push towards healthier
versions of many popular condiments.

Pooja Yadav
[email protected]

32 PEANUT BUTTER NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Why the
Humble
Peanut Butter
is 'Old Reliable'

While traditional Indian fare is wholesome and tasty, nowadays, not everyone has the time or skill to put
together a hearty breakfast or any other meal for that matter. An English breakfast or American ensemble is
much easier for most urbanites. That could be a major reason for the newfound growth curve of the peanut
butter market in the country. Still, there are some issues such as allergies that could arise from peanut
consumption, although impacting a small percentage of consumers. Let’s zero-in on the peanut butter
market in India.

With rising obesity rates, consumers across the commissioned by Dr. Oetker, owned by Oetker Group
globe have started shifting towards healthier in Germany, the peanut butter category is segmented
breakfast and snack options. For instance, in into three profiles namely taste seekers, health seekers
the UK, peanut butter is expected to overtake the sales and novelty seekers. The key barriers that emerged
of sweet spreads, like jam, as they are being targeted were unknown taste, affordability, lack of usage
by the Public Health England (PHE) under the sugar understanding and specific product needs for the health
reduction plan. seekers.

As per the IMARC Group, the global peanut butter Generating revenue worth Rs 81 crore in the peanut/
market reached a value of $3.8 billion in 2021. Looking choco spreads space during FY 20-21, Dr. Oetker India
forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach $5.3 has a range of peanut butter products in its portfolio.
billion by 2027, exhibiting at a CAGR of 5.7 per cent
during 2022-2027. Currently, smooth peanut butter is the Oliver Mirza, Managing Director & Chief Executive
most preferred product type in the market as it is easier Officer, Dr. Oetker India says, “Peanut butter market is at a
to spread and mixes better with smoothies and desserts. nascent stage in India, with headroom for strong growth.
Growing category penetration is the core objective
In India, peanut butter is coming across as the most which can be achieved through education for Taste
consumed food that is made by grinding dry-roasted Seekers (new recipes such as Peanut Butter-Jelly which
peanuts. Other than energy, it offers fibre, protein and is a popular flavour combination or Peanut Butter with
unsaturated fats along with a set of micronutrients Oats & Granola to make overnight or Granola Bars etc.)
including magnesium, zinc, potassium and Vitamin E. and new targeted health-based offerings for Health-
Owing to this nutritional profile, it is being used for Seekers (High Protein, Honey, Jaggery, Natural Peanut
the preparation of various food products, including Butter etc).”
salads, brownies, rolls, cakes, frostings, cornbreads and
chocolates. Furthermore, a New Delhi-based startup Supplement
Sack recently launched its own peanut butter in the
Key drivers such as increasing preference for nutrition FMCG segment under its sub-brand Muscle Fibre. The
products, variety of flavours, a shift towards a health- company is anticipating a threefold increase in revenue
conscious world is increasing the demand of the Indian due to the rising demand for peanut butter in India.
peanut butter market, however major restraint like
peanut butter allergies is expected to hinder the market. Manish Yadav, Chief Executive Officer, Supplement
Sack says, “The Indian market is already flooded with
According to a consumer study across seven cities numerous peanut butter brands. During our research,

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in PEANUT BUTTER 33

we discovered that the majority of them lacked the “Currently, the major
basic requirements and quality that should be present challenge that we face
in peanut butter. It is a staple breakfast food in the West is that the FMCG giants
and is consumed in large quantities, whereas it is still a have entered this
growing market in India.” market and they already
have some goodwill with their
Mumbai-based FMCG brand Max Protein, by
Naturell India, has also launched protein peanut butter existing 20-30 products and have
in five flavours. Recently, Jalandhar-based startup
Oxie Nutrition has launched White Chocolate Peanut large capital funding.”
Butter, an unexplored and unprocessed food product
that includes white chocolate compound and roasted - Anand Patel,
peanuts, turned into a paste.
Senior Marketing Manager, Das Foodtech
Harman Virk, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
Oxie Nutrition, says, “The White Chocolate Peanut Butter “Peanuts like some other
is keto-friendly and has a greater ratio of healthy fats and nuts are classified as
protein with very little carbs. The goal is to reboot more an allergen. However,
calories from fat than from carbs.” there is an intrinsic
natural goodness with
Adding to this list of peanut butter products in the nuts which makes it relevant as
market are Mustin, Marico, Modi Naturals, Hindustan
Unilever, to name a few. But not all peanut butter is a superfood.”
entirely healthy, as some brands add artificial sweeteners
and preservatives. To enhance the product stability, - Oliver Mirza,
aesthetic appeal and shelf life, peanut butter is added
with some additives in the commercial process. Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer,

Common preservatives used in peanut butter are Dr. Oetker India
sodium salts of benzoates, as owing to the low moisture
content in the peanut butter product the possibility “The Indian market is
of bacterial contamination in general is low. However, already flooded with
moulds are most probable contaminants of the product. numerous peanut
Therefore, sodium benzoates prevent the product from butter brands. During
mould growth and also retains freshness. our research, we
discovered that the majority
What are the risks?
On one hand multiple food brands are introducing of them lacked the basic

peanut butter to the Indian audience, while on the requirements and quality that should be present
other hand they have also started talking about the
concerning issues connected with this segment. in peanut butter.”

Commenting on the same, Oliver Mirza says, “Peanuts - Manish Yadav,
like some other nuts are classified as an allergen.
However, there is an intrinsic natural goodness with nuts Chief Executive Officer,
(source of healthy-fats, rich source of protein, natural
source of dietary fibre etc.) which makes it relevant as Supplement Sack
a superfood. The increased health-awareness during
the pandemic has also increased relevance for peanut “Despite high
butter (due to its natural goodness) and now post consumption of peanuts
lockdown measures being lifted, with gyms opening to in different foods in
full-capacity, the relevance of peanut butter as a workout India, peanut allergy
supplement has also increased.” in children was found
to be quite low (0.03 per cent),
Even though peanut allergy is very rare but has although peanut sensitisation
been linked with severe consequences all around the was high at 6.3 per cent.”
world. Taking the global scenario, despite the increasing
number of peanut allergies in the United States, many - Dr Mamidipudi Thirumala Krishna,
individuals are unaware of the serious implications of Professor, University Hospitals

Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

34 PEANUT BUTTER NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Global peanut butter market growth Australia showed that the odds of peanut allergy was
three-fold greater amongst children born to parents
Source: IMARC Group born in East Asia as opposed to children born to parents
born in Australia,” explains Dr Mamidipudi Thirumala
Leading global players Krishna, Professor, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS
in the peanut butter segment Foundation Trust.

