FOODSSpectrum November 2022

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

Slipping into Dire Straits?

Dr Milind Kokje feed ingredient, has also become dearer. All these
price hikes have increased the fodder prices to the nine
Chief Editor year highest level.

The Indian dairy sector is facing the dual India is estimated to have a shortage of 284 million
challenge of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in cattle tonnes of green fodder and 122 million tonnes of dry
and rising fodder cost. The Lumpy outbreak fodder. The demand is expected to grow further to 400
which started in Gujarat and Rajasthan sometime in and 117 million tonne, respectively, by 2025.
July has spread to several other states by September.
By mid-September the virus had affected 16 lakh Considering that the livestock sector accounts for
animals in almost 200 districts in 10 states, mostly in about 30 per cent of total income from farming in India
western and northern regions. Nearly 75,000 cattle any upward price fluctuation of the ingredients has its
have succumbed to the disease. Rajasthan leads major effect.
with 50,000 cattle deaths, mostly cows.
The shortage is also attributed to mechanisation
The veterinary experts suggest that there is no of the agri process as wheat threshed with a machine
harm in consuming milk of the cattle affected by the does not leave behind any straw. All that remains is
disease. Particularly when the milk is processed, the stubble, which farmers burn, rendering the fields
virus is destroyed. So, though the demand for milk may useless for grazing.
not be affected, the supply would reduce. The disease
reduces the milk production as the animal becomes As per a 2017 study, the cost of manual harvesting
weak. Rajasthan's milk production has reduced to was Rs 5975 per hectare while the cost using the
three to six lakh litres per day. Punjab reports a similar mechanical thresher comes down to Rs 4458.
reduction. Goat Pox Vaccine, which has been found to Consequently, more and more farmers are adopting
be effective, is being used and almost one crore doses mechanised threshing, compounding the problem of
have been made available. Additionally, the Indian scarcity of straw for fodder and adding to air pollution
Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has developed due to burning of stubble.
a vaccine, which may roll out in three- four months.
These measures are expected to improve the situation. While LSD can be tackled with effective vaccines
and medicines, scarcity of fodder must be solved at
Shortage of fodder and growing fodder cost is the policy level. Experts suggest making good use of
another challenge for the dairy sector. The production cheaper ingredients like de-oiled rice bran.
cost of the milk has increased by 15 to 20 per cent in a
year due to the higher fodder cost. This has impacted The Centre's plan to set up farmers producers
the milk supply as farmers have reduced cattle feed organisations (FPOs) to meet the challenge of fodder
use due to more price. As a result, milk supply is shortage has been widely reported, but they remain so,
decreasing, though marginally, when the demand is only on paper.
growing.
Reserving an estimated 14 to 17 per cent of land for
The fodder cost is increasing obviously because of fodder cultivation will help in bridging this shortage.
its short supply, caused, mainly, by low wheat yield, Though the current shortage and price rise is expected
due to extreme weather conditions. This led to rise in to end, soon a long-term solution through a policy
straw prices from Rs 400-600 per quintal to Rs 1,100 framework is an urgent requirement.
- 1,700 in a year’s time. At some places in north India
they have reached up to Rs 2000.

Not only straw, even the price of de-oiled rice bran
has also increased by 40 to 50 per cent. Corn, another

Volume 10  |  Issue 3  |  November 2022 www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Publisher & Managing Editor Social Media Communications: Poonam Bhosale TOP STORIES
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[email protected] Dy. General Manager
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6 INSIDE INSIDE NUFNFUOFOFDOSODSSPSEPCETCRTURMUM| |NovMemarbcehr22002202 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

19COVER STORY

CbaencoINmDeIA# 1

Processed
Food Exporter?

Globally, the demand for higher processed food has been growing
relatively faster compared to the unprocessed and primary
processed categories. This demand is further expected to accelerate
with structural shifts in consumer behaviour like demand for
convenience, quick and easy options that combine taste and
nutrition out of boxes and sachets, saving time, effort and other
resources. It has become crucial for the Indian food processing sector
to focus strongly on exports, as India not only has the opportunity,
but also the capability to address the global market.

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

Diabetes Speaking with

24 34

Fighting Diabetes with Fibre “We plan to devote the
and Protein Fortified Foods majority of our attention to
dry spices for the next half
Career a year”

27 Shammi Agarwal, Director, Pansari Group

Honing Academic Expertise 36
for Alternative Proteins
“We have invested Rs 120 crore
Wines to create new product lines”

31 Varun Chaudhary, Managing Director,

Sober Sips CG Foods India
up Ahead
38
REGULARS
“The effervescent market in
Editorial 04 India is fairly nascent at the
moment and is close to Rs
150-200 crore”

Varun Khanna,

Co-Founder, Fast&Up

Event report

42

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to make
the Indian nutraceutical industry a
prominent player on domestic as well as
on global platforms”

Video Snippets 08

Regulatory News 09

Finance News 11

Start-Up News 13

Company News 15

World News 17

People News 44

Ingredients News 45

R&D News 47

Supplier News 48

Let’s Talk Food 50

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

Varun Deshpande, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
President, Good
Food Institute (GFI) Thanks, nuFFooDS Spectrum for the interview feature
Asia unveils the with CUTS International in the October edition. I think
most up-to-date it has come out very well.
numbers on the
market size of - George Cheriyan, Jaipur
protein alternatives
in India by 2030 Thanks a lot, nuFFooDS Spectrum & AgroSpectrum.
The article ‘Synthetic Biology: Changing the Way you
Scan the QR Code » grow and Eat your food’ looks good. Hoping to get
more feedback from the readers.
Gautam Sharma,
Managing Director, - Suraj Nair, Bengaluru
Indo Nissin Foods
talks about how Thank you for the feature in your cover story in October,
sustainability and on Eating Disorders. Excellent inputs and coverage.
nutrition trends are
changing the food - Dr Jagmeet Madan, Mumbai
processing industry
Thank you for the very nice & in-depth analysis of my
Scan the QR Code » book: Fenugreek- Traditional and Modern Uses, in the
October edition. Along with the Ayush Ministry, I am
Dr Smriti Pahwa, currently compiling my work on the use of integrated
Founder, The MOC medicine in neuroscience.
Mindset is of the
view that we need to - Dr Dilip Ghosh, Australia
look at the landscape
of malnutrition The Alt Food industry is going through various
collaboratively stages not only in India but globally and one of my
suggestions to startups in the space would be to
Scan the QR Code » prepare themselves to fight the battle cautiously for
the next 12 to 18 months, as recession has started
showing the impacts and when it is hitting across the
globe showing signs on mainline industries, it is bound
to impact Alt Food as well.

- Amod Ashok Salgaonkar, Mumbai

Thanks for your feedback. We have taken note of
your suggestions and will surely try to incorporate
the content accordingly in coming issues. Please
keep sending us your feedback and updating us
on your views about the issue and keep giving
your opinions on the content.

– Editor

Please send your feedback to
[email protected]

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in REGULATORY NEWS 9

Centre creates convergence FSSAI proposes
portal of 3 schemes Indian Nutrition
Rating as
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) and the Ministry of part of FoPL
Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) have jointly launched a Convergence regulation
Portal between Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Pradhan Mantri
Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme and The Food Safety and Standards
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi Authority of India (FSSAI) has
released a draft notification
on September 21. The convergence portal related to Front-of-Pack Nutrition
was launched in the presence of Narendra Labelling (FoPNL) for suggestions
Singh Tomar, Union Minister, Agriculture & and comments for a time period
Farmers Welfare, Pashupati Kumar Paras, of 60 days from its date of upload
Union Minister, Food Processing Industries, i.e. September 20, 2022. For FoPNL,
along with the senior officials of both the Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) is
ministries. This launch will prove to be proposed. INR is a star rating FoPL
very important for the Food Processing model which rates the overall
Enterprises of the country and is a stepping nutritional profile for packaged food
stone to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of an Atma Nirbhar by assigning it a rating from ½ star
Bharat and will also boost the concept of ‘Vocal For Local’. (least healthy) to 5 stars (healthiest).
More stars indicate that the food
India celebrates 5th Poshan Maah product is better positioned to
2022- flagship programme provide the daily nutrient needs.
Calculation of INR score and star
During the fifth Rashtriya mothers, various activities such rating is dependent on baseline
Poshan Maah (September as T3 camps (test, treat, talk), points – which are calculated using
1-30, 2022) more than 15 crore iron-folic acid supplement 4 health risk increasing factors like
activities were conducted under distribution, seminars, Ayush energy, total sugars, saturated fat,
various themes, across India, for anaemia, webinars, quiz and and sodium for solid foods per 100g
contributing to the vision for a recipe competition, traditional product, and using energy and total
Suposhit Bharat. Poshan (Prime food practices, awareness rallies sugars for liquid foods per 100ml
Minister’s Overarching Scheme were conducted throughout product; FVNLM points- which are
for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan the country. As part of its calculated using percentage of
aims to address the challenge of comprehensive strategy to tackle fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes,
malnutrition in a mission-mode. It anaemia, the GOI has included and millets. For Liquid foods only
is the Government of India’s (GOI) staple food fortification from FV points are to be considered and
flagship programme to improve central ministries for schemes/ not NLM points. Protein and fibre
nutritional outcomes for children programmes in multiple states. As points are calculated using protein
under 6 years of age, pregnant a part of the Social and Behaviour and fibre amounts consumed. For
women and lactating mothers. Change Communication (SBCC) liquid foods only protein points are
Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham strategy under Jan Andolan, considered, excluding fibre points.
Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) around 6,278 anaemia camps,
were launched as an integrated 1,853 outreach activities in urban
nutrition support programme slums, 855 quiz competitions for
to strengthen nutritional students, and 1,63,436 activities
content, delivery, outreach were carried out on anaemia
and outcomes with focus on during Poshan Pakhwada, 2022
developing practices that nurture in March. This year, the Gram
health, wellness and immunity Panchayats were triggered to be
to disease and malnutrition. the focal points of all the activities
For anaemia prevention and during Poshan Maah with key
treatment in children, adolescent focus on “Mahila aur Swasthya”
girls, pregnant and lactating and “Bacha aur Shiksha”.

10 REGCUOLMATPOARNYYNNEEWWSS NUFFNOUOFDFOSOSDPSECSTPREUCMTRUM| N|oveAmpbreilr22002212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

India becomes DA&FW and NAFED ink
world’s second MoU to promote millets
largest sugar
exporter A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the
Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and the National
In sugar season (October Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) to boost
2021-September 2022), a record the initiative envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra
of more than 5000 Lakh Metric Modi to promote millets, towards celebration
Tonnes (LMT) sugarcane was of the International Year of Millets 2023. Both
produced in India, out of which organisations will work together for the promotion
about 3574 LMT of sugarcane and marketing of millet-based products, keeping
was crushed by sugar mills to in view the initiative of “International Year of Millets
produce about 394 LMT of sugar (IYOM)-2023” proposed by the government of India
(sucrose). Out of this, 35 LMT to the United Nations, which is to be celebrated
sugar was diverted to ethanol across the world. As India is gearing up to bring
production and 359 LMT sugar millets back on the global map, it will build support
was produced by sugar mills. and organise, promote, market, and forge effective
With this, India has emerged as market linkages for millet-based products to maximise the value capture and
the world’s largest producer and millet-based commodities across the country. DA&FW and NAFED will collaborate
consumer of sugar and surpassed in key areas like facilitating advisory support to manufacturers/processors of
Brazil to become the world’s millet-based products to develop value-added millet-based commodities, on-
second largest exporter of sugar boarding of startups, including those empanelled with the Indian Institute of
after Thailand. The season has Millets Research (IIMR), formation of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
proven to be a watershed for the specifically for developing a range of millet-based products, promote and
Indian sugar sector. All records market millet-based products through the network of NAFED Bazaar Stores
of sugarcane production, sugar and other institutions linked with NAFED, as well as installation of millet-based
production, sugar exports, cane vending machines at various locations across Delhi-NCR and dispensing millet-
procured, cane dues paid and based products to keep the focus on millets..
ethanol production were made
during the season. Another Ladakh produce brand apricot
shining highlight of the season export gets APEDA push
is the highest exports of about
109.8 LMT, that too with no In a move aimed at boosting export of agricultural and food products
financial assistance which was from Ladakh, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its export
being extended up to 2020-21. promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Supportive international prices Development Authority (APEDA) is in the process of hand-holding of apricot
combined with a favourable GOI value chain stakeholders to enhance export from Ladakh, under the brand
policy framework are credited ‘Ladakh Apricot’. It is expected that the initiatives of APEDA towards export
for this feat. The exports earned promotion of apricots and other agri-products would give a fillip to overall
India foreign currency of about development of the region. The export promotion strategy of APEDA places
Rs 40,000 crore. a major focus on canopy management of the apricot orchard/trees to obtain
a uniform and better-quality harvest of apricots. It would help in sustained
marketing, product development, research and development (R&D),

enhancement of traceability and brand promotion of
apricot, which is one of the important fruit crops of
Ladakh and is locally known as ‘Chuli’. APEDA is also
focusing on strengthening packaging for fresh
apricots, transport protocol and brand promotion
of ‘Ladakh Apricots’ for better price realisation of
apricots of the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region,
which are known for their superior quality.

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

F2C brand Deep Rooted Toffee Coffee
raises $12.5M Roasters gets
Rs 1 Cr funding
Deep Rooted, a farm-to-consumer Hyderabad, and Chennai, Deep
(F2C) brand for fruits and vegetables, Rooted has become a one-stop shop Specialty coffee startup Toffee
has raised $12.5 million in Series for fresh produce, offering over 200 Coffee Roasters has raised
A funding. The round was led by varieties of fruits and vegetables. seed funding of Rs 1 crore
IvyCap Ventures with participation Through its greenhouse network, from Indian Angel Network
from existing investors including Deep Rooted can deliver a year- (IAN). The funding round
Accel, Omnivore, and Mayfield. round supply of fresh, flavourful, was led by IAN lead investors
Deep Rooted provides urban residue-free produce, using a Hari Balasubramanian, Uday
consumers access to quality fruits fraction of the water and land Chatterjee and Rajeev Sarda. The
and vegetables sourced directly compared to conventional farms. Mumbai-based startup aims at
from farmers and includes the largest Over the next 12 months, the startup creating the best craft coffee for
network of greenhouses in India. plans to expand its operations to its customers, sourcing coffee
Currently operating in Bengaluru, cover major cities in South India, beans from some of the finest
strengthen its technology stack, and estates worldwide by closely
proactively hire across marketing, partnering with the farmers.
technology, and business functions. Following its six-sigma step of
Based in Bengaluru, Deep Rooted procurement and artistically
was co-founded in 2020 by Avinash roasting the beans, Toffee Coffee
B R, Gururaj Rao, Arvind Murali, and Roasters provides its customers
Santhosh Narasipura. with some great blends, and only
sells coffee that has been out of
Veg pizza chain Cheelizza the roaster for less than 48 hours
raises Rs 4.11 Cr for the customers to enjoy it at
its peak flavour. The company
Mumbai-based Cheelizza – India Ka Pizza, a pure vegetarian pizza chain, has has over 20 SKUs of coffee with
raised Rs 4.11 crore in a seed round led by Indian Angel Network (IAN). The several categories, including
round was led at IAN by lead investors Hari Balasubramanian, Uday Chatterjee, Specialty Coffee Blends, Single
Deval Tibrewal and Rajeev Sarda. A bootstrapped business until now, operating Origin Coffee, Fermented Coffee,
10 stores across Mumbai and Gujarat, Cheelizza will focus on rapidly expanding Barrel Aged Coffee, Easy-to-brew
their presence in Mumbai by opening 20 new stores in the next 12 months. The Pour Over Coffee, Cold Brew
homegrown pizza chain is already hiring talent across senior leadership roles Coffee, and South Indian Filter
in Business, Operations, HR, Marketing, along with 100 + team members for Coffee.
their frontline store operations. Cheelizza currently has 10 stores out of which
3 stores are operated via a franchising model. Furthermore, as a part of its
expansion strategy, the company will soon enter Bangalore and Pune markets,
and plans to open 20 stores next year.

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

Britannia buys India’s first mead maker
controlling Ronin Wines raises $2M
stake in Kenya's
Kenafric Biscuits Ronin Wines, the makers of This investment will also aid the
India’s first meads (honey wines), company in commencing work on
Britannia Industries’ wholly- Moonshine, has raised ~ $2 million export markets. While meads might
owned arm Britannia and as part of their Pre Series A, to be a separate category legally,
Associates (Dubai) Pvt Co Ltd further boost its growth trajectory Ronin Wines makes meads which
(BADCO) has acquired control in India and beyond. This financing are predominantly low alcohol and
of Kenafric Biscuits Ltd (KBL), round was led by Anthill Capital carbonated. Pune-based startup
a private limited liability firm and saw participation from Auxano Ronin Wines hopes that its focus
incorporated in Nairobi, Kenya, Capital, Supermorpheus and on using 100 per cent natural
by subscribing to 51 per cent of Merisis, as well as existing and ingredients to craft flavourful
the equity share capital of the new angel investors. Value Bridge drinks will help it differentiate
company, as stated by Britannia Capital was the sole advisor for and dominate this new emerging
Industries in a regulatory filing. this transaction. Mead is the oldest category of alcoholic beverages in
Subsequently, KBL has become a alcohol in the world and made by the Indian market.
step-down subsidiary of Britannia fermenting honey with various
Industries. There is no turnover fruits and spices. With the influx of
of KBL to be reported since it new capital, Ronin Wines aims to
has not commenced operations. deepen Moonshine’s presence in
Britannia Industries has further its present markets (Maharashtra,
said that BADCO has acquired Karnataka, Goa, Uttar Pradesh,
100 per cent of the equity share Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,
capital of Catalyst Britannia Assam and Silvassa) and enter new
Brands Ltd (CBBL) for Kenyan markets like Haryana and West
Shillings (KES) 2.14 crore (Rs 1.42 Bengal. The idea is to establish
crore), thereby making it a 100 Moonshine firmly as a national
per cent subsidiary. brand over the next three years.

Nestlé to pump Rs 5000 Cr
into India by 2025

Swiss multinational company such as plant-based proteins,
Nestlé is planning to invest Rs 5000 healthy ageing, healthy snacking,
crore by 2025 in India, as stated leveraging some of the Indian
by the company’s global Chief grains. This new investment plan
Executive Officer Mark Schneider. will also help in creating more
As per media reports, the main job opportunities in India. It has
objective is to accelerate the been the stated strategy of Nestlé
company’s core growth in India India that the company would
and to leverage new opportunities aggressively seek new platforms
and categories for future growth
opportunities. During FY 21-22,
the company generated a revenue
of Rs 14,634 crore for the India
business, despite a highly volatile
economic environment. Nestle has
been present in India for over 110
years.

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

GREENEST exports Goa-based LB Brewers to
India’s first plant-based sell craft beer in Oman
meat products to US
Goa-based startup Latambarcem Brewers (LB Brewers) has
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export entered into Oman to market craft beer. It manufactures
Development Authority (APEDA) has announced that craft beer at its brewery in Goa. It also makes non-alcoholic
the New Delhi-based startup- GREENEST, has shipped functional beverages such as premium iced-teas, kombucha
India’s first plant-based meat export consignment and zero sugar seltzers. The demand for beer is huge in
to the USA from Gujarat. The 5,000 kg consignment Oman, especially from the NRI population. After studying
consists of GREENEST products (plant-based Mini the consumption patterns and taste profiles of the Omani
Samosas, Hot and Spicy Strips, Momos, Spring Rolls, population, the company is launching two new specially
Nuggets, Grilled patty, and other Vegan products). curated craft beers for the Oman market. LB Brewers plans
GREENEST is backed by investors like Better Bite to expand its overseas presence and is exploring entry into
Ventures (a New Zealand-based dedicated Alt Protein three more countries, including the Gulf region. Within India,
VC fund), Magnetic, and Sachid Madan (the former LB Brewers is currently selling craft beers and functional
Chief Executive of ITC’s frozen snacks business). Plant- beverages across major cities. Recently, the company
based vegan food is a burgeoning category with a partnered with Haldiram’s to market its iced-teas ‘Borecha
strong international potential and experts see it as Icey’. During the last financial year, LB Brewers sold 25,000
one of the key contributors to the export portfolio of cases of beer and 40,000 cases of ‘Borecha’, valued at Rs 3
packed foods from Gujarat. crore and Rs 2 crore respectively. The company is targeting
to increase its turnover to Rs 20 crore in FY 2022-23.

Free diet-coaching app from Mumbai-based
Alpha Coach

Alpha Coach, a Mumbai-based fitness technology with the user over time. The algorithm also predicts a
startup, has launched an entirely free diet coaching app timeline for the user to reach their body-weight goals,
– “Alpha Coach Evolve”. This is their second product after following the recommended plan. With a goal-based
their flagship premium hyper-personalised
one-to-one coaching – Alpha Coach Elite. approach, Alpha Coach Evolve helps users
Alpha Coach Evolve claims to be one of the lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight.
fastest food logging apps and comes with an The patent-pending algorithm uses food
automated engine that helps users make the and body-weight logs to accurately calculate
best food choices based on their metabolism. metabolism, a method used by coaches
The application programme uses AI/ML and athletes. Then, the system also makes
technologies that account for user habits, programme adjustments for the users each
lifestyles, eating preferences, and other week, based on progress. The application
relevant parameters. The application adapts seamlessly integrates with multiple wearables
for activity tracking and other metrics.

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

NextG Apex adds Fittr and Flexnest tie
up for smart fitness &
Chocoflakes to healthy nutrition options

breakfast range Pune-based startup

Mumbai-based Fittr has announced a
startup NextG
Apex India is strategic collaboration
planning to launch
the latest addition with Flexnest, India’s first
for its nutritious
breakfast range D2C brand curating smart
brand ‘Mamafeast’ –
Chocoflakes. Made fitness products for home
with high-quality
wheat solids and workouts. The partnership
flour, maida and cocoa powder, each pack of
26 gms has the protein and fibre equivalent of aims to accomplish
one roti and retails at the nominal price of Rs
10. Every Mamafeast Chocoflakes single-serve their shared objective of
packet packs the power of an entire roti, be it the
protein content or the fibre. Since it’s a single- creating smart connected
serve pack, the product will have a distinct
freshness every time it is consumed. With offices fitness solutions for
in major cities including Mumbai, Hyderabad,
Bangalore, Delhi and Noida, the company has the Indian market and
touched over 20 crore lives from the first year of
its operations. It plans to double it in the coming promote the concept of
years while also targeting a sustainable turnover
of Rs 500+ crore in the next 5 years. virtual fitness through

at-home workouts. As

a part of the partnership, Fittr users will get special access

to Gurugram-based Flexnest’s equipment to make their

fitness journey better and Flexnest users will get special

access to Fittr’s tailor-made fitness & nutrition offerings. This

partnership will improve the fitness experience of users,

elevating it to a new level as Fittr continues to expand its

service offerings. Fittr provides a single platform that helps

consumers with all their fitness requirements- from finding

the right diet plan, coaches, Body Fat Calculator to INFS

(Institute of Nutrition and Fitness Sciences) certified coaches.

MS Dhoni picks up equity in plant protein
startup Shaka Harry

Indian cricketer MS Dhoni has joined global investors in company with the meat alternate line Shaka Harry was
backing Bengaluru-based plant protein startup, Shaka founded by proven founders with prior experience and
Harry and picked up equity in the company. This is a success in scaling businesses in India and globally.
huge development after the company recently received
$2 million in a seed funding round led by Better Bite
Ventures, Blue Horizon and Panthera Peak Ventures.
Other investors include- Dexler Holdings, celebrity Chef
Manu Chandra and a group of domestic family offices
and angel investors. The startup is serving over 30,000
customers across 10 cities monthly, and expects to triple
this number in the next few months. Shaka Harry will also
be available on global shelves by the end of this year.
Good Food Institute research with Deloitte indicates that
the right investments in talent, R&D, manufacturing, and
distribution could drive the Indian smart protein sector to
a market size of nearly Rs 19,000 crore by 2030, including
a sizable export market. Liberate Foods, a plant protein

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

Haleon launches multivitamin Nestlé India
brand Centrum in India launches
nutritious cereal
Centrum, multivitamin brand, marks its entry in India under Haleon for toddlers
(erstwhile GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare). The company
announced the launch of Centrum Multivitamin range recognising the In line with Nestlé India’s
difference in nutritional requirements by gender and age in India and commitment to innovate by
offers 4 multivitamin variants tailored to meet the new age nutrition needs unlocking the power of food,
Nestlé CEREGROW has expanded
of different consumer cohorts- Centrum its portfolio with the launch of
Women, Centrum Men, Centrum Adults 50+ a new sub-brand, CEREGROW
and Centrum Kids. The range is vegetarian Grain Selection. Inspired by
and by nature gluten free. Backed by four traditional ingredients, the first
decades of science, Centrum is the most product being launched in this
clinically studied multivitamin brand range is nutritious cereal for
in the world that the largest consumer toddlers made from ragi, mixed
healthcare business, Haleon, unveiled to fruits, and ghee. Millets have
the growing wellness industry of India. A been an integral component
paradigm shift in the consumer mindset to adopt self-care with a focus on of the food basket in India, and
holistic wellbeing and strengthening immunity makes India an important CEREGROW Grain Selection is
market for Centrum. The driving factor of the Indian dietary supplements an ode to rediscover the value
market is the increasing health consciousness and proactive health mindset of these traditional millets.
amongst the consumers. Launch of Centrum in India will further support the The new range including ragi,
company in driving its larger purpose of delivering better everyday health mixed fruit, and ghee will be
with humanity. Haleon is one of the world's leading independent consumer available across major retail and
health companies that makes products like Sensodyne, Advil, and TUMS. online stores in India. Nestlé
CEREGROW Multigrain Cereals
Australian-brand Swisse offers with Milk and Fruit has been one
nutritional supplements in India of the most successful launches
in the recent past with the
Swisse, Australia’s leading health, wellness and beauty nutrition brand owned promise of ‘Full Nutrition, Full
by H&H Group, has introduced three new products in India – SwisseMe Assurance (Poora Poshan, Poori
Melatonin Gummies, Biotin Gummies and Plant Protein Powder. This comes Tasalli)’. The company is hopeful
on the heels of the success of Swisse Wellness supplements launched that its all-new range will help
in India two years ago. The new range of SwisseMe health supplements mothers incorporate traditional
provides Indian consumers with well- ingredients in their toddler’s diet
researched products in innovative in a nutritious and tasty form.
and convenient form, made with
natural ingredients and scientifically
proven formulations. Melatonin is the
ingredient known to promote restful
sleep and to help relax the mind and
body. SwisseMe Melatonin Gummies
are formulated to regulate the sleep cycle without becoming dependent
on the product. In addition to mood swings, irregular sleep schedules and
anxiety can cause severe hair loss. SwisseMe Biotin Gummies help control
hair fall and promote growth of lustrous hair. It also claims to promote
healthy skin and nail repair. SwisseMe plant-based protein which contains
24g protein per serving helps aid the daily dietary protein requirement
with a complete amino profile containing a blend of pea, brown rice and
essential nutrients to be consumed as pre- or post-workout supplements.