 Agro Tech Foods  Olam International Studies have also revealed that along with thermal
 Algood Food  Mother Dairy Fruit & processing various other technologies for processing of
peanuts can be used to reduce the allergic components.
Company Inc. Vegetable High hydrostatic pressure is one such technology
 Archer Daniels  Parag Milk Foods that modifies the biological protein structures that
 Peanut Butter & Co are capable of developing an immune response upon
Midland  Pinnacle Foods peanut consumption. Other technologies like irradiation
 Boulder Brands Inc.  Procter & Gamble of peanuts before using it for preparation of peanut
 Britannia Dairy  Skippy butter could reduce the allergic reactions.
 Conagra  Star Snacks Co., LLC
 The Hain Celestial According to Anand Patel, Senior Marketing Manager,
Foodservice Das Foodtech, “First and foremost, it is mandatory for us
 Diamond Foods, Inc. Group to mention the allergen info on each and every product
 Dr. Oetker India  The Hershey that is manufactured. Since we understand that not
 Hampton Farms, Inc everyone reads that info, we highlight the word ‘Nut
 Hormel Foods Company Butter’ during all our promotional activities (including
 The J.M. Smucker social media promotions, hoardings, banners, etc.) to
Corporation make the consumers aware about it. We also make sure
 Hunts Company that the words on the ingredients label are highlighted
 Kraft Canada Inc.  Trader Joe’s and easy to grasp the attention of the consumers.”
 Kraft Heinz  Unilever Group
 Mayvers  Virginia Diner Apart from allergic concerns, peanut producers are
also facing challenges daily when it comes to wide-
Source: Marketwatch ranging supply and demand operation. Keeping in mind
consumer demands, concerns regarding food safety and
peanut exposure. Peanut allergy is majorly known to quality, as well as the right pricing model, need to be
cause anaphylaxis in children. An estimated one out of considered, in order to supply an end-product.
50 children in the UK have a peanut allergy.
“Currently the major challenge that we face is that
Highlighting this concern, a new study in the UK the FMCG giants have entered this market and they
has found that infants who ate peanuts frequently from already have some goodwill with their existing 20-
the first 11 months of their life were at a lower risk of 30 products and have large capital funding. As these
developing peanut allergy at six years of age, even if they companies already supply most of the essentials to
stopped eating peanuts a year prior. The breakthrough the retail stores, it is easy for them to get new products
research has actually led to the reversal of global public added to the shelf. And they do this at a very low margin.
health strategy for prevention of peanut allergy. To get shelf space, smaller companies have to offer
higher margins and discounts to get their products
“Despite high consumption of peanuts in different placed on the shelf. This is a bit unfair as if even one
foods in India, peanut allergy in children was found to be company offers higher margins, rest of the companies
quite low (0.03 per cent), although peanut sensitisation in the segment face a lot of difficulty to place their
was high at 6.3 per cent. Health Nuts study from products at the stores”, adds Anand Patel.

Creating awareness and educating the retailers and
consumers seems to be key in this scenario. Although
these challenges would take some time to disappear,
the peanut butter segment is surely gaining a lot of
popularity. It is becoming a go-to-option for gym-goers
as a high protein product and the growth of this market is
likely to be fuelled by the protein-seeking audience.

Pooja Yadav
[email protected]

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 35

“We plan to continue Dipan Dalal,
exploring further
Business Director, Azelis India-
options to provide Food & Nutrition Business
plant-based alternatives”

Belgium-based ingredients maker Azelis recently How was the company’s performance in the food
expanded its global flavours and fragrances platform ingredients space in FY 2021-22?
with an agreement to acquire majority shares of
Ashapura Aromas in India. With the addition of Mumbai- We are very proud of how our Indian Food &
based Ashapura’s comprehensive portfolio, Azelis will be Nutrition business has grown and expanded over the
able to offer a lateral value chain with more breadth and past few years, particularly in our top three categories:
depth of ingredients, enhancing the innovative solutions dairy & beverages, bakery, and confectionery. This is
it offers in the Indian food market. The company also thanks to the fruitful partnerships we have developed
plans to leverage Ashapura’s network of principals and and the new mandates we have won, allowing us to
customers, finding opportunities to efficiently expand strengthen our comprehensive portfolio of products
within the food market in India through cross-selling and to support additional food segments. We have also
building stronger partnerships. To find out more about built a strong team of sales and technical colleagues,
the company’s growth plans in India, nuFFooDS Spectrum with the know-how to support our customers with
spoke to Dipan Dalal, Business Director, Azelis India- Food their formulation and ingredient requirements. Our
& Nutrition Business. Edited excerpts; dedicated Food & Nutrition laboratory specialises in
all the key applications of the food industry in India,
Please share more about the company’s presence in including dairy, bakery, confectionery, savory, and the
the food ingredients market in India. growing niche segments, plant-based ingredients and
meat alternatives. All this together enabled our strong
Azelis has been actively developing its portfolio performance in the Indian food ingredients market.
of specialty ingredients and food additives in India,
becoming a leading player in the Indian food ingredients What are your views on the plant-based ingredients
market and a one-stop-shop for customers. By building and meat alternatives scenario in India? Are you
strong relationships with key players of the food planning to explore the plant-based ingredients
industry, we are able to offer a comprehensive range business in India?
of food ingredients from first-class manufacturers that
allow us to support customers with their formulation For the Indian market, vegetarianism and vegan
challenges. Our knowledgeable team includes technical food are quite deeply embedded in the local culture.
experts in food, beverage and nutrition, with years of We definitely see an opportunity to provide plant-
experience in the industry, and who are supported based ingredients and meat alternatives as part of
by our recently upgraded dedicated food application the portfolio of innovative formulations and solutions
laboratory in India. Innovation is at the heart of what we offer to customers. By exploring new protein
we do, we can support in choosing the right ingredient sources, there is room to customise formulations and
combination for formulations to achieve superior results. products to local tastes. Our team of experts have
From process, texture and stability, taste and colour, already been working on plant-based alternative
to nutritional profile, we assist our customers in the concepts, for example we recently assisted a customer
development, customisation and troubleshooting of with developing and launching a new oat milk
their formulations, demonstrating the value-add we for the Indian market. We plan to continue on this
bring through our innovative solutions. path, exploring further options to provide plant-
based alternatives, which is also in line with our
sustainability ambitions.

36 SPEAKING WITH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

One of the main challenges in the food system, Customer Portals and e-Labs, we will also be
able to accurately capture additional information,
industry is around health and nutrition, allowing for further insights into ingredient
recommendations and formulation requirements.
in particular, developing sustainable Finally, we will make certain that our solutions leverage
market trends such as natural preservation, clean
formulations for the market that are healthy, labeling, and fortification, as we also strengthen
our lateral value chain with plant-based alternatives
nutritious and tasty. Post the COVID-19 and nutraceuticals, all with the overall objective of
remaining the innovation partner of choice for our
pandemic, consumers are more conscious of stakeholders.

overall health and wellness, including what Azelis recently inaugurated a state-of-the-art
Regional Innovation Centre for Food & Nutrition
they eat and drink. Another challenge is the in Singapore. What is the objective of this centre?
Does the company have any plans to start one in
fragmented food industry, considering the India or other APAC countries?