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

Italian brand Minute Maid adds Honey
Bauli adds new Infused and Vita Punch
snacks to India nutrition drinks
portfolio
Minute Maid, the Coca-Cola Company’s fruit
Italian brand Bauli has launched nutrition brand, is expanding its portfolio in India
a new premium variant of with the launch of two new offerings in the country
its flagship Moonfils brand- – ‘Honey Infused’ and ‘Vita Punch’ which will first be
‘Moonfils Select’ in India. made available in Punjab. The Honey Infused range
Moonfils Select is a premium offers healthy sustained energy to its consumers,
offering with international while Vita Punch comes with the promise of
flavours like Apple Pie crème’ & providing 100 per cent of your daily requirement of
Caramel crème’ in the Moonfils Vitamin C (as per Recommended Dietary Allowance
franchise. Bauli is a pioneer of -RDA) in every 200ml. In 2023, the new variants will
soft, baked snacks in India and be available across shelves in other parts of North
has a wide range of offerings India as well. The Minute Maid Honey Infused
including Moonfils, Savoriz, range is made with fresh fruits. The preservative-
Spyroll and cakes. Moonfils free beverage is available in three flavours – apple,
Select is the latest addition to mixed fruit, and guava. Minute Maid’s Vita Punch
this portfolio, priced at Rs 25 range has the potential to become the consumers’
and is available pan India in the vitamin C-infused fruity fix for the day. The variant
neighbourhood stores. Bauli is available in two flavours – mixed fruit and apple-
Moonfils is the pioneer and berry. Both products will be available in a 1 litre tetra pack. The Coca-Cola
market leader in the rapidly Company in India will continue to focus on rapid investments in its nutrition
growing croissants category. category with plans to launch newer offerings under both the Minute Maid
In the 2000s, with a vision to and Maaza portfolios.
highlight their craft beyond Italy
and seek their fortune in global Haldi and Cola- 2 new whisky
markets, Bauli went international variants from ABD
and is now present in over 70
countries. Since then Bauli has New Delhi-based Allied Blenders and
been known worldwide for Distillers (ABD) has launched two new
providing high-quality authentic whiskies with a twist- Srishti Premium
specialty baked products. Whisky and Sterling Reserve B7 Whisky Cola
In 2009, Bauli entered West Mix. Srishti Premium Whisky is a blend of rare
Bengal through a joint venture, Scotch Malts paired with select Indian grain
announcing their arrival in India. spirits and its unique expression is rounded
It started with the production off with curcumin- the yellow pigment
and sale of Moonfils. After found primarily in turmeric. Sterling Reserve
receiving an overwhelming B7 Whisky Cola Mix is the award-winning
response from the East market, whisky blend, infused with cola to add a
Bauli expanded its distribution zing to every drinking occasion. The whisky-
to other parts of the country cola mix retains the colour of whisky in the
with the entire range of Moonfils bottle, in a glass with water, soda or when consumed as a shot. In continuing
and other products like swirls, with its trend of offering unique experiences to consumers, Srishti Premium
cakes and more. Blended Whisky has been first launched in the Metaverse at the ‘ABD
MetaBar’ and will be subsequently launched in key markets soon. Sterling
Reserve B7 Whisky Cola has been recently launched in Assam and will
extend nationally this season. Both the brands are available in three pack
sizes i.e 750 ml, 350 ml and 180 ml.

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

Aus sends 600 MT rice Pak flood response:
to aid Sri Lanka Aligns & scales up
nutrition security action
The first consignment from an Australian donation
totalling AUD 22 million (approximately $15 million) The interlinkages between nutrition and climate
recently arrived in Sri Lanka to be distributed to those change are undeniable. Pakistan has witnessed one of
most affected by the ongoing economic crisis. The the worst floods in recent times, with more than 1,500
consignment, consisting of 600 metric tonnes (MT) of lives lost and large-scale destruction to the country’s
rice, forms part of a larger consignment of rice, pulses and infrastructure. According to UNICEF, one of every
cooking oil, due to arrive in the country soon. Australia seven people in Pakistan has been impacted by the
was the first to contribute to the World Food Programme’s floods, and around 3.4 million children are in need of
emergency response, enabling Sri Lanka to kick-off much assistance and at increased risk of waterborne diseases,
needed assistance to those hard-hit by the ongoing crisis. drowning and malnutrition. The floods have exposed
Through Australia’s donation, the country is providing the most vulnerable population groups, particularly
cash and in-kind food to the most vulnerable, including children under the age of five and pregnant and
pregnant and breastfeeding women and school children. lactating women, to even more vulnerability in terms
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has increased the level of food of food and nutrition security. According to the Minister
insecurity and recent World Food Programme surveys for Planning Development and Special Initiatives,
show the situation could deteriorate further in the this catastrophe has driven the country to hyper-
coming months without urgent assistance. Launched in malnutrition which will require a massive effort to
June, WFP’s emergency response aims to help 3.4 millions combat. He further advised the federal and provincial
of those most at risk. governments and development partners to focus and
eliminate malnutrition, enhance the nutrition status of
mothers and children and rebuild people’s livelihoods.

Bangladesh to do baseline nutrition status survey in
urban slums

Action Against Hunger Bangladesh in of 5 years of age, pregnant and infant and young child feeding
partnership with Concern Worldwide lactating women (PLWs). The study practices (IYCF), vitamin A, measles
and World Food Programme is also aims to determine possible causal vaccination, and deworming coverage
conducting two independent factors for better understanding of the among children, access to antenatal
integrated nutrition surveys in Dhaka malnutrition situation in the slums care (ANC) and iron supplementation
North City Corporation (DNCC) and that might have deteriorated due to among pregnant women including
South City Cooperation (DSCC) slums. the impact of COVID-19. The collected ANC and post-natal care (PNC)
National Nutrition Services (NNS), the data includes: household demography, checkups during the last pregnancy,
Institute of Public Health Nutrition anthropometry, morbidity, mortality, food security, and Water Sanitation
(IPHN), Ministry of Health and Family and Hygiene (WASH). The assessment
Welfare (MoHFW) and respective City findings and recommendations will
Corporations have authorised these inform timely and effective multi-
assessments. The main objective of sectoral interventions as well as
these studies is to determine nutrition support stakeholders for necessary
status (e.g. wasting/acute malnutrition, changes in their programme policies
stunting and underweight) of children or interventions.

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

WFP calls for action to New US regulations
to cut poultry-related
avoid another year of salmonella infections

record hunger The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety

The world is at risk of yet another year of record hunger and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released a proposed
as the global food crisis continues to drive yet more
people into worsening levels of acute food insecurity, regulatory framework for a new strategy to control
warns the United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) in a call for urgent action to address the root Salmonella contamination in poultry products and
causes of today’s crisis. WFP has secured $655 million in
contributions and service provision agreements from reduce foodborne illnesses attributed to these products.
international financial institutions to support national
social protection systems. Similar efforts are underway The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
to expand innovative climate financing partnerships.
WFP continues to support governments with supply (CDC) estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause
chain services, such as the procurement and transport
of food commodities to replenish national grain reserves approximately 1.35 million human infections and 26,500
to support national safety net programmes. While
these efforts provide succour to some of the severely hospitalisations in
vulnerable, it is against a challenging global backdrop in
which the number of acutely hungry people continues the United States
to increase requiring a concerted global action for peace,
economic stability and continued humanitarian support every year. Data from
to ensure food security around the world. WFP scaled
up food assistance targets to reach a record 153 million USDA’s Economic
people in 2022, and by mid-year had already delivered
assistance to 111.2 million people. WFP’s operational plan Research Service
for 2022 is the agency’s most ambitious ever. It prioritises
action to prevent millions of people from dying of (ERS) show the total
hunger while working to stabilise and where possible,
build resilient national food systems and supply chains. cost for foodborne

Salmonella infections

in the United States

is a staggering $4.1

billion annually and the cost of loss of productivity

to the economy is $88 million. These are real costs to

real people that can and should be prevented. The

proposed framework has been shaped by months of

information-gathering and discussions with a wide

range of stakeholders, researchers, and scientists.

The framework under consideration addresses cross-

cutting issues of testing for Salmonella, the impact on

small and very small establishments and data sharing.

$6B IFC financing platform to respond to
global food crisis

Responding to surging levels of food which will be provided through the production in major origins, including
insecurity, International Finance Corp. new Global Food Security Platform, Ukraine, and effective distribution of
(IFC) of the World Bank group has will support sustainable production food products in destination countries.
launched a new, $6 billion financing and delivery of food stocks to Financing will also focus on long-term
facility to strengthen the private countries affected by food instability. actions to improve the resilience of
sector’s ability to respond to the crisis Support will be aimed at facilitating the global food system and lessen its
and help support food production. trade of food commodities, delivery of climate and ecological footprint. The
The war in Ukraine and an uneven inputs to farmers, supporting efficient Platform will supplement the World
global recovery from the COVID-19 Bank’s commitment of $30 billion in
pandemic have added to rising levels response to the food crisis. IFC is also
of hunger and malnourishment, stepping up engagements with other
which already have been worsened partners, including development
by climate change and increasingly finance institutions, foundations, banks
severe weather events that are as well as a range of private companies,
damaging harvests and reducing to mobilise collective action to address
yields. A core part of the financing, global food security challenges.

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

Can INDIA
become # 1

Processed
Food Exporter?

Globally, the demand for higher processed food has been growing relatively faster compared to the
unprocessed and primary processed categories. This demand is further expected to accelerate with
structural shifts in consumer behaviour like demand for convenience, quick and easy options that
combine taste and nutrition out of boxes and sachets, saving time, effort and other resources. It has
become crucial for the Indian food processing sector to focus strongly on exports, as India not only
has the opportunity, but also the capability to address the global market.

20 COVER NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

India’s food production industry is worth over $400 product quality, driven primarily by the poor standard
billion and is the primary source of livelihood for 45 per of India’s agri-produce. India is ranked 46th in terms of
cent of the country’s population. India is the second consumer preference for quality. In 2018, the European
largest producer of agricultural products (after China) Commission reduced the maximum permissible residue
according to a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) levels for Tricyclazole- a fungicide to 0.01 parts per million
in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of (ppm) from 1 ppm for all crops. According to the Trade
Commerce & Industry (FICCI). However, India lags behind Promotion Council of India, the Indian farmers, due to the
peers in the higher-level processing of food products excessive usage of Tricyclazole, were unable to comply
across categories. with these norms resulting in a drastic drop in exports in
FY 2019 vs FY 2018. In terms of Infrastructure, although
Also, despite India’s strong position in agri-production, India has been able to substantially build its storage
the country trails others in the export of food products. requirements as of 2022, the storage capacity developed
According to reports by the United Nations, India’s share over the years is not distributed well. About 70 per cent
of agri-production is 9.5 per cent globally, while its share cold storage capacity in India is limited to four states,
in the export of overall food products is 2-3 per cent - with while some states with large export potential do not have
share in the export of processed food category being adequate facilities. Further, producers of perishable items
even lower at 1-2 per cent. According to the provisional need storage capacity at the farmgate level - the absence
data released by the Directorate General of Commercial of which forces them to sell produce at a throwaway
Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), the overall export of price when the same is sold in cities at a high price. Thus,
agricultural and processed food products increased to investment is needed to rationally increase the storage
$9.6 billion in April-July 2022 from $7.4 billion over the capacity, as well as to undertake the modernisation of
same period of the last fiscal. The exports of agricultural existing storage units.
and processed food products rose by 30 per cent in the
first four months of the current financial year 2022-23 Furthermore, limited brand strength in overseas
(April-July) in comparison to the corresponding period of markets, lack of infrastructure for processing as well as
FY 2021-22. For the year 2022-23, India has set an export logistics, and limited compliance with sustainability and
target of $23.56 billion for its agricultural and processed ethical requirements, are a few more challenges on the list
food products basket. hindering the growth of the Indian food industry in the
international market.
On the other hand, the US is ranked as the largest
exporter of food (excluding fish) with $124 billion (10 per Addressing regulatory compliance as another
cent of the total), followed by the Netherlands ($79 billion, challenge, Amit Dhanuka, Former President, All India
or 6 per cent) and Brazil ($73 billion, or 6 per cent), as per Food Processors' Association & Chief Executive Officer,
reports in 2020. Kejriwal Bee Care India says, “Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
“India is the largest producer of dairy but ranks 46th and Export Inspection Council (EIC) of India should frame
in terms of export. Similarly, India is the second largest a database in terms of food exports in such way, that
producer of vegetables but ranks 15th in exports. Thus, the Indian exporters should have an archive about the
it is crucial that the industry as a whole, along with all importing countries’ regulatory requirements in terms
stakeholders across the value chain, come together and of quality standards, documentation, etc. We lack such
make concerted efforts in this direction, and achieve a database in today’s scenario which is causing various
a position of supremacy in processed food exports,” difficulties for the new Indian exporters. This issue should
says Hemant Malik Chairman- FICCI Food Processing be addressed collaboratively on the government and
Committee & Chief Executive Officer- Food Division, ITC. industry level.”