size of India and the challenge in reaching Each Regional Innovation Center (RIC) serves a
dedicated market segment, on a regional scale, and
out to customers and supporting them in the one in Singapore is the very first at Azelis in the
Food & Nutrition (F&N) market. The Singapore RIC
their development. orchestrates innovation within the Asia Pacific region,
and connects all the local F&N labs across Asia Pacific,
What do you think are the challenges in the food including the food lab in India. Equipped with state-of-
ingredients space in India? How are you addressing the-art lab equipment, the RIC is also able to support
the same? the region with advanced projects. Thanks to the RIC,
our technical expertise and innovation capabilities
One of the main challenges in the food industry is will be accessible to a wider audience within the food
around health and nutrition, in particular, developing and beverage industry, allowing us to further grow our
sustainable formulations for the market that are business in the region and ensure we continue to focus
healthy, nutritious and tasty. Post the COVID-19 on developing innovative solutions that are market-
pandemic, consumers are more conscious of overall leading and sustainable. We aim to develop Regional
health and wellness, including what they eat and Innovation Centers in other countries globally for the
drink. To address this challenge, we are developing other market segments that we serve, as part of our
formulations that are both enjoyable and healthy, overall growth strategy to ensure we deliver on our
by fortifying traditional recipes, substituting certain brand promise, ‘Innovation through formulation’.
ingredients for healthier alternatives, and enriching
products with fibre or other nutrients. Developing In the APAC region, which country contributes the
healthy solutions is also part of our Action 2025 highest revenue in the food ingredients space?
sustainability strategy, where we aim to influence Where does India stand in terms of revenue
conscious consumption with natural, organic, generation?
and plant-based foods. Another challenge is the
fragmented food industry, considering the size of India We are very proud of the comprehensive portfolio
and the challenge in reaching out to customers and of ingredients we have purposefully curated in India,
supporting them in their development. To address along with our strong growth performance, which is
this, we recently introduced the Customer Portal and a testament to our capabilities in a very competitive
e-Lab, to support customers with trends, formulation market and the trust our principals and customers have
inspiration, product information, and 24/7 access to our in us, and our ability to deliver innovative solutions.
technical expertise. We will ensure we continue to perform to the best of
our abilities, as we aim to be the leading provider of
What are your future plans in the food ingredients innovative solutions for the specialty chemicals and
space in India? food ingredients industry.

We will continue to invest in our innovation Mansi Jamsudkar
capabilities, deepen the technical expertise of our [email protected]
team, and focus on growing together with our
principals and customers, to ensure we continue
to provide a first-class experience and innovative
solutions. We also aim to strengthen our knowledge of
the food market, to better understand the needs of our
customers and customise our solutions accordingly.
By leveraging our digital solutions, including our CRM

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 37

''Demand for more Dr Jitendra Kelkar,
validated analytical
methods for harmonising General Manager – Customer Support
Dairy testing to comply Centre, Shimadzu Analytical (India)
with FSSAI standards''

Japan-based Shimadzu, a leading manufacturer with AI which enables increased throughput of analysis
of precision instruments with a strong culture of without compromising quality. Shimadzu’s LC-ICP MS
innovation, is pursuing the incorporation of artificial combination provides the best in class solution to
intelligence (AI)-based algorithms in all its analytical do speciation analysis of methyl mercury in milk. The
instruments. The Indian dairy industry is one of its key advanced technology MALDI ToF using iDplus platform
targets and the company plans to launch new products serves the important purpose of identifying possible
with AI technology to increase reliability and high adulteration of different milk species. The flexibility of
throughput for screening milk adulterants here. Dr the open database associated with iDplus allows the use
Jitendra Kelkar, General Manager – Customer Support of the platform for molecular profiling experiments and
Centre, Shimadzu Analytical (India) talks to nuFFoodS differentiation of related samples based on the unique
Spectrum about the company’s innovations for the features in their profile.
Indian market and suggestions for harmonising dairy
analysis. Edited excerpts; Shimadzu has also developed a technique to
perform ultrahigh speed analysis of melamine using
Which new products are you planning to launch in laser diode thermal desorption (LDTD) ionisation
the milk testing space for the Indian market? technique coupled with LCMS-8060, a highly sensitive
ultra-fast tandem mass spectrometer.
Shimadzu has more than 6500 patents to its name
as an instrument manufacturer. Shimadzu’s Electrical Which are the key milk contaminants being detected
Engineer Koichi Tanaka San received the Nobel Prize at your end?
for developing MALDI in 2002. Currently, Shimadzu
is focusing on development of its products with When we talk about milk quality, it includes
Analytical Intelligence (AI) which is the need of the quantitation of nutritional values like protein content,
current generation. We will be launching some new fat content, essential elements. There are some classical
products with AI technology which will have less human and traditional methods to determine the milk value
intervention to increase reliability and high throughput. based on the fat and protein content, but all these
These products will not only serve the dairy industry in methods are not very accurate and specific. These
the F&B sector but also other segments. tests can’t differentiate between synthetic compounds
mimicking protein and natural protein value. Fat
Please highlight the innovative milk testing adulteration is very common in milk and for identifying
methods/equipment developed by Shimadzu for the these types of contaminants and adulterants one
Indian market? requires sophisticated instruments like GC-FID, GCMS,
HPLC and LCMS. Shimadzu has developed very sensitive
Shimadzu has developed an end-to-end solution and robust methods for triglyceride content and fatty
providing partially validated and easy-to-transfer acid content in milk and milk products using GC-FID and
methods for residual pesticides analysis using its cutting GCMS.
edge hyphenated technologies GCMSMS, ICP-MS and
LCMSMS. The latest solutions from Shimadzu provide Adulteration of melamine in milk and milk powder
dedicated databases, user friendly data processing was a major Chinese scandal in 2008. Melamine was
software and ultra-fast highly sensitive technologies added to increase the nitrogen value of the product
as this was considered an indicator of protein value.
Shimadzu has developed a sensitive method for

38 SPEAKING WITH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

identifying and quantifying melamine in milk and milk have their own field application and service team to
products using GC-MS by derivatisation and analysis of support customers on-site. Furthermore, Shimadzu
dicyandiamide and melamine using advanced LCMSMS Analytical India has established two dedicated
technology. application support centres, one in Delhi and one in
Mumbai, latter being the HQ. Shimadzu also focuses
Milk is highly susceptible for contamination due on developing proactive and novel applications to
to poor handling and contaminated feed to cattle. give customers ready solutions from its state-of-the-
Presence of unwelcome pesticides, dioxins, antibiotics, art Application Development Centre situated at Navi
and toxins have often been detected in milk and milk Mumbai. The main aim is to support customers with
products due to contaminated feed. Food Safety and novel, easily transferable partially or complete validated
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set standards methods which saves customers’ time and outsourcing
for milk and dairy products pertaining to acceptable cost.
levels of contaminants in the finished product. It
becomes inevitable to monitor all raw material and How can we improve quality management systems
finished products for presence of these contaminants in milk testing in India? What are the challenges?
and quantifying them to comply with regulations.
Shimadzu provides end-to-end solutions for dairy Principally, what we need to improve is to have
compliance with dedicated method packages for all controls at every stage of the supply chain. When I say
contaminants using best in class latest technologies controls doesn’t mean testing, the testing should be
like GCs and LCs with AI and a range of ultrafast, highly done at different stages where Critical Control Points
sensitive mass spectrometers (UFMS) in isolation or (CCPS) are identified. So the major factor is we need to
in hyphenation. Shimadzu has a complete solution of establish advanced well-equipped laboratory facilities
ready-to-use analytical methods using cutting-edge easily accessible by dairy business operators at village,
technologies and providing high throughput solutions district and state levels. As there is a lack of skilled
to customers. manpower at district or village levels, we should have
the methods and instruments which use maximum
Apart from this, milk is also a rich source of automation. There should be well defined guidelines
micronutrients like calcium, potassium, sodium, and standards to be followed. I think FSSAI is doing a
magnesium and phosphorus. Shimadzu Atomic great job in this direction. Government organisations
Absorption Spectroscopy is an effective tool to like Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
quantify these elements in dairy products. Along with (DAHD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB),
essential micronutrients, milk has risk of environmental National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) are already
contaminants like heavy metals which might be present working together on establishing processing and
at very low or ppb levels. Shimadzu provides a complete testing facilities while creating awareness in India.
cookbook for analysing these toxic elements at very low Shimadzu has already contributed to this by supplying
level using highly sensitive ICP-MS. many advanced instruments with application support
to users.
How many distributors do you have in the milk
What are your expectations from FSSAI to further
testing market? Please share details. strengthen the milk testing space in India?
In India, Shimadzu has two major distributors
FSSAI is doing a commendable job when it comes
namely Spinco Biotech and Toshvin Analytical who to raising the quality bar for dairy and dairy products
are channel partners for both pre-sales and after-sales by monitoring and revising the standards as and
support, not only for the dairy industry, but also for when required. However, for better implementation of
other markets. Spinco Biotech handles the sale of LC safety standards and practices in the industry, FSSAI
and the entire LCMS line of products all over India can consider facilitating skill improvement sessions
and GC and GCMS-related products in the East India by collaborating with technology solution providers
region; while Toshvin Analytical handles all GC, GCMS- like Shimadzu. We need more validated and proven
related products all over India other than the eastern methods which will comply FSSAI set standards and
states. Toshvin Analytical also represents Shimadzu for are approved by FSSAI. We at Shimadzu would be more
spectroscopy products pan-India. than glad to come forward and support FSSAI in this
mission.
In the current times, application and service support
are turning to be a key factor for successful operation Dr Manbeena Chawla
and handling of instruments as technologies are [email protected]
advancing. In this regard Shimadzu has a very strong
multi-layer support system in India. Our distributors

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FOODTECH 39

Foodtech Braves a Amod Ashok Salgaonkar,
Brief Storm on its
Growth Journey Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer,
A2S2 Enterprises

Indian foodtech’s success story is well-known. But what As per few sources, there are nearly more than a 1000
are the contributory factors that shaped this saga? What food delivery startups in the country. The big names like
are the sector’s current challenges? And what are the key Zomato and Swiggy have created a revolution in the
innovations in the larger area of food and agriculture that restaurant food business by expanding their footprint
will revolutionise this sector? Let's look at how startups are across India in the last couple of years. Considering the
under pressure due to the current global economic crisis. last few years, the increasing disposable income of the
middle class, increased penetration of internet in tier II
The Indian foodtech market was valued at Rs 289.36 and III cities in addition to metropolitan cities, attractive
billion in 2019 and is expected to reach Rs 1,868.19 offerings and quick deliveries from startups – have
billion by 2025 as reported by MarketWatch. This launched a new era for the restaurant and grocery food
segment has seen phenomenal growth since 2015. But business in India. One must note that the number of
2022 has proved a rather difficult year so far. Various internet connections in India significantly increased
startups in the space are facing a major setback as to 830 million in 2021. India has the highest data
many investors have pulled out from the Indian market consumption rate worldwide at 14.1 GB data per person
due to implications of the Ukraine-Russia war. Some a month. This internet penetration has been very rightly
opportunities may arise, but looking at the rising inflation tapped by many businesses, specifically since the onset
in India and worldwide, growth is likely to be restricted. of COVID-19 and the foodtech industry is one of those
who converted the use of this technology for growing
An online revolution the food delivery business tremendously.
The importance of online transactions is well
As per a report by Razorpay, the fintech market saw
understood by both the investor and the customer. This outstanding growth in digital transactions for most of
has resulted in the rapid growth of the foodtech industry the sectors in the last two years. From 2020 to 2021 (as
in India. The foodtech industry is majorly divided into per Razorpay transactions), food and beverages (18.08
two segments which are online food delivery and online per cent of total transaction volume) emerged as the
grocery, and the key players of both the segments are largest sector, closely followed by financial services
startups. (17.99 per cent), games (13.99 per cent), utilities (13.7 per
cent) and E-commerce (11.85 per cent). Among peer-to-
Fig: Representative key foodtech startups in India merchant online transactions, online food orders saw a

40 FOODTECH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

massive growth of 284.89 per cent from 2020 to 2021. businesses for sustainable growth
When the digital penetration has been studied sector Reduce and Recycle: Applying
wise for growth in general, the food and beverage sector
has grown by 179.75 per cent in 2021 in comparison with innovations for reducing usage of
2020. plastic for packaging and recycling
food waste for the creation of new
Driving factors for innovation in the food industry products
There are many factors that are driving innovation
Sustainable Protein: The
in the food industry. However, the important ones have understanding of new food
contributed significantly to the growth of this industry: techniques for the production of
animal-free protein either through
Precision Farming: Innovating the ways of farming cell-generation techniques,
at acute minute levels with the use of data analytics utilising plant-based alternatives or
while reducing the impact on the environment. This is fermentation
slowly picking up in India.
Traceability: Making the supply
Incorporating ESG: Inclusion of ESG (Environment, chain strong enough with the use of technology that it
Social and Governance) aspects in the objectives of food can maintain traceability from farm to fork.

Zomato’s present status in the Indian foodtech
industry

Zomato drives the retention of new customers
via its strategy of AAAQ (Assortment, Accessibility,
Affordability, and Quality). Assortment goes up when
the number of restaurants serving a customer goes up.
Accessibility in their system is equal to delivery time,
and they have seen customer retention (and frequency)
go up with reduction in delivery time. Affordability is
about the cost of restaurant food. Quality goes up when
more high quality (not necessarily more expensive)
restaurants open up to serve a neighbourhood. Zomato
has built its presence in 300+ new cities from January

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FOODTECH 41

to March of 2022 and they now cater to 1000+ towns Swiggy
and cities across India. Though their presence is now Swiggy is another major startup in the foodtech
widespread, the top 8 cities contributed 60 per cent of
GOV (Gross Order Value) in Q4 FY22 whereas the top 300 space in India. The company offers food service solutions
contributed 99 per cent of GOV. It is interesting that out to restaurants through its food ordering and delivery
of the top 300 cities, the number of cities now profitable platforms. The company uses an app that runs on routing
for Zomato have increased to 120+ in FY22 from merely algorithms to route its delivery agents to customers.
five cities in FY20. The AOV (Average Order Value) was Rs Real-time tracking of an order is possible for customers.
398 in FY22. As per Deepinder Goyal, Founder of Zomato, The company operates in major cities and has 4000+
customer’s perceived value for quality and service has employees on board.
gone up which has helped in an increased willingness to
pay on the platform. ESG Initiatives in the Indian foodtech industry
Zomato’s Feeding India (a not-for-profit initiative)
Zomato has made many minority equity investments
until FY22 based on two themes: distributes 2 lakh meals a day in 39 cities across
India under its Daily Feeding Programme. It has also
1) Put the building blocks in place for a robust quick- committed to convert its delivery fleets to 100 per cent
commerce business in India electric by 2030 so that they can reduce and offset
estimated carbon emissions generated during food
2) Accelerate digitisation and growth of the food delivery. Zomato also made “no cutlery” as the default
and restaurant industry which can accelerate the food option on the app while ordering thereby cutting down
business. on an estimated 300MT of plastic in FY22.