However, the Indian food processing industry is In an attempt to tackle such challenges, BCG in
currently facing some key challenges that need to be partnership with the FICCI has recently launched a report
addressed to enable it to achieve its export potential. on the Indian food processing sector. The report proposes
While India is considered a low-cost market given its key action plans such as branding, industry-academia
relatively lower labour costs, processed food products collaboration and partnerships between private players,
are generally not cost competitive in the global markets which can help grow the industry with a special focus on
due to the high cost of agri-produce. For instance, the exports.
cost of milk production in India is 1.5x higher than in
New Zealand. The cost of tomato production in India is Revitalising Indian brands on the global platform
around 2x higher compared with China, driven by lower Establishing a strong brand can require significant
productivity.
investment and a lot of effort - which can be difficult for
Another major challenge relates to concerns about

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

a player to undertake individually. Also having different APEDA’s initiatives for the export
brands for the same product category from India can be promotion of agricultural and processed
potentially confusing for overseas consumers. Therefore, it food products-
is important that relevant stakeholders within the product-
specific value chain, including food processors, exporters,    Organised virtual Buyer Seller Meets on
and the relevant government agency, come together to agricultural and food products with the United
establish a common brand. The government can facilitate Arab Emirates
setting up an entity that orchestrates the creation of a
common umbrella brand and product-specific sub-brands.    Facilitated participation of 10 wine exporters in
the London Wine Fair held on June 7- 9, 2022
Another important aspect related to branding is
the need for more Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged    Organised a conference recently on the
registrations. This will ensure that Intellectual Property boosting export potential of natural, organic
of genuine brands related to their provenance and and GI-agro Products from the north-eastern
uniqueness is protected. Authorised GI tags will help states in Guwahati, Assam
brands to be developed in India to protect products
specific to a geographical location and weed out falsely    Recently organised an International Buyer Seller
branded products in the market, helping real products to Meet in collaboration with the Union Territory
charge a premium. The government should again take the of Ladakh to boost exports of Apricots and
lead in setting up a product-specific common organisation other agri-products from Ladakh
with relevant ecosystem players on board for setting up
the GI brand. For example, Darjeeling Tea- where the GI    Organised an eight-day-long Mango Festival in
brand was registered, and that helped to protect it from the Kingdom of Bahrain on June 13
falsely branded products in international markets, charge a
premium, and penetrate more export markets.    Government through APEDA has recognised
220 labs across India to provide services
According to Sanjay Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, of testing to a wide range of products and
MTR Foods, “We are selling to developed markets and exporters
they are already ahead of us. They are not looking at
commodities but are looking at more value-added Fuelling R&D with industry-academia collaboration
products. Hence, we need to get out of the mindset of Technological advancement and the development
starting to sell the products to the Indian diaspora only
and get into the international market where we really need of new differentiated products is another important
to sell our food products to become large brands in the parameter through which India can differentiate itself
commodities that we are in.” in the international markets. The best way to encourage
this is by promoting industry-academia collaboration
Further adding to this thought, Vivek Chandra, Chief - as a part of which, the academic community can help
Executive Officer, LT Foods says, “If we want to be big with technical knowledge while the industry players can
global food processing companies, we need to work on support their functional knowledge and product market
our mindset. Today, we make Indian food for India and fit, as well as contribute funds to promote and support
push it abroad which is not going to work. I can’t sell cutting-edge research.
Rajma Chawal to the American or European population,
instead, I would sell them Cilantro and lime rice. Hence, For instance, very recently, probiotic brand
we have set up an innovation centre in the US to make manufacturer Yakult Danone India has signed a
food for Americans and the centre is staffed entirely by Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SRM
American Chefs and product-development people who University, Delhi-NCR, Sonepat, Haryana, in the core areas
produce convenience food. We are not just delivering of education and sharing knowledge. For strengthening
convenience, we are delivering the convenience that is the agricultural products value chain through building
relevant. I think this mindset is important to build brand synergy with various institutions of repute, the Agricultural
India.” and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA) has signed a Memorandum of
Efforts should be made to promote the health benefits Understanding (MoU) with the GB Pant University
of these products globally to drive their consumption and of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar,
in establishing a strong credible brand value as Indian Uttarakhand.
produce for these products. Examples of select products
where this can be undertaken include millets, turmeric and Jalandhar-based Lovely Professional University (LPU)
jackfruit. has conducted research and prepared golden milk, also
known as turmeric milk. The research involved golden
yellow free flowing milk powder as it has multifaceted

22 COVER NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Key facts about Indian Food “India is the largest producer
Processing Industry of dairy but ranks 46th in
terms of export. Similarly,
Production India is the 2nd largest
producer of vegetables
 Total Horticulture production in 2021-22 is but ranks 15th in exports.”
estimated to be 341.63 Metric Tonnes (MT)
Hemant Malik, Chairman- FICCI
 India ranks 1st in milk production and Food Processing Committee & Chief Executive
contributes 23 per cent to global milk
production growing at a CAGR of about 6.2 per Officer- Food Division, ITC.
cent to reach 209.96 MT in 2020-21
“We need to get out of the
 India ranks 3rd in global egg production and mindset of starting to sell
produced at least 122.11 billion nos. in 2020-21 the products to the Indian
with per capita availability of egg at 91 eggs diaspora only and get into
per annum in 2020-21. the international market.”
Sanjay Sharma,
 India is the 2nd largest fish-producing country Chief Executive Officer, MTR Foods.
in the world and accounts for 7.56 per cent of
the global production. The total fish production “If we want to be big
during FY 20-21 is estimated at 14.73 Million global food processing
Metric Tonnes (MMT). companies, we need to
work on our mindset.
 India ranks 8th in meat production in the Today, we make Indian
world. Meat production in the country has food for India and push it abroad
increased from 6.69 MT in 2014-15 to 8.80 MT which is not going to work.”
in 2020-21 (Provisional).
Vivek Chandra,
 As per advance estimates, the estimated Chief Executive Officer, LT Foods
production of Rice is 127.93 MT, Wheat is
111.32 MT & Nutri/Coarse Cereals is 49.86 MT health benefits. The innovative product has been
for the year 2021-22. prepared using a simple technique of mixing and does
not require any sophisticated instrument or highly skilled
Exports labour to formulate this, overall leading to a scalable and
commercialisable product. Several companies dealing
 Sugar exports from India stood at 8.6 MT till in the nutraceuticals/food industry such as A 1 Plus are
May of the ongoing 2021-22 marketing year trying to leverage technology to create commercially
ending September. viable products. Then, there is TATA Consumer Products
collaborating with the Indian Institute of Millets Research
 Exports of Rice values at $733.30 million in (IIMR) with the goal of strengthening research and
September 2022 and shares 2.25 per cent of development in millets and developing new products.
the total exports of the month. These are some recent examples of Industry-academia
collaboration driving innovations in the Indian food
 The export of other cereals increased from 102 processing industry.
MT in 2019-20 to 521 MT in 2020-21.
Encouraging partnerships with private players
 The marine products exports from India The cost of operating a cold chain in India (~$9
touched $7,740 million during 2021-22 despite
the heavy odds faced by the sector. It observed per pallet per month) is almost 3 times the cost in
30 per cent higher growth as compared to the developed world (~$3 per pallet per month). The
2020-21. The USA, China, and Japan are the electricity expenses alone contribute 25-30 per cent of the
top 3 favourite destinations of Indian marine total expenses in the cold chain industry in India, versus
exports. Exports to these three countries around 10 per cent in the developed nations. The fuel
contributed 63 per cent of exports.

Source: IBEF

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

India's Top 20 Export Destinations for all APEDA “It is very important that
Products for 2022-23 (April-July) all the industry players
come together because
S Country Qty in Metric Rs Crore there are a lot of best
NO Tonnes practices each one
of them have in their own
1 Bangladesh 2120327.14 6180.11 industry.”

2 Unietd Arab Emts 906195.85 5284.68 Shailesh Ghodekar, Global
Corporate Quality Head, Marico
3 Indonesia 1032045.16 4406.96
“The private player
4 USA 287438.81 4264.19 collaborations in the food
industry would upscale
5 Iran 565902.41 4183.81 the economy. However,
there should be a
6 Saudi Arab 447985.79 3718.78 proper alignment between
them in terms of outcomes and
7 China 1226664.06 3484.5 profitability.”

8 Vietnam 766855.37 3338.54 Deepak Sanghavi,
Managing Director, Nilon’s Enterprises.
9 Malaysia 540236.31 3018.21
“We lack a database
10 Egypt 176417.81 1782.45 about the importing
11 Yemen 383864.93 1562.89 countries’ regulatory
12 Philippines 258908.76 1478.07 requirements in terms
13 Iraq 155677.7 1407.67 of quality standards,
14 Korea 530461.52 1378.36 documentation, etc.”

15 Benin 456746.65 1270.41 Amit Dhanuka, Former
16 Senegal 472922.78 1262.59 President, All India Food Processors' Association
17 Sri Lanka 438416.17 1205.68 & Chief Executive Officer, Kejriwal Bee Care India
18 Oman 303973.04 1182.77
19 U K 113400.23 1131.75 Nilon’s Enterprises says, “The private player collaborations
20 Thailand 309346.09 1083.37 in the food industry would upscale the economy. However,
Source: APEDA there should be a proper alignment between them in
terms of outcomes and profitability. As the collaboration
costs in India are significantly higher than in developed involves sharing of workforces, infrastructures, and so on,
countries. the misalignments may cause some serious implications
for the collaborated businesses. Decisions made in such
To address the prevailing challenges, it is important collaborations affect various aspects of the business.
that the private players come together and collaborate Hence, a clear action plan should be framed for the success
with each other. They can jointly set up infrastructure of such a model.”
facilities (e.g. quality testing labs, cold storage and
transportation networks, etc.) as well as pool their existing Although these offer key suggestions framing an
infrastructure capabilities to promote the growth of the outline of the roadmap for India’s journey to becoming
overall ecosystem. an export powerhouse in the food processing sector, a
strategically concerted effort from the industry as well
“It is very important that all the industry players come as the government would be required to put together
together because there are a lot of best practices each one a working model capable of delivering the immense
of them have in their own industry. If they collaborate in potential.
terms of labs, storage facilities, and sharing resources, it
will be wonderful for the industry. In this regard, sharing Mansi Jamsudkar
best practices, learning from each other, and finally [email protected]
prioritising the consumers would be very crucial. The
challenges in such collaborations could be the categories
of the products or the services they offer, the requirements
could be slightly different. However, such challenges can
be overcome with best practices,” says Shailesh Ghodekar,
Global Corporate Quality Head, Marico.