Zomato can withstand the majority of the challenges Licious has successfully achieved SA 8000:2014
in the market today, probably because by the end of Social Accountability, ISO 14001 Environmental
March 2022, they had a cash reserve of Rs 122 billion Management, and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and
(~$1.6 billion based on an exchange rate of $1 = Rs 75). Safety Management certifications in 2021. It is the first
Their capital needs are presently limited and losses in the Indian fresh animal protein brand and one among ten
food business are reducing rapidly. The Zomato board companies globally to receive this certification conferred
also approved the acquisition of instant grocery startup by the British Standards Institution (BSI). Licious is
Blinkit (formerly Grofers) for Rs 44.47 billion ($568.16 also the first company in the segment that has taken a
million) in June 2022 in an all stock deal. The transaction pledge towards achieving complete ESG compliance.
is expected to close in August 2022. It is serving a large number of Indian households with
around 2 million orders per month.
Some notable facts about the Zomato Food Delivery
Business for Q4FY22 Digital Agriculture Mission in India
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,
 GOV: Rs 58.5 billion
 Average monthly transacting customers: 15.7 Government of India has initiated a Digital Agriculture
million Mission from 2021 to 2025 for projects based on new
 Average monthly active food delivery restaurant technologies like artificial intelligence, block chain, remote
partners: 2,05,000 sensing and GIS technology, and use of drones and robots.
 Average monthly active delivery partners: 3,16,000 As per the latest update of April 2022, the Agriculture
 Zomato Hyperpure (B2B Supplies) Business grew Ministry is in the process of finalising a framework for
by 49 per cent QoQ to Rs 1.1 billion in Q2 FY22
 Unique restaurants billed: 34,000

Source: ZOMATO (Note: Values mentioned in Rs billion)

42 FOODTECH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Foreign Institutional Investors have
pulled out Rs 2,15,000 crore in the

first five months of 2022. According
to market experts, monetary policy
tightening by the Reserve Bank and
US Federal Reserve, high oil prices and
volatile rupee are few of the reasons
for such high outflow of money from
India. As per many other conversations

on business and markets, the
recession may set in soon and startups

have started feeling the impacts of it.

creating a Agristack in the country, which will serve as a Rs 2,15,000 crore in the first five months of 2022.
foundation to build innovative agri-focused solutions that According to market experts, monetary policy
leverage digital technologies to contribute effectively tightening by the Reserve Bank and US Federal Reserve,
towards increasing the income of farmers and improve high oil prices and volatile rupee are few of the reasons
the efficiency of the agriculture sector in the country. for such high outflow of money from India. As per
If finalised, it aims to serve as a foundation to build many other conversations on business and markets,
innovative agri-focused solutions leveraging technologies the recession may set in soon and startups have started
to contribute effectively towards increasing the income feeling the impacts of it. Mumbai based fresh delivery
of farmers and improve farm efficiency/efficiency of the startup Fraazo has laid off 150 full time employees
agriculture sector in the country. across segments in July 2022 to cut expenses amidst
a fund crunch. They also have shut down 50 dark
Under the “Digital Agriculture Mission”, the stores across the country in the last few weeks since
government has invited major technology and agritech June 2022. As investors are now putting pressure on
players in the country to collaborate in creating proof-of- startups to cut costs, the primary collateral damage is
concepts (POCs) to demonstrate use case scenarios on employees. Indian startups have seen more than 10,000
the farmers database. So far, few of the leading players layoffs in the first six months of 2022 which include
have signed MoUs in response to being approached by 1600 employees from Blinkit, 150 employees from
the government. They are ITC, Agribazaar, Amazon, CISCO, Meesho and many more.
ESRI, JIO, Microsoft, NeML, Ninjacart, and Patanjali.
Winning the race
Why Digital Agriculture may be useful for India’s India has witnessed tremendous growth in this
future:
sector over the last seven to eight years and projections
 Advanced digital technologies can play the role of were also quite impressive. However, the rising costs
an initial indicator to identify potential challenges and of various fragments associated with the food business
provide options to deal with them in a timely manner. globally due to the war between Ukraine and Russia,
ongoing inflation, indications of recession, and the
 Real-time actionable insights can be generated pulling out the ever highest amount from the Indian
which may help farmers to optimise their operations market by foreign investors in first five months of 2022
resulting in reduced workload. is presently creating a unstable situation presently
for many of the startups in the segment. But such
 Blockchain technology offers precise data about an impact is being faced by almost all countries and
farms, inventories, quick and secure transactions and Indians are known to find the solutions to critical
food tracking. Thus, farmers don’t have to be dependent problems. So we expect that conserving more on
on paperwork or files to record and store important data. cash and reducing expenses without compromising
on service will prove to be the winning factors for the
 Implementing technological solutions enable Indian foodtech industry.
efficient management and monitoring of farms.

Foreign Investors pulled out highest amounts ever
in 2022

Foreign Institutional Investors have pulled out

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in AYURVEDA 43

11 Ways of Dr Anand Swaroop,
Modernising
the Traditional President,
Medicine Industry Cepham, Inc.

A healthy nation is a prosperous, thriving nation. The validation of test methods. Next is the clinical evidence
younger populace of India needs its physical and mental and statistically significant outcomes. It is followed by
nutritional needs met by the home-grown industry. Simple, post-market surveillance, pharmacovigilance, suitability
tradition-based, affordable, and accessible nutrition for genders (men & women – different nutritional needs),
presents us with a tremendous business opportunity. The bioavailability, and stability of the product.
same is true for non-China and non-Japan Asia Pacific. In
the recent Nutrify Today C-Suite summit, Ernst & Young Sustainability: The last component of the 3S
presented a possible roadmap for a $100 billion nutritional is sustainability, which is present in all steps of the
industry in India by 2030. This target is achievable by nutraceutical journey -sourcing, product development,
developing nimble and agile innovation to help all Indians manufacturing, shipping, distribution, and finally use
meet their nutritional needs. by the consumer. Often sustainability is focused on the
supply chain, but for making a successful nutraceutical
Traditional medicine (TM) is a collection of long- product, all aspects of the product cycle, for example
established knowledge, skills, and practices patient compliance, cost to manufacture, price to
that helps in the maintenance of good health end user, environmental impact, carbon footprint,
as well as the prevention, diagnosis of physical and replacement of traditional herbs and impact on
mental diseases. About 60 per cent of the population communities, CITES, and endangered plants trade, etc.
of India and Southeast Asia are frequent users of TM has to fall within the broad spectrum of sustainability.
nutraceuticals. There is growing awareness and use
around the world for TM. The rise in self-care during the Ayurveda has followed these principles for thousands
COVID-19 has given TM a big boost. of years. There are written texts on identification of
herbs and their safe use in various systems of traditional
The future belongs to 3S – safety, science, and medicine in India.
sustainability.
Like most traditional medicine systems, Ayurveda
Safety: Safety is of paramount importance to was developed and refined over thousands of years. It is
nutraceuticals. A successful product must have a safe based on observation and experience: the foundational
use history, studied for toxicity under good laboratory pillars of science. Modern clinical science is based on
practice (GLP) and show no mutagenicity. Equally measurable outcomes. Ayurveda, on the other hand, is
important issues are validated standards, lethal dose far more esoteric and involves outcomes that are a little
study, drug-herb interactions, adverse reactions, GMP difficult to measure by the instruments and methods
for manufacturing, GLP for laboratory studies, control currently available.
of adulteration, traceability of chemical, biological and
radiological hazards, heavy metals, pesticides, and Sustainability has been a cornerstone of Ayurveda.
microbial contamination. The knowledge is structured in the consciousness of
things. It advocates an empathic approach to nature,
Science: The next important step is to validate society, and economics. By integrating and appreciating
the efficacy of the nutraceutical product using the environment, Ayurveda helps discover the
scientific tools. The initial work encompasses bioactive underlying unity in all things in the universe.
identification, standardisation, plant identification and
There are hundreds of plants with therapeutic and
preventive properties. But, so far, only about twenty
of these herbs have made it to the mainstream market
in India and worldwide. Combined with the holistic

44 AYURVEDA NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

principles of Ayurveda, herbs and healthy living will help 4. Funding of human clinical trials to establish
the world population in self-care. Ayurvedic traditional claims and structure function
claims. Funding to establish the predicted target genes
There is a lot of scientific work done in India for of Ayurvedic herbs. Integrative pharmacology-based
Ayurvedic herbs. As the research is public (government) research platform.
funded in India, most of the medicinal plant data is
available in the public domain. Proper indexing and 5. Establish a programme to help industry develop
industry access will help boost the potential. The botanical drugs. There are several potential plants with
Government of India has instituted a task force under very active secondary metabolites that can be tapped for
the leadership of the Principal Scientific Advisor to help bioactive effects.
guide various departments and the industry to work
in unison to achieve the goal of developing the TM 6. A programme to fund and encourage universities
nutritional industry. in the USA and Europe to conduct research on Ayurvedic
herbs.
The future of nutrition is plant-based. Who knows
it better than India, where vegetarians have five-page 7. Create collaboration with leading world
menus in every restaurant! organisations in the traditional medicine field to
represent the Indian herbal industry. Use the Indian
To achieve market growth, we need to expand the diaspora to connect and influence.
Ayurvedic product basket, create claim construction,
leverage biotransformation capabilities, index and 8. Update Ayush GMPs and harmonise with cost and
connect a strong research base, and help Indian freight (CFR) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
entrepreneurship. to have global validity.

1. Modernisation of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia 9. Applied research to help industry use traditional
of India with new monograph development with Ayurvedic herbs in new formulations and functional
phytochemical markers, voucher specimens, and foods.
reference standards for Ayurvedic herbs for analysis with
modern techniques. 10. Biotech and plant tissue culture to replace
chemical synthesis and sustain supply chains. New
2. Indexing of works carried out by all government geopolitical realities have created opportunities for India.
funded institutes in India on medicinal plants and
making it available to industry with a fee-based 11. Development of natural bioactive peptides, lipids,
structure. Inclusion of sources like Shodhganga to give and carbohydrates. Development of natural alternatives
industry a chance to tap into existing research. to replace synthetic food processing chemicals.

3. Development of digital Ayurvedic Materia Adaptation of the 3S and nimble innovation will help
Medica, an eAyurved portal for information focused on develop high quality products for the people of India
consumers only. and Southeast Asia. The industry can then leverage this
for export markets. There is a need to replace the “export
quality” with “one quality – high quality”.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in AWARDS 45

2

1 3
1. Ravindra Boratkar, Managing Director, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications

Private Limited receiving the Runner-up award in the category “The
Knowledge Hub” for organising the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
2. Ravindra Boratkar, Managing Director, MM Activ Sci-Tech
Communications Private Limited receiving winner’s award in the ‘The Big
Show’ category for organising Agrovision India.
3. MM Activ Group company Asian Convention & Exposition Private
Limited’s team receiving Runner-up award in Merit- Corporate Category
for ‘CIDCO Exhibition & Convention Centre’.

MM Activ bags recognition for exhibition excellence

MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Private Limited for the farmers, industry, and government and bring
received 3 outstanding awards at the 6th edition of together every important entity in agriculture to create a
Exhibition Excellence Awards (EEA) ceremony held on better future for the farmers. The vision of Agrovision is to
July 8, 2022 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida. After a create a more knowledgeable, practical and a smart famer.
gap of two years, the EEA came back in physical format in
2022. Over 500 exhibition organisers, trade & professional Another Runner-up award was bagged by MM Activ
associations, trade bodies, corporate heads, venues and Group company Asian Convention & Exposition Private
meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE) Limited in Merit- Corporate Category for ‘CIDCO Exhibition
stakeholders attend the event. & Convention Centre’ during the ceremony. Built on a
sprawling 2,00,000 sq.ft. area, the centre has two large
MM Activ won a Runner-up award in the category halls for exhibition and 1,50,000 sq.ft. convention centre.
“The Knowledge Hub” for organising the Bengaluru Tech Both the exhibition and business centres are connected by
Summit, on the basis of a number of conference sessions a bridge. Innovatively designed at par with international
held at the exhibition between January 2020 and March standards, the centre sports an aesthetic and attractive
2022. Bengaluru Tech Summit is an initiative by the view.
Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology
and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, The award was accepted by Ravindra Boratkar,
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Bengaluru. Managing Director, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications
Jagdish Patankar, Executive Chairman, MM Activ Sci- Private Limited. He said, “These awards serve as a
Tech Communications has been playing a key role in recognition for hard work that goes into organising and
curating this event along with the Karnataka government. planning large-scale events. Our commitment to continue
Currently, in its 25th year, Bengaluru Tech Summit has producing high-caliber work has increased as a result of
emerged as Asia’s most prestigious and sought-after receiving three awards.”
technology event.
In the last 20 years, since its inception, MM Activ has
Adding more feathers to its cap, MM Activ emerged curated over 100 national & international technology
as a winner in the ‘The Big Show’ category for organising conventions with special focus on agri-food and
Agrovision India, a physical exhibition with the greatest biotechnology. MM Activ is the publisher of leading
number of participating exhibitors. Agrovision was B2B digital and print media- BioSpectrum, nuFFooDS
conceived in the year 2007 to create a common platform Spectrum and AgroSpectrum from India and Singapore
catering to the APAC region.