Adding to this, Deepak Sanghavi, Managing Director,

24 DIABETES NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Fighting Diabetes with Fibre and
Protein Fortified Foods

There are currently 537 million adults with diabetes in the world and this number could rise to 783
million in 2045, as per the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas 10th edition report.
Out of this, India accounts for more than 77 million cases. This is highly disturbing as diabetes has
gradually turned out to be the gateway disease to many other ailments like obesity, cardiovascular
disorders, kidney and nerve diseases etc. And the list of expensive medications is adding to the woes.
In such a scenario, big food giants are now exploring the potential of alternatives to drugs, in the
form of fibre and protein fortification, to offer a natural tool to fight diabetes.
Extensive research supports the common-sense
notion that a healthy lifestyle can prevent or treat Studies have also shown that in patients with type
many diseases. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, 2 diabetes, increasing the intake of high fibre foods or
whole grains, and plant protein which is low fibre-rich dietary supplements, particularly of the soluble
type, helps in managing the disease.

in processed carbs, added sugars and saturated fats, In this context, UK-based ingredients firm Tate & Lyle

combined with regular physical activity and emotional has launched a fibre calculator to help raise awareness of

well-being present a potent mix of deterrents that can the population’s ‘fibre gap’. Whilst the health benefits of

prevent the need for or even replace many prescription fibre are becoming more widely known, intake remains

medications. In particular, self-management regimes low. New consumer research, conducted by Tate & Lyle

and dietary plans have been proven effective in diabetes amongst UK adults, has found that more than a third

patients. (36 per cent) of people think they are not consuming

As per the recent study published by Elsevier on enough fibre.

behalf of ‘Diabetes India’ in the Diabetes & Metabolic

Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, a high fibre Fibre and protein fortified foods

diet is vital for people with diabetes and associated Dr Kavita Karnik, Global Head, Nutrition & Regulatory

conditions. Increasing fibre intake, preferably through Affairs, Tate & Lyle is of the opinion that for most people

food or through a fibre-rich diabetes nutrition (FDN) it is difficult to get enough fibre into their diet without

supplement has proven to be beneficial. exceeding their recommended calorie intake. This is

FDN, a new term coined by experts to create a fibre- where fibre fortification could play a highly beneficial

specific diabetes nutrition category, is intended to have role to public health. It would allow consumers to

multi-systemic health benefits such as improvement continue eating the products they prefer, while

in blood sugar control, reduction in blood sugar potentially lowering rates of cardiovascular disease, type

spikes, decrease in hyperinsulinemia, improvement in 2 diabetes and help maintain a healthy weight across the

cholesterol levels, and weight management in diabetes population.

patients.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in DIABETES 25

A new diabetic nutritional fibre recognised by the Natural tools to fight diabetes
US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and shown in
clinical data to slow the body's absorption of sugar and   High fibres   Millets
improve overall blood sugar levels has found its way   High protein   Quinoa
into products catering to America's millions of diabetes   Low carbohydrates   Plant-based diet
patients, and in the process is creating a sizeable market
opportunity for top companies like Archer Daniels cent and the protein increased to 19 to 20 per cent
Midland (ADM), Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, and fat maintained around 21 to 26 per cent, diabetes
Tilray Inc. etc. remission or reversal can be achieved. For prevention of
progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes, carbohydrate
Among the first products to reach retailer shelves content of 54-57 per cent, protein of 16-20 per cent and
utilising ADM's innovative new fibre is GlucoDown, made fat of 20-24 per cent would suffice.
by Glucose Health Inc. Using a special manufacturing
process, the company agglomerates ADM's fibre Commenting on the study, Dr R M Anjana, Vice-
together with tea powder. The result is America's first President, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF),
"healthy" diabetic iced tea. says, “Unlike previous studies which have recommended
a very low or near zero carbohydrate intake which is
Likewise, we have recently seen the entry of many unsustainable in the Indian context, our results show
fibre-enriched supplements in the Indian market as well. that even a modest reduction in carbohydrate intake
For instance, the Horlicks Plus range, a set of specialised with an increase in protein, along with healthy fats,
brands formulated by Hindustan Unilever Limited can help both to reverse diabetes as well as prevent its
to solve nutritional deficiencies, has forayed into the progression.”
segment of diabetes by launching a nutritional beverage
called Diabetes Plus. It contains high fibre i.e. 22 per cent This study was carried out in the whole country, and
of dual blend fibre. It is also high in protein. is the largest epidemiological study on diabetes done in
India.
Talking about the relevance of protein in diabetes
management, a study by the Human Nutrition Research In support of this observation, we have seen the
Centre and Diabetes Research Group at Newcastle entry of many low-carbohydrate versions of foods in
University, UK has shown that drinking a small amount the market. For example, Lo! Foods, a Bengaluru-based
of whey protein before meals helps people with type 2 startup, has stepped into the diabetic food market
diabetes control their blood sugar. with the launch of a range of diabetic-friendly low-
carbohydrate and sugar-free food products. Their three
The Indian arm of the French firm Danone has diabetic-friendly products i.e. atta, snacks, and cookies
recently launched a supplement called Protinex are affordably priced.
Diabetes Care with high amounts of protein and fibres.
Additionally, a recent survey by Danone India has Sudarshan Gangrade, Founder, Lo! Foods, says “The
revealed that over 92 per cent of respondents knew that demand for diabetic friendly consumables has seen
protein and fibre in their diets are essential to manage a sharp increase in the last few years on account of
diabetes. However, daily nutrient intake assessment growing awareness about managing diabetes and the
using Nutri Calculator, a tool developed by Danone with rising prevalence of the disease. However, the current
nutrition experts, highlighted that only 14.8 per cent and diabetic friendly food alternatives available in the market
21.2 per cent people with diabetes were consuming the are not the most ideal options for a healthier diabetes
requisite amount of protein and fibre on a daily basis. diet.”

Lowering carbohydrate intake Besides enriching diets with fibres and proteins
Many studies have shown that excess carbohydrate while reducing carbohydrates, experts are also backing
the benefits offered by plant-based foods for diabetes
in the diet (polished white rice in the South and East, and management. According to a new research published by
refined wheat in the North and West of India) contribute US researchers, the consumption of healthy plant-based
to increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. The diet foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, and
of most Indians consists of about 65 to 70 per cent legumes, is associated with a lower risk of developing
carbohydrate, with very little protein. type 2 diabetes in generally healthy people, hence aiding
diabetes prevention.
A recent national study funded by the Indian Council
of Medical Research (ICMR), based on 18,090 adults has Millets- a healthy low GI alternative
shown, using a linear regression model and quadratic Millets are another weapon to fight diabetes. With
programming, that if the carbohydrate content of
the Indian diet can be brought down to 49 to 54 per

26 DIABETES NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

the United Nations declaring 2023 as the International “Fibre fortification would
Year of Millets, it has caught the attention of many allow consumers to
scientific minds, making them focus on millets. Minimally continue eating the
processed millets are considered to be 30 per cent more products they prefer
effective in lowering glycaemic index (GI) of a meal while potentially
compared to milled rice and refined wheat, making them lowering rates of cardiovascular
a healthier alternative. disease, type 2 diabetes.”

As per the International Crops Research Institute for Dr Kavita Karnik, Global Head, Nutrition &
the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) study in 2021, eating Regulatory Affairs, Tate & Lyle
millets can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
and helps manage blood glucose levels in people “Our results show that
with diabetes, indicating the potential to design diets even a modest reduction
including millets for both diabetic/ pre-diabetic people in carbohydrate intake
as well as for non-diabetic populations, as a preventive with an increase in
approach. protein, along with
healthy fats, can help both to
“There is no easy solution to diabetes, and it requires reverse diabetes as well as prevent
a lifestyle change, and diet is a very important part its progression.”
of this. The ICRISAT provides one part of the solution
useful for individuals and governments. How we use Dr R M Anjana, Vice-President, Madras Diabetes
this and implement it into programmes needs careful Research Foundation
planning”, says Dr Hemalatha, Director, National Institute
of Nutrition (NIN). “The current diabetic
friendly food alternatives
Additionally, studies are pointing towards available in the market
consumption of quinoa to help prevent type 2 diabetes, are not the most ideal
since quinoa is a good source of complex carbohydrates, substitutes for a healthier
fibre, and contains a high concentration of proteins with diabetes diet.”
all the essential amino acids. According to a recent study
in Spain, quinoa-based diets led to lowering of blood Sudarshan Gangrade, Founder, Lo! Foods
sugar in comparison to diets excluding it. This is crucial
because post-meal blood sugar spikes are a determining “There is no easy solution
factor in the progression of type 2 diabetes. to diabetes, and it
requires a lifestyle
Furthermore, National Institute of Diabetes and change, and diet is a
Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National very important part of
Institutes of Health in the US has recently awarded a this.”
four-year, $2.65 million grant for studying the biomarkers
of dietary flavonoids and targeting carbonyl stress to Dr Hemalatha, Director, National
help prevent type 2 diabetes. Institute of Nutrition (NIN)

But where is the gap? foods in managing diabetes, Indian food producers are
Although the Indian diabetic food market presents yet to explore innovations in the plant-based diabetic
food segment. Hence, considerable R&D efforts need to
immense opportunities for food companies, a lack of be made in this area. While today’s consumer greatly
creative thinking in formulating innovative approaches appreciates the modern-day innovations on offer in
hinders the potential. Various products available in the the market, the key to unlocking success in the diabetic
market are either not specifically diabetic-oriented or food market in India probably lies in adding value by
lack scientific data, backing the claim. As mentioned providing science-backed products in a range of diverse
earlier, there are various macro and micronutrients found options to suit their tastes.
to be effective for diabetes management, but there
is insufficient availability of food products containing Mansi Jamsudkar
those nutrients now in the Indian market. As consumer [email protected]
preferences change over time, the market also needs
to cater to the need for variety in its offerings that can
compete with the standard fare lining the shelves.

Despite knowing the effectiveness of plant-based

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in CAREER 27

Honing Academic Expertise
for Alternative Proteins

There is a significant and urgent need to launch university courses to widen the pool of talented
scientists and engineers entering the field of alternative proteins. Globally, there is an increase
in students seeking opportunities to learn about plant-based proteins, cultivated meat, and
fermentation. Unfortunately, few universities offer alternative protein courses or programmes,
leaving students without a clear educational pathway to learn about or enter the field. Where
does India stand in this scenario?
New technologies and innovations seldom break
through all at once. Instead, they gradually Protein Project; a global student movement dedicated to
gain traction among the populace according turning universities into engines for alternative protein
to a pattern that can be visualised as an education, research, and innovation with 36 student
chapters across 17 countries and 5 continents.

adoption curve. And the adoption of alternative proteins Since 2020, GFI has established student groups at key

is intended to have a measurable positive impact on universities that might be well-positioned to lead the

the environment, supporting a number of the United alternative protein revolution. Each group has members

Nations Sustainable Development Goals including from different disciplines and academic stages working

responsible consumption & production, and zero hunger. together to define and launch the high-impact initiatives

But these protein alternatives are yet to gain a needed for alternative proteins to succeed.

stable footing in the mass market. Many still see them GFI Israel launched the first pilot course at The

as a passing fad. One of the greatest obstacles from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the spring semester

customer’s perspective is price. The majority are not of 2020. Appropriately named “Cultivated Meat and

prepared to pay a higher price for a tofu cutlet compared Plant-based Meat”, the course was offered in the Faculty

to a regular one. As a result, providers need to make of Biochemistry and the Food Sciences. Since then, the

their products as expensive or less expensive than course has expanded to two additional universities:

animal-based ones going forward, in order to appeal to Tel-Aviv University and Ben Gurion University. In Tel-Aviv

customers. University, the pilot course on alternative proteins broke

While consumer interest and sales slowly pick up the registration record with 70 graduate students joining

pace for this segment, along with a gradual surge in the course.

private sector investment, one critical aspect still remains When students of the Stanford Alt Protein Project

to be explored- ‘building the talent pool’. The alternative noticed there were no courses about alternative

protein field has a significant need for scientists and proteins offered by their university, they got to work.

engineers who can advance plant-based, cultivated, and In Spring 2021, they debuted Stanford University’s first

fermentation-derived meat, egg, and dairy products. course in the field: “Rethinking Meat: An Introduction

While a growing number of students are eager to to Alternative Proteins.”The inaugural class was a smash

join this emerging field, there is a notable workforce hit, with 100 enrollees Zooming in each week to learn

bottleneck. This labour gap stems from the lack of about various aspects of alternative protein science,

educational programmes dedicated to alternative entrepreneurship, and policy.

proteins. Because educational institutions are responsive In line with this project, Nanyang Technological

to student needs and interests, students can play a University (NTU) in Singapore emerged as the first in Asia

crucial role in accelerating the creation of alternative to approve a new undergraduate course titled “Future

protein courses, majors, and other institutional Foods – Introduction to Advanced Meat Alternatives”,

programmes. for the 2021-2022 academic year. The elective course

is being offered to third and fourth-year science and

Meating the opportunity engineering students with a major in Food Science and

A major global initiative in this direction comes Technology.

from the Good Food Institute (GFI) termed as the Alt “Alternative protein production has emerged as a

28 CAREER NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

List of courses available in alternative proteins space globally

University or Organisation Country Course Name

The Good Food Institute online The Science Behind Alternative Proteins

GFIC online GFIC Alternative Protein Open Courses (Chinese)

Cellular Agriculture Australia online An Introduction to Cellular Agriculture

University of California, Davis online Cultivated Meat Short Course: "Cultivated Meat 101"

University of British Columbia Canada Novel plant- and cell-based foods

Johns Hopkins University USA Future Food Manufacturing

Tufts University USA Certificate in Cellular Agriculture

Tufts University USA Cellular Agriculture & Biofabricated Foods

University of California, Berkeley USA Technical Foundations for Alternative Ingredients and Foods

University of California, Berkeley USA Alternative Meat: Product Design & Customer Needfinding

Cambridge University Alt. Protein Society online Alternative Protein Fundamentals

Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University, Ben Israel The Science of Smart Proteins
Gurion University

University of Campinas Brazil Proteínas alternativas: Proteína vegetal, Fermentação e Carne
Cultivada

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill USA The Cellular Agriculture Revolution

University of California, Davis USA Cellular Agriculture and Beyond

Nanyang Technological University Singapore Future Foods – Introduction to Advanced Meat Alternatives

TU Berlin Germany Vegane und vegetarische Fleischersatzprodukte

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Israel The Science Behind Meat Alternatives

Johns Hopkins University USA Food of the Future

Stanford University USA Rethinking Meat: An Introduction to Alternative Proteins

Federal University of Paraná Brazil Introduction to Cellular Animal Science

CellAgri online Introduction to Cellular Agriculture

Stanford University USA New meat: The Science Behind Scalable Alternatives to Animal Products

National University of Singapore Singapore Introduction to Advanced Meat Alternatives

Sorbonne Université France Alimentations-vegetariennes

EIT Foods Education online ThinkTech! - Alternative Proteins

Sentient Media online Understanding Farming

Harvard Business School USA Agribusiness Seminar

Harvard Business School online Agribusiness Seminar—Virtual

University of Minnesota USA Cellular Bioprocess Technology Short Course

Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA Cell-Matrix Mechanics

Khan Academy online Unit: Biotechnology

St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, online Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
via Coursera

University of Toronto, via Coursera online Plant Bioinformatic Methods Specialization

Harvard University, via edX online Food Fermentation: The Science of Cooking with Microbes

University of Bayreuth, via edX online Biomaterials and Biofabrication: Design, Engineering and Innovation

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in CAREER 29

Delft University of Technology, via edX online Industrial Biotechnology
Cellular Solids Part 2: Applications in Medicine
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, via edX online Cell-material Crosstalk: Engineering Cell-Instructive Biomaterials
Harnessing the Biosphere: Natural Products and Biotechnology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA Making Biologic Medicines for Patients: The Principles of
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA Metabolic Engineering for Industrial Biotechnology
Microbial Fermentation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, via edX online Masters in Food Systems
Introduction to Animal Advocacy
University of California, San Diego | Extension USA

University of California, San Diego | Extension USA

University of Hohenheim Germany

Animal Advocacy Careers online

Source- Good Food Institute “The smart protein
categories such as
powerful economic engine in Asia, potentially creating plant-based meat,
lucrative job opportunities for skilled young people plant-based dairy,
from across the novel food industry landscape. We look plant-based eggs,
forward to working with other Asian universities to fermentation-derived meat and
prepare students for a future technology-driven world, cultured meat, could create 4
contribute to enhanced food security, and create real lakh jobs by 2030.”
societal impact in the region”, says Prof. William Chen,
Director, Food Science and Technology Programme, Varun Dehspande, President, Good Food
Nanyang Technological University. Institute (GFI) Asia

National University of Singapore (NUS) also “Alternative protein
announced a 13-week graduate module on future foods production has emerged
as of January 2022- “Introduction to Advanced Meat as a powerful economic
Alternatives”. The module is offered by NUS’ Department engine in Asia,
of Food Science and Technology. potentially creating
lucrative job opportunities for
Turning towards the West, John Hopkins University skilled young people from across
in the US recently launched ‘Food of the Future’, the the novel food industry landscape.”
school’s first academic course devoted to alternative
protein education. The virtual course teaches students Prof. William Chen,
the intricate science behind the production of plant and Director, Food Science and Technology
cultivation-based meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Programme, Nanyang Technological University

Further down at the south eastern part of the “We are planning to
world, Australia, Cellular Agriculture Australia (CAA) has develop elective
launched the first online course in cellular agriculture in programmes where
August 2022 to prepare what the organisation describes smart protein is
as “the massive wave of talent” that will be needed in definitely a focus.”
future. Consisting of six modules covering areas such as Amrita Sadarangani, Director,
precise fermentation and scaling cellular agriculture, the Gujarat Biotechnology University
course is huge for the future food movement. (GBU) project at the University of Edinburgh

What’s happening in India? size + exports) for smart protein in 2030 ranges from Rs
India’s smart protein sector has truly taken off over 12,075 crore ($1.5 billion) to Rs 33,194 crore ($4.2 billion)
in India. Out of this, plant-based dairy exhibits highest
the last two years - with new products going to market domestic growth, while plant-based meat might hold
every few months, more than 50 startups now active
in the space, and an ecosystem of 80+ companies
supporting the growth of these startups. And now the
country is addressing the critical needs around capacity
building in this sector.

“The total economic opportunity (domestic market

30 CAREER NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

the highest export share. In addition, the smart protein “It is good to see that the
categories such as plant-based meat, plant-based dairy, momentum is picking
plant-based eggs, fermentation-derived meat and up all over the world
cultured meat, could create 4 lakh jobs by 2030”, says ​​ towards plant-based
Varun Deshpande, President, Good Food Institute Asia. food. Although many
institutes in India are working
Delhi Smart Protein Project (DSPP) has been on this aspect, we need to
launched as India’s first chapter of the Alt Protein collectively build a curriculum to promote this
Project in October 2022. The objective is to build a sector further at the academic level.”
dedicated talent pool in India with diverse expertise
in biochemistry, molecular biology, food science, meat Dr Chindi Vasudevappa, Vice-Chancellor,
science, agriculture science, plant physiology, tissue National Institute of Food Technology
engineering, protein chemistry, and much more.
Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM)
At present, students from Delhi University (DU)
colleges such as Hindu, St Stephen’s and Gargi are “We at DSPP are currently
leading an active community to raise awareness and mapping all 77 colleges
generate discourse around smart protein. that come under DU,
comprising around 1
“We at DSPP are currently mapping all 77 lakh students in order
colleges that come under DU, comprising of around to collectively harness the
1 lakh students in order to collectively harness the infrastructure and resources
infrastructure and resources that DU has to offer, to build that DU has to offer, to build a dedicated talent
a dedicated talent pipeline for the smart protein space. pipeline for the smart protein space.”
Also, we are not limiting ourselves only to DU, we will
be including more universities and institutes such as Samarth Bhatnagar,
National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship Co-organiser, Delhi Smart Protein Project
and Management (NIFTEM), Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), The All India Institutes of Medical careers in the alternative protein field.
Sciences (AIIMS), etc.”, says Samarth Bhatnagar, Co- By creating flagship alternative protein courses,
organiser, Delhi Smart Protein Project.
instructors or faculties can indeed position their
With DSPP as the first chapter, GFI plans to launch universities to attract top talent deeply interested in
more chapters across cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, alternative proteins. Universities that offer expanded
Bhubaneswar, Guwahati etc. in the coming times. course offerings will ultimately be able to develop
full certificate programmes, majors, or minors as well
Playing a crucial role in this initiative, Dr Chindi as develop a reputation for excellence in the field of
Vasudevappa, Vice-Chancellor, National Institute of alternative protein science and innovation.
Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management
(NIFTEM), under the Ministry of Food Processing Sharing her opinion, Amrita Sadarangani, Director,
Industries (MoFPI) says, “A few of our B-tech students at Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU) project at
NIFTEM have achieved great things in the alternative the University of Edinburgh says, “We are planning to
protein space by developing vegan and plant- develop elective programmes where smart protein
based protein products. They have also received is definitely a focus. We have collectively had a good
encouragement from entrepreneurs for taking their engagement with GFI over a long time and now is the
products to an international level. It is good to see that time to coalesce this association as we look forward
the momentum is picking up all over the world towards to showcase what we have made at GBU which is very
plant-based food. Although many institutes in India relevant.”
are working on this aspect, we need to collectively
build a curriculum to promote this sector further at the Building a robust workforce in any field requires
academic level.” talent from all walks of life and parts of the world, not
just students on a traditional academic path. That’s
Recognising the challenge that designing courses where collaboration of all stakeholders will have a high
from scratch can be time-consuming for some educators, impact in taking this space of alternative proteins to the
GFI has created an exclusive curriculum repository to next level.
facilitate the creation of new educational offerings. This
resource aims to equip both students and educators Dr Manbeena Chawla
with the tools needed to support developing meaningful [email protected]

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in WINES 31

Sober Sips up Ahead

The demand for India’s alcoholic beverage products, particularly wine, has increased manifold
in the global market. However, with the new trends in the market, the Indian wine industry could
benefit from a healthy dose of innovations to explore its maximum potential. One such trend is the
increasing demand for low, to non-alcoholic wine products. Consumption of non-alcoholic wine is
increasingly becoming one of the mainstream trends that is shaping the global beverage industry.
The US continues to advance as the world’s most
valuable wine market, generating a revenue of
$63 billion in 2021, followed by China, Canada
and Japan. Growth in India’s wine market is
relatively slower, projected to be worth $274 million

between 2021 and 2026, as per Technavio market

research reports.

But a global boost is gradually lifting the spirits of

the Indian wine sector thanks to various workshops and

wine tasting events organised by the Agricultural and

Processed Food Products Export Development Authority

(APEDA) at various international trade fairs, for creating

awareness about the potential of Indian wines.

For instance, in June 2022, APEDA facilitated

participation of ten exporters namely Resvera Wines,

Sula Vineyards, Good Drop Wine Cellars, Hill Zill Wines,

KLC Wines, Soma Vine Village, Grover Zampa Vineyard,

Plateaux Vintners, ASAV Vineyards and Fratelli Vineyards

in London Wine Fair, regarded as one of the world’s most

important wine trade events.

Currently, Maharashtra has become an important

state for wine manufacturing as there are more than 35

wineries in the state. Around 1,500 acres are used for

grape cultivation and wine production in Maharashtra.

To promote wine manufacturing, the state government

has declared the wine-making business a small-scale

industry and has also offered excise concessions.

While most wineries and production are Although wide opportunities are emerging for the

concentrated in the Nashik region in Maharashtra, other Indian wine sector, it also needs to keep an eye on the

significant wine regions include Sangli (Maharashtra), newer market trends. For example, consumption of low

Nandi Hills (Karnataka) and Bengaluru (Karnataka). The or no alcoholic (LNA) wine is increasingly becoming

country’s diverse mix of climates allow it to grow an one of the mainstream trends that is shaping the global

array of grape varieties for wine, including indigenous beverage industry. Avoidance of alcohol is becoming the

varieties such as Anab-e-shahi, Arkavati and Arka Shyam norm for a growing minority of consumers around the

in addition to imported varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet world. While this trend is seen across all age groups, it is

Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, most apparent in Generation Z, with as many as a third

Zinfandel, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, and Clairette Blanche. of consumers aged 18-25 now saying that they may not

Apart from grapes, many players in India are consume alcohol.

exploring the use of different fruits such as mango, This trend is creating an entirely new sub-category

chikoo, pineapple, banana, chilli, jamun, amla etc., for within the alcoholic drinks market. As a result, globally,

developing wines. A few companies are also fermenting alcohol manufacturers are moving their focus to low and

pure honey and then blending it with various fruits and non-alcoholic beverages to boost profitability margins.

spices, to bring new flavours in the market. The growing prevalence of heart diseases and other

32 WINES NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

health problems due to the consumption of alcohol has Leading wine vendors and producers in India
driven consumers to opt for alcohol-free beverages to
reduce the risk of diseases. Vendors/ producers Location