46 AACCAADDEMEMICICS NEWS NNUUFFFFOOOODDSSSSPPEECCTTRRUUMM || AMuagrucsht 20221 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Sanskriti University Internshala hosts
Nestlé India’s Nesternship
partners with to upskill Indian students

Indian Institute of Internshala, the career-tech platform, recently hosted Nestlé
India’s Nesternship with the aim to update, upgrade, and upskill
Millets Research Indian students. The internship programme offered 1000 virtual
internships in various fields including corporate affairs, finance,
Sanskriti University has signed a sales analytics, information technology, legal, marketing,
memorandum of understanding (MoU) supply chain, food technology, core engineering, and human
with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets resources. Nesternship 3.0 aims at enhancing the competence
Research, Hyderabad. This collaboration and employability of the youth in India. These internships offer
will help students by providing experiential learning to empower the selected students with skills
opportunities and expertise through and to make them future-ready. Each intern is assigned a mentor
exchange programmes, research and from Nestlé to guide them during the course of their internship. The
training programmes in the field of selected students add an experience of a lifetime to their resume
agriculture and millet research. The MoU with the 50-day internship stint with the food and beverage giant.
was signed in the presence of Sanskriti Additionally, they receive a prestigious internship certificate and an
University Chancellor Sachin Gupta, assured reward of Amazon vouchers worth Rs 10,000. For the past 2
ICAR-IIMR Director C V Ratnavatha, years, the company has been hiring young Indians as interns under
Dr Rajneesh Tyagi, Dean Agriculture, the Nesternship programme in partnership with Internshala. The
Sanskriti University and Dr Meenakshi programme aims at helping them understand what a professional
Sharma, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) environment can offer, what a company with purpose and values
to the Chancellor of Sanskriti University. can offer, and how the students can prove their competence.
IIMR is a premier agricultural research
institute engaged in basic and strategic
research on sorghum and other millets
under the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR). IIMR coordinates
and facilitates millets research at the
national level through the All India
Coordinated Research Projects on
Millets, Pearl Millet and Small Millets
and provides linkages with various
national and international agencies.

Yakult Danone India inks MoU with SRM University

Probiotic brand manufacturer will entail collaboration on a gamut
Yakult Danone India has signed a of areas, such as skill-based training
Memorandum of Understanding and internship, industrial visits and a
(MoU) with SRM University, Delhi-NCR, tour of Yakult Danone India factory.
Sonepat, Haryana, in the core areas There will also be an exchange of
of education and sharing knowledge. information on the recent advances
The rationale of this MoU is aimed to in the science of gut microbiota
promote more effective use of each of and probiotics and guidance will be
their resources, and provide each of provided to the students on new
them with enhanced opportunities. areas for research in gut microbiota
The MoU was signed between Hiroshi and probiotics. Additionally, both
Hamada, Managing Director, Yakult parties will explore, co-operate, and
Danone India and Prof. V. Samuel collaborate in future activities, which
Raj, Registrar, SRM University Delhi- may be mutually beneficial to each
NCR, Sonepat, Haryana. The MoU other.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in INGREDIENTS NEWS 47

Sigachi Industries ventures into Denmark-
human nutritional segment based Oterra
buys Indian
Hyderabad-based Sigachi Industries has ventured into the human ingredients
nutritional segment, with a prime focus on B2B markets, in India and manufacturer
across the globe. The company is driving the Indian growth story in the Akay Group
microcrystalline cellulose category with its continuous focus on innovation
and quality within the industry. Alongside Oterra, the world’s leading
pharma, Sigachi will be now expanding its supplier of natural colours,
horizon by exploring nutritional markets further strengthens its
in India and across 45 countries, where it core offerings with the
currently exports. The product portfolio will acquisition of Akay Group, a
widely incorporate spray-dried ingredients, prominent natural ingredients
micronutrient premixes, encapsulated manufacturer based in Kochi.
ingredients, granulated ingredients, and The acquisition, Oterra’s fourth
triturates. With these ingredients, Sigachi in only 14 months, is a win-
is looking to deepen its relationship with win for both parties. Oterra
its current customers in Nutraceuticals, will not only strengthen its
Bakery, Dairy, Infant and Medical Nutrition, Confectionery, Savoury and access to natural colours but
Snacks, and Beverages sectors. The company sees this expansion as a also to an attractive product
natural step in accelerating growth towards its vision of being a market pipeline backed by state-of-
leader in the manufacturing and supplying of multi-facet ingredients, and the-art manufacturing plants
offering tailored solutions that meet customer requirements across the and strong R&D capabilities.
Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, Food Ingredients & Nutrition industries. Akay serves over 40 countries,
has four manufacturing sites
Azelis acquires majority shares in southern India and employs
of Ashapura Aromas in India more than 400 people. Oterra,
previously known as Chr.
Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals Hansen Natural Colors before its
and food ingredients industry, has reached an agreement to acquire a majority purchase in 2021, was in 1995,
stake in Ashapura Aromas, a Mumbai-based distributor of ingredients in the part of a joint manufacturing
flavours & fragrances (F&F) market in India. This acquisition provides Azelis venture with Akay to produce
with a strong F&F platform in Asia Pacific, creating a global F&F network, natural colours from turmeric
following its 2021 acquisitions of Vigon in the US and Quimdis in France, and paprika. From 2007, Akay
serving the Americas and EMEA regions respectively. Ashapura’s extensive continued as an independent
product portfolio strategically complements the group’s lateral value chain company, but Oterra and
(LVC) in the fast-growing F&F market segment, strengthening the offering Akay have kept close ties with
and technical expertise Azelis provides to customers. Ashapura’s 100-plus each other since Akay is a key
employees will join Azelis, along with founders and owners Ajaykiran and supplier to Oterra.
Nayan Gudka, who will remain to lead the business post-integration. The
transaction is expected to close before the end of the third quarter, after
fulfilment of customary closing conditions.

48 ACADERM&IDC NEWS NNUUFFFFOOOODDSSSSPPEECCTTRRUUMM || AMuagrucsht 20221 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

UoH brings smart PAU receives patent
sensing systems for for water testing kit
packaged foods
An Indian patent entitled ‘Method for Water Testing and Water
University of Hyderabad (UoH) has signed a Testing Kit’ has been granted to Dr Param Pal Sahota, Principal
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microbiologist-cum-University Librarian (Retd.) Department
Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National of Microbiology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Dr
Research Centre on Meat (ICAR-NRCM) & Elvikon Gulab Pandove, Microbiologist, School of Organic Farming,
India, Hyderabad. The main objective of the PAU for the development of a bacteriological water testing kit
collaboration is to digitalise the ‘best before date’ (BWTK) for the detection of total coliforms, faecal coliforms,
of the packaged foods, especially meat products, E.coli and emerging pathogens in the drinking water that
thereby addressing not only the meat waste but determines the potability of drinking water. This kit is based
also increasing food safety for consumption. on the technology that uses a hydrolysable substrate as
The current proposal by an industry-academia a specific indicator- nutrient for the target contaminating
consortium is to develop the smart sensor microbes in the drinking water. To perform the test, one only
by integrating hardware components & an has to add water to the BWTK and incubate for 24 hours and
application for providing real-time quality interpret the presence of target contaminating microbes by
information to consumers. Elvikon provides change in the colour of the kit. The consumer-friendly BWTK
sensor technology and know-how, formulation can be used at the source.
of the sensor ink and integration of hardware
components & makes the demonstrator
prototype, while the academic partner UoH
finalises the specifications required for hardware
integration of the smart sensor, & provides
customised mobile app for digitalisation of the
best before date, & ICAR-NRCM identifies key
volatile compounds & calibration of the sensor by
correlation of the sensor response & meat bacteria
under different storage & packing conditions.

IIT-M identifies eco-friendly process to
turn agri-food waste into industrial enzymes

Indian Institute of Technology agri-food residues are - wheat bran, structure of these residues makes it
Madras (IIT-M) researchers have sago waste and rice bran. These difficult to hydrolyse the enzymes.
identified a bacterium that can residues are inexpensive and have a The pre-treatment process that is
turn agri-food waste into industrial high potential to produce industrial required is also costly. Thus, the
enzymes through a cost-effective enzymes. However, the complex researchers studied the bacteria,
and environment-friendly process. Bacillus sp PM06, which was isolated
Industrial enzymes such as alpha- from sugarcane waste press mud.
amylase and cellulase are in high This bacterium helped in the
demand in various industries that production of industrial enzymes
deal with textiles, paper, detergents, and value-added products from
and pharmaceuticals. The IIT-M agricultural waste. The wheat bran
researchers studied how a bacteria was found to be the most effective
called ‘Bacillus sp PM06’ can aid substrate followed by sago waste
in producing industrial enzymes and rice bran. In addition, this
and value-added products from process was cost-effective and
agricultural waste. The three main environment-friendly.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SUPPLIER NEWS 49

Transcend Packaging delivers
an alternative to single-use plastic

UK-based sustainable packaging partnership aims to create viable, fibre production facilities created in
company Transcend Packaging, cost-effective solutions by building Europe. Site assessments regarding
is strategically joining forces a bridge between the needs of exact location are currently being
with Zume, a global provider of global brands and the capabilities conducted, with the aim of being fully
compostable packaging solutions, of forward-thinking manufacturers. functional by mid-2023. Launching
to bring moulded fibre products on a The multi-million-pound deal will see to market with moulded fibre ‘snap
large-scale to Europe. Zume provides one of the largest specialist moulded lids’ for hot beverage cups, the aim
sustainable packaging solutions for is to initially create 500 million units
some of the largest Quick Service of capacity by September, enabling
Retail (QSR) brands using a single large global food and beverage
tech stack of hardware, software, and companies and leading QSR brands
services to swap out plastic packaging to have an immediately available
with moulded fibre alternatives. solution. Under the partnership,
Currently, plastic packaging is a $390 Transcend will be the exclusive
billion industry and until today, there distributor of Zume’s moulded
has been no economically viable fibre lids in Europe, and Zume’s
substitute to move away from plastic. global customers will have access to
By joining forces with Transcend, the Transcend’s catalogue of products.

SIG launches fully integrated GEA develops
portal for F&B customers PRE2FUEL
process for pre-
US-based systems and solutions provider for aseptic carton treatment of HVO
packaging, SIG has launched a fully integrated digital mySIG
PORTAL – a unique, user-centric and highly intuitive customer German firm GEA has developed the new
platform, which provides swift mobile 24/7 access to maximise PRE2FUEL process for the pre-treatment
operational efficiency. SIG customers will benefit from the real- of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)
time advantages to boost productivity and reduce operating that no longer requires bleaching. This
costs in just a few clicks. The new state-of-the-art customer mySIG eliminates the need to purchase, handle
PORTAL provides customers with all the benefits and advantages and dispose of bleaching earth and
that a super-smart digital customer portal can possibly have. The avoids oil losses in the spent material.
web-based one-stop platform enables SIG customers to manage Overall, the new process saves up to
a multitude of workflows and processes, such as order processing, more than 50 per cent of OPEX for HVO
order tracking, service and visibility of operations, from one central pre-treatment. In addition, savings of
hub. It allows efficient workflow, seamless collaboration, real-time 12 per cent in CO2 emissions can be
communication and process automation to drive business forward. achieved. Extensive tests provided
clear results for the success of GEA
PRE2FUEL compared to the conventional
degumming and bleaching process.
Analyses of the residual phosphorus and
metal contents of all different feedstocks
from (used) cooking oil to animal fats of
cat. 1-3, POME and acid oil show that GEA
PRE2FUEL achieves better results in terms
of phosphorus and metal content.

50 LET’S TALK FOOD NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | August 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Rise of Digital Avatar Kiranas
Globally, around $42 billion has been invested
in the grocery space (excluding mergers The Indian food retail market is the third largest
and acquisitions) since 2017. Historically, in the world and is the largest segment of the
investments in Indian firms accounted for around country’s retail sector at 66 per cent. The market
1 per cent of the total share. But 2020 was a golden is valued at $570 billion and industry sources
year for the Indian grocery sector which saw expect its sales to surpass $850 billion by 2025.
investments of around 70 per cent of the global The market is growing rapidly thanks to rising
share excluding mergers and acquisitions ($7 incomes, urbanisation, dual-income households,
billion of a global total of $10 billion), according to and greater demand for convenience. The sector
McKinsey's January 2022 report. is also experiencing an expansion in the organised
retail sector with the emergence of supermarkets/
Reliance Retail received the lion’s share of this hypermarkets, convenience stores, and online
money, attracting over $5 billion from the likes of grocery platforms. According to Invest India, the
General Atlantic, KKR and Silver Lake. Investments organised food and grocery retail market will reach
by firms such as Tiger Global and Accel in niche $60 billion by 2025.
players like Ninjacart are also a testament to the
growing interest of global private equity companies Despite the surge in the organised retail sector,
and venture capital funds in the Indian grocery the traditional retailers or kiranas represent more
sector. than 85 per cent of total grocery sales in the Indian
market. The majority of grocery purchases continue
With these investments, India’s food retail sector to be made with traditional retailers due to their
has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic and is loyal/historical customer base and proximity.
expected to expand massively in the coming years These retailers continue to be the preferred choice
thanks to rising incomes, urbanisation, and a shift especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities along with rural
in consumption habits, fuelling demand for healthy, areas.
premium food products.
With the onset of the Indian e-commerce
As on July 22, 2022, the number of retail grocery revolution, Invest India points out that online
outlets across India touched 13.01 million in groceries have been gaining prominence. The
2022, against 12.64 million in 2016. This included Indian online grocery market is set to reach $21-
traditional and modern retailers within the segment. 25 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 50-55
While there was a consistent growth in numbers per cent. Additionally, total active users for the
since 2013, it was largely made of traditional stores, online grocery segment have touched 23 million
according to the Statista Research Department. The users, almost doubling from its 12 million in 2019.
number of modern grocery retailers has increased It further predicts the online channel’s shares of
from 16,990 outlets in 2016 to 22,112 in 2022 and overall grocery retail is expected to reach 3 per cent
traditional grocery retailers too have increased from by 2025, a tenfold increase over 2019.
12,623,561 outlets in 2016 to 12,997,393 outlets in
2022, according to Euromonitor. Owing to evolving lifestyles and purchasing
habits, an increasing number of consumers are
The nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19, choosing to shop at modern retail stores and stock
growing health awareness, evolving consumer up on groceries instead of shopping frequently at
preferences, and increased internet connectivity neighbourhood kiranas, pointed out USDA Attaché
have resulted in the massive expansion of the Report. Convenience stores have also started to
country’s online grocery sector. In 2021, online gain popularity in urban clusters to cater to the
grocery sales reached nearly $4.1 billion, an increase increasingly busy lifestyle. The growth of the
of 55 per cent compared to the previous year. Tier modern retail sector, online grocery retail sector
2 cities are a significant contributor to the rise in and convenience stores will ultimately depend
online sales thanks to the expansion of online on the consumers’ preference and choice as the
retailers in these cities through new warehouses Consumer is King.
and supply chain systems. The online grocery sales
in India are expected to exceed $21 billion in 2026, Narayan Kulkarni
according to Euromonitor. Editor

[email protected]