Natasha Kumar, former Mintel Food and Drink Chateau d Ori Nashik
Analyst, India, says, “Responsible and healthy drinking
has become the mantra amongst young Indians today. Fratelli Wines Pvt Ltd. Solapur
While this behaviour is seen across all age groups with
Indians showing interest in the LNA category, it is more Good Drop Wine Cellars Pvt Ltd. Nashik
noticeable amongst young consumers aged 25-34 years.
Brands need to explore opportunities around reduced or Grover Zampa Vineyards Ltd. Bengaluru
no alcohol options. With the current pandemic causing
consumers to be even more conscious about their health KRSMA Estates Pvt. Ltd. Karnataka
and diet, the LNA category is expected to grow further.
It also offers brands the opportunity to connect with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE France
health-conscious and responsible drinkers.”
Mandala Wines Australia
To cater to such an evolved consumer base looking
for varied options to suit their preferences and moods, RENAISSANCE Winery Pvt. Ltd. Nasik
multiple global brands of LNA wines are entering the
Indian market. For instance, French alcohol beverage Sula Vineyards Nashik
company Pernod Ricard has recently forayed into the
non-alcoholic wine category with a launch of a non- Vallonne Vineyards Pvt. Ltd. Nashik
alcoholic wine called- Unvined, in India. The wine has
less than 0.5 per cent alcohol and is available in two Source- Technavio report
varieties – Riesling and Shiraz. The Unvined range has
50 per cent less calories than regular wine of the same Top 10 Wine Importing Countries-
varietal, catering to the evolved consumer base, looking
for varied options to suit their preferences and mood.   United States of America   Japan
  United Kingdom   Hong Kong, China
Nikhil Agarwal, Founder, All Things Nice, a luxury,   Germany   Netherlands
wine and spirits Marketing and Consulting Agency is   China   Switzerland
of the opinion, “The non-alcoholic wine industry in   Canada   Belgium
India is at a very nascent stage. However, a substantial
number of Indian consumers are moving towards Source- APEDA
non-alcoholic beverages. There is a growing number of
Indian consumers that are extremely health conscious, premium, non-alcoholic wine brand. These wines are
especially the younger generation that is looking for lower in sugar, calories, and carbs than most other zero-
alternatives to alcohol. In the HoReCa industry, we could and low-alcohol beverages. Cutting-edge technology
see some hotels welcoming guests with non-alcoholic has been used to remove the alcohol while preserving
wines instead of classic sherbet or welcome juices. There the delicate aromas, flavours, and mouthfeel of the wine.
are people who want to experience wine but don’t
want the health hazards and hangovers associated with "As health and wellness considerations have
it. That’s where the potential lies for the Indian wine cemented themselves as key factors in consumers'
industry. Globally, the trend for non-alcoholic wine is purchase decisions, the alcoholic beverage industry
on a sharp rise and that trend is slowly entering India as has responded with an influx of innovation aimed at
well. Industry always reacts to market demand; Indian meeting our consumers' changing needs. While there are
wineries will also innovate in the non-alcoholic wine an increasing number of premium non-alcoholic spirit
space in the near future.” and beer offerings out there, non-alcoholic wine options
continue to be extremely limited" says Tommy Gaeta,
While India’s domestic wine-makers are still Director- Marketing, Miller Family Wine Company.
figuring out ways to address this new trend, its global
counterparts are moving at a faster pace. On the other hand, a South Africa-based player,
The Duchess Drinks Studio, has introduced a new
A peek into the global wine basket addition to its range of premium alcohol-free drinks, The
US-based Miller Family Wine Company has recently Duchess Spritz which is a new alcohol-free wine spritzer.
Experimenting with the natural sweetness of botanical
released its newest wine venture, Hand on Heart – a and fruit extracts, the company landed upon the perfect
blend to match the wine’s acidity to form a wine spritzer.
The spritz is available in Berry Rose and Elderflower
White flavours.

In the low-alcoholic wine category, Italy-based
House of Gancia, a producer of Italy's first sparkling wine,
has introduced a new range of low-alcohol flavoured

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in WINES 33

sparkling wines under its new "Atto Primo" line. Each “Brands need to explore
Atto Primo offering contains less than 100 calories per opportunities around
4-ounce serving. The wine is available in lychee, peach,
mango, and blackberry flavours. reduced or no alcohol

Furthermore, US-based Rancho La Gloria, a brand options. With the
in the wine-based ready-to-drink beverage category,
has recently unveiled a unique low-alcohol table wine- current pandemic
AgaVida. The low-alcohol agave wine is infused with
four different fruits namely strawberry, mango, peach, causing consumers to be even
and green apple, offering consumers four different
flavours. more conscious about their

Moving down south, Australia-based Accolade health and diet, the low or no alcoholic category
Wines has launched a new alcohol-free wine brand
called &Then in two variants. Made with high- is expected to grow further.”
quality grapes sourced from South Australian cool
climate vineyards and bottled using a revolutionary Natasha Kumar,
de-alcoholising technology, the drinks offer a truly
elevated zero-alcohol wine experience. former Mintel Food and Drink Analyst

In India, although the wine industry is experiencing “Globally, the trend for
a push from the government as well as the industry non-alcoholic wine is on
players, significant attention and investment in
terms of wine innovations is the need of the hour. the sharp rise and that
As compared to the international market, the Indian
market notably lacks diverse offerings in wine, trend is slowly entering
especially in the LNA category. With the rise in number
of health-conscious consumers in India, it’s high time India as well. Industry
to explore the functional benefits of wine and initiate
R&D efforts in this direction. always reacts to market

The highs and lows of de-alcoholisation demand; Indian wineries will also
The removal or reduction of alcohol content of
innovate in the non-alcoholic wine space in the
wine and other alcoholic beverages has been the focus
of various winemakers and researchers over the past near future.”
years, as trends in wine styles as well as climate change
has affected the consumption of alcoholic wines. To Nikhil Agarwal, Founder, All Things Nice
achieve this, different technologies have been used
at the various stages of winemaking. Although the alcoholisation, problems such as changes in colour and
technologies used during the pre-fermentation and losses of desirable volatile aroma compounds, which
fermentation stages show promising results, post- subsequently affect the sensory quality could occur.
fermentation alcohol reduction techniques, particularly Additionally, the operational costs related to these
membrane separation (nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, techniques are relatively high. Moreover, reduced-
evaporative perstraction, and pervaporation) and alcohol or alcohol-free wines and beverages may be
thermal distillation (vacuum distillation and spinning susceptible to microbial contamination and should be
cone column) represent the most common and widely produced under aseptic conditions.”
used commercial techniques in the production of
dealcoholised beverages. Despite these challenges, many commercial reduced
alcoholic strength products have been produced and
While highlighting the challenges associated marketed successfully. Moreover, the combination of
with these dealcoholising techniques, Faisal Eudes some of the techniques as well as reconstitution (aroma
Sam, Researcher, Department of Grape and Wine enhancement) after de-alcoholisation may provide a
Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, China says, good alternative for balancing production costs and the
“Despite the ability of these techniques to preserve sensory profile of reduced-alcohol or alcohol-free wines
the phenolic components, volatile composition, and and beverages.
sensory qualities of wine within certain limits of de-
A greater understanding of the various post-
fermentation de-alcoholisation techniques and their
influence on wine quality during the de-alcoholisation
process could pave the way forward in developing
the market for these products. An understanding of
growing consumer trends and the non-alcoholic wine
market would also help winemakers in choosing the
best technique to limit adverse effects and help meet
the needs and acceptance amongst differently targeted
consumers including younger people, pregnant women,
drivers, and teetotalers.

Mansi Jamsudkar
[email protected]

34 SPEAKING WITH NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Shammi Agarwal, “We plan to devote
the majority of our
Director, Pansari Group attention to dry spices
for the next half a year”

With its current focus on developing ready-to-eat and are lower in calories, fat, and sugar. Products that were
ready-to-cook food products for the Indian market, New once only found in specialty health food stores are now
Delhi-based Pansari Group is on a high growth trajectory. readily available to the general public as a result of the
Founded in 1940, the company is also planning on rising demand for food and drink that consumers believe
diversifying geographically to build a network for their will either be less harmful to their health or will actively
HoReCa products. With strong domestic sales, the improve their health, daily performance, and general
company generated a revenue of Rs 1011 crore during well-being.
FY 21-22. In conversation with Shammi Agarwal, Director,
Pansari Group, nuFFooDS Spectrum brings you details Options like these are great for health-conscious
about the company’s future plans. Edited excerpts: consumers who want to eat properly but don't want
to spend as much time in the kitchen as they would if
The company has recently launched Indimix, a ready- they cooked from scratch. The Indimix range already has
to-cook food range. How does the company see the a stellar reputation. Traditional breakfast alternatives
future of ready-to-cook food in the Indian market? that are wholesome and nutritious along with nashta
Are there any expansion plans the company would premixes, chatpati treats, and meethi delicacies already
like to disclose in terms of the product portfolio of have a place in our customer’s hearts. Ready-to-eat
Indimix? biryanis and gravies are something we plan to develop
in the future, and we've already begun the necessary
Customers and their households are busier than ever, research and development.
so it's no surprise that they prefer food options that are
quick and easy to prepare. In terms of the company’s HoReCa business, the
company is in the process of setting up a hybrid
Indimix has been out there for a while now, and channel of distribution for the expansion of the

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

Chefys portfolio of products and solutions. How is to enter into the plant-based segment anytime in
that going? the future? How does the company see the future of
plant-based food in India?
When it comes to the development of our plans,
we are focusing our traditional distribution strength in The adoption of veganism as well as other diets that
North India, which comprises the states of Delhi and the are focused on plant-based foods is on the rise all across
National Capital Region (NCR), Punjab, the Uttar Pradesh the world. However, it would be too soon to decide at
region, and Uttarakhand. However, we are giving serious this juncture. Since the company does not intend to
consideration to expanding into the Southern region, enter the market within the next two years (and after
and we will have a well-established distribution network that, the strategy will be to "let the market decide"), we
for our retail business across India. Additionally, we are in will instead focus on differentiating one of our branded
the process of setting up a hybrid channel of distribution items from the rest of the offerings in our store. Once we
to better meet the requirements of our HoReCa have accomplished this goal, we will then proceed to
customers. work on the creation of other items bearing the Pansari
brand.
How many countries do you export to and which
country enjoys the highest export? What challenges Pansari Group has re-launched Oreal edible oils with
has the company faced in exporting spices, edible better packaging and benefits which includes the
oils, and other ingredients? use of virgin food grade packing material. This could
be the company’s first step towards sustainability
The developed nations of Canada and Australia practices. What else does the company plan to do in
make up the majority of our principal export markets. this direction?
Prices are subject to regular revision in response to the
ever-shifting value of the United States dollar, as well as There are still a lot of individuals who are unaware of
any related changes in government bans or tariffs. We the different kinds of oils that are available, the reasons
need to give this a great deal of thought before moving why they would wish to use them, or the potential
forward. There are now 61 countries in which you can health benefits that they may provide. Oreal has been
purchase one or more of our product lines. rebranded as a premium alternative for healthy oils
thanks to its brand-new packaging. These oils have
Being a multi-brand company in the food category, a longer shelf life than other foods and contribute
how has the increased raw material and procurement positively to one's overall health. The purpose of this is to
cost impacted the overall business? Please shed light encourage healthy lives as well as proper nutrition.
on the supply chain issues faced by the company and
how it is tackling them. We have always made it a priority to work on getting
better as a unit. Since the company's beginning, Pansari
Because of the state of the market, the price of many has garnered acclaim for its stringent and unyielding
inputs has gone up recently, and manufacturers have quality control. We won't make it available to the general
responded by raising the prices at which their wares can public until we are certain that it has completed all of the
be purchased. mandatory safety tests.

Manufacturing companies are in a precarious What are the plans of the company in terms of
situation as a result of the rising cost of raw materials, expansion, product launches & investment? How
which will have knock-on effects throughout their supply much growth is expected in FY 22-23?
chains. The two supply chain headwinds that have
plagued the industry throughout the epidemic—slower The team has set as one of its key goals the
supplier deliveries and labour availability—continue to achievement of a minimum 30 per cent increase in sales.
plague manufacturers as costs rise. Since the beginning For the time being, we are giving some consideration to
of the pandemic, the industry has been struggling with syrups and various other ready-to-eat items.
both of these issues.
We plan to devote the majority of our attention to
To be frank, working capital management is a dry spices for the next half a year, before introducing wet
challenge in the face of rising costs, which is why we are sauces, syrups, and other similar products. On the other
always improving our systems, procedures, and even hand, we have a Research and Development section
technology to employ artificial intelligence to better that is prepared to supply solutions whenever they are
manage our inventory. requested. As a direct result of requests from customers,
we have now introduced a shawarma seasoning.
As the company has been exploring a variety of
breakfast mixes, seasonings, and bases, does it plan Mansi Jamsudkar
[email protected]

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

Varun Chaudhary, “We have invested
Rs 120 crore
Managing Director, to create new
CG Foods India product lines”

As the trends towards healthy snacking and ready-to-eat consumption of such foods, as the work from home
foods pick up in India, many new products and variants culture gained strength since the first lockdown in March
are entering the market. CG Foods India, the FMCG 2020.
vertical of Nepal-based Chaudhary Group (CG) Corp
Global, is emerging as one of the leading players in this Our flagship brand and product, Wai Wai noodles,
space. After becoming a household brand in North- registered a stunning 50 per cent growth rate since
East India, the company’s noodles brand Wai Wai is all the start of the pandemic, to the extent that the Indian
set to foray into western and southern states now. In a market now constitutes over 33 per cent of the global
recent conversation with nuFFooDS Spectrum, Varun sales of Wai Wai. Of the 3 billion packets of Wai Wai
Chaudhary, Managing Director, CG Foods India, shares noodles sold across the world annually, India accounted
more on the growth of the company across multiple for 1 billion packets.
categories. Edited excerpts:
One of the great learnings in the course of the
CG Foods has its presence in snack foods pandemic for us as a company was that while people
manufacturing. How has the company been doing wanted something that was RTE, they also wanted
in this segment? Are there any new launches that you healthy snacking – more so as physical mobility was
would like to disclose? severely curtailed due to the lockdowns, which impacted
work-out schedules of people. This is why we came out
The Indian snack food market, in particular the ready- with Mama Punte and MiMi Bhujiya in two unique packs
to-eat (RTE) segment, which had been growing steadily from Wai Wai, priced at just Rs 1 and Rs 2, to ensure
saw a spurt in the last two years due to the increased that we offer just the right size of snack at an extremely
affordable price point which can be consumed as a filler
without any guilt or risking inadvertent overeating. And

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

to offer a choice for different palates, we launched them which we are evaluating some companies and will be
in both vegetarian and chicken variants and from what making an announcement soon. In addition, to cater
we have seen so far, the response to these new launches to the demand for the festive season this year, we are
has been very encouraging. launching gift hampers in distinct price segments by
WAI WAI. We have also recently launched three new
Which category of CG Foods is expected to contribute premium spicy instant noodles brands in the northeast
most to the food business revenue in FY 2022? Could containing top chillies from Northeast India, including
you give the tentative shares of each category? Also, Dalle Khursani and Bhut Jolokia. All these three variants
which country is projected to be your highest grosser, – Akbare, Dynamite and Pyro – are available in both
and what could be India’s contribution to your total Veg and Non-Veg versions. While Akbare and Pyro
income? noodles are made from Dalle Khursani (round chillies),
also popularly known as Akbare Chilli, a special chilli
Since noodles are our flagship product, they variety with a SHU (Scoville Heat Units) level of 1,00,000
contribute the most. Of the Rs 700 crore turnover in to 3,50,000 SHU and is grown in Sikkim, Darjeeling,
the last fiscal, the contribution of WAI WAI noodles was Kalimpong and Nepal, the second variant, Dynamite
approximately Rs 550 crore, while the bhujiya segment is flavoured with the legendary Ghost Pepper or Bhut
earned revenues of Rs 150 crore. Being the home base, Jolokia, which is among the top 10 hottest peppers in
Nepal is the country that generates the highest revenue, the world, with an SHU level exceeding 1 million.
but India is fast catching up and contributes 40 per cent
to the total global revenue. CG Foods has also expanded its FMCG portfolio in
India with the launch of sauces, vinegar and pastas.
How much does export of food products contribute These include the Wai Wai Green Chilli Sauce, which is
to the food business of CG Foods? made with the finest fiery chilli found in Gujarat, the
Green Jwala chilli, Wai Wai Red Chilli Sauce, made using
Right now, the demand in India is so great and is Bhut Jolokia, Wai Wai Schezwan Chunky Sauce, made
growing so fast that the entire production capacity here with red chilli, garlic and sautéed onions and the Wai
is being utilised to cater to the Indian market. Moreover, Wai Soya Sauce is made from a blend of soya beans and
with new launches in the bhujiya and pasta segment, used as a seasoning agent while sautéing vegetables. It
plus new noodle flavours that are in the pipeline, the can also be used as a marinade ingredient for meat and
focus of the Indian operations is on the domestic market, vegetables.
though we have only recently started exploring the
export market from here, which already constitutes 3 We have also launched Wai Wai Vinegar, a synthetic
per cent of the Indian revenues and is expected to grow vinegar with a mild fruity aroma which can be
further.
used as a salad dressing and also as a flavouring
Are there any expansion plans in terms of food agent for both vegetable and meat products.
brands in India? Are any new launches in the
pipeline? We have also introduced two new pasta flavours,
Wai Wai X-Press Cheese Pasta, seasoned with delicious
The surge in growth, both in sales and revenue, in Cheddar cheese and a dash of tantalizing spices, and Wai
the last two years has been phenomenal, which is why Wai X-Press Tomato Pasta, which, as the name indicates
the company engaged in capacity expansion across five is made with tomatoes, coupled with aromatic Italian
of its manufacturing units involving an investment of Rs seasoning.
120 crore in order to create new product lines.
Innovations in plant-based foods & drinks have been
Earlier this year in June, we began construction on the rise recently. Are you planning to cater to this
on our first plant in the African continent, located sector in the near future?
in Cairo, Egypt, which will help us in catering to the
burgeoning North African market for RTE snacks. The Yes, most definitely we will be entering this segment
plant, scheduled to become operational next year in of plant-based foods and drinks soon, as the market
June, spread across 23,932 sq mt with roughly 10,000 for these products is now taking off. We are exploring a
sq mt (2.5 acres) of built-up area, will have a production frozen vegetables product line and plant-based keema,
capacity of over 1 million packs per day, half of which will meat patties and nuggets. We are also exploring this in
be exported. soya-based meat & peas-based protein. The company
is also establishing a dedicated production line and
We are also working towards undertaking a plant kitchen for these products at our Roopangarh factory.
expansion in West Bengal within 6 months. In addition,
we are currently in talks to make a big acquisition for Mansi Jamsudkar
[email protected]

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

Varun Khanna, “The effervescent
market in India is
Co-Founder, Fast&Up fairly nascent at the
moment and is close
to Rs 150-200 crore”

The flagship sports nutrition brand of Mumbai-based energy products. As the category is growing fast, a lot of
Aeronutrix Sports Products, Fast&Up has recently forayed new entrants are coming in, you will see a lot of plant-
into the plant-based segment and plans to expand based products being launched from our end in the next
its portfolio in the coming times. Committed towards 12-16 months.
carbon-neutral green proteins, the brand has multiple
plans in store. Varun Khanna, Co-Founder, Fast&Up spoke A wide variety of ingredients have been used in the
to nuFFooDS Spectrum about their upcoming plant- making of all your products. Has Fast&Up faced any
based offerings and business strategies. Edited excerpts: challenges in managing the supply chain mainly in
terms of the ingredients?
Which new product launches are in the pipeline
under Fast&Up? After COVID-19, the supply chain has been distorted
for a lot of companies, however, we have been directly
Every month we are launching a series of new working with large quality manufacturers for our
products. Currently, we are in the process of enriching ingredients and excipients, and we typically experience
our protein portfolio. Our objective is to offer good less disruption in the supply chain. For example, we
quality products to a larger Indian audience at an source carnitine directly from Lonza which is the largest
affordable price and make nutrition healthier, tastier, and manufacturer and innovator of carnitine in the world.
more convenient. A couple of new products are being Moreover, we manufacture everything in our own facility
launched this month which are a plant-based protein, and this facility manufactures for around 22 countries.
and a daily protein which is 15 gm protein per serving Hence our supply chains are very robust and capable of
in a chocolate toffee and vanilla flavour. It's made with manufacturing large volumes. We have more than 50-60
plant-based protein, is non-soy, available in an easy- SKUs and we use more than 2000 ingredients overall.
shake formula. We have also launched Good Eatz, a sub- With the focus on good ingredients and partners, we
brand under the Fast&Up banner, in partnership with have been able to manage our scales even during the
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. We are launching a line of products hard times.
including ready-to-make oats which are refined flour
free, sugar free, palm oil free, and soy free. It’s a 10-gm Fast &Up is backed by Swiss technology. How is this
rich protein, three times more protein than the average technology making your products unique, compared
oats and soups in the market. to other similar brands?

We launched the plant-based portfolio during We acquired the brand Fast&Up and the technology
COVID, in September 2020. We are committed towards from Novelty Pharma, Switzerland. We have been scaling
carbon-neutral green proteins. We have in fact launched up the technology in India through local manufacturing.
more products in this space. We also partnered with A lot of effervescent manufacturers tend to use solvents
EID PARRY which is one of the leading manufacturers of like alcohol. We use our proprietary hybrid effervescent
algae-based products. We have come up with plants- technology which is called HET. This uses no solvent
based Vitamin B 12, D3, joint management products, and and the least amount of heat. Other players' technology
uses a temperature of more than 40 degrees which

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPEAKING WITH 39

actually degrades the product. In our case, our acquired plant proteins and also from the Good Eatz sub-brand
technology allows retaining all the nutrients and which is in partnership with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. There
performance of the final product. are two large areas of growth we are seeing; one is the
international markets and the second is the women’s
You must be aware that a lot of emphasis has been wellness portfolio which is quite strong and robust.
given to the "make in India" concept nowadays. In Hence it would be a well-diversified portfolio growth.
this regard, are you planning to invest in innovating
local technology to make India self-reliant? What is the market size of Effervescent tablets in
India and what is the market share of Fast&Up in this?
We have built up on the Swiss technology platform,
hence HET is our technology which we have Indianised The effervescent market in India is fairly nascent at
and scaled up using the Swiss technology. Hence, it's not the moment and most of it has been built only in the last
just Make in India, it's Made from India as well. Even if 2-3 years. The market size would be close to Rs 150-200
it's Swiss technology, everything is being manufactured crore and Fast&Up has the lion's share in it. Also, our
in India. I'm proud to say that we are not just bringing brand CHICNUTRIX has a good share in it.
effervescence to the nation, we are the largest exporter
of effervescent products from India. Working with the What are your company’s major plans for the future?
partners internationally, we have been able to migrate a Any updates on expansion, acquisition, mergers, etc.?
lot of sources to India.
At the moment we are looking at organic growth.
How much revenue was generated during FY21-22 From the next year onwards, we would be looking into
and what percentage growth do you expect in FY 22- acquisitions. Fast&Up is a household name in the fitness
23? Also, which category of product has contributed and wellness segment for multiple reasons. We see good
the most to this revenue? growth coming in through the retail sector as we are
currently present in around 4500 outlets. Over the next
We are exporting to 30 countries from our facility in year, we plan to go into 10,000 outlets and, we aim for
India. As a brand, we are constantly growing at 65-70 per 20,000 outlets over the next two years. While we are going
cent CAGR. We are targeting to close this year at around deeper into India, we are also expanding internationally,
Rs 220-240 crore of the net run rate of our brand. And we particularly in the UK market. We will be launching 4 more
are en route for that, hence by March 2023, we should be products in the UK market over the next one year. We
close to Rs 18-20 crore net monthly run rate. are also planning to enter the European Union. We are
entering into a partnership with Coin retail which is a very
Our core products are constantly growing. For us, large departmental chain from Italy and Switzerland and
effervescent is obviously a fast-growing category. We we plan to take this partnership across borders into other
have seen a good scale in our electrolytes, amino acids, nations as well. We aim to expand our distribution next
daily vitamins, and minerals. We have recently launched year along with our product portfolio.
creatine in an effervescent format. Carnitine was our
top seller. We are also expecting a good gain from our Mansi Jamsudkar
plant-based portfolio which would be in the form of [email protected]

40 SPICES NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Ramkumar Menon, Why the Future
of Spices must be
Chairman, World Spice Sustainable
Organisation

Spices have great potential to grow within India and the rest of the world, since it has pervaded many
facets of human life. However, it is important to ensure that future growth plans must be such that
they will enable the stakeholders to realise their potential in a sustainable and enduring manner.

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter
of spices in the world. We produce about 11 million
tonnes of spices, out of which only about 15 per cent
is exported with the rest being made available for
the domestic market. India is home to 75 spices out of

the 109 varieties of spices listed by the International

Standards Organisation (ISO).

The Indian domestic spice industry is estimated to

be around Rs 80,000 crore with the unorganised sector

dominating this segment. The market has been growing

at around 7 per cent annually and the market size is

expected to increase to Rs 1 lakh crore by 2025.

There has been a gradual shift from the unorganised

to the organised segment in this sector. The expected

CAGR of branded spices is over 10 per cent. The

important reasons for the shift to branded spices and

spice-blends are improved quality, the introduction of

smaller SKUs, region-specific blends, improved shelf-life

of packed spices and increased convenience.

Export trade from India for Financial Year 2021-22

was to the tune of 1.6 million tonnes, valued at $4.13

billion (Rs 30,000 crore approximately). This forms over

40 per cent of world trade in terms of volume and about

30 per cent in value terms. The industry has set an export

target of $5 billion by 2025 and $10 billion by 2030.

Global Spice Trade is now estimated to be about $14 segment. Spices remain one of the very few sectors in

billion with a growth rate of 4-5 per cent annually. the global economy to emerge relatively unscathed

The spice industry is growing at a pace faster than from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ever, thanks to innovative applications in diverse fields Prospects for the spice industry are therefore very

like seasonings, flavours and the increasing interest in bright but despite the rosy picture there are quite a few

the immune-boosting properties of spices. The latter has challenges that need to be tackled so that growth can be

found favour with the nutraceutical, wellness and health achieved without any major hindrance.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in SPICES 41

Challenges requirements of the market are also conveyed.
Tropical countries account for most of the spices
Opportunities
produced in the world. Like most other crops, spices The world population is expected to increase to
also face numerous challenges with threats ranging
from vagaries in climate to attacks on spice crops by 9.8 billion in 2050 from the current 7.98 billion and the
pests, natural disasters, floods etc., leading to loss of demand for staples, other foods and of course spices will
production, thereby affecting the income and livelihood increase proportionately– estimated to be between 30
of all those in the supply chain and 50 per cent of current levels. According to a study by
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there will
Most of the spice producers are small and marginal be demographic changes to the population by 2050 with
farmers who are unorganised and this leaves them Asia at 5.3 billion and Africa at around 2.5 billion. North
susceptible to exploitation by unscrupulous elements. America, Europe and Oceania are likely to contract. Food
They also lack finance and storage facilities and this companies need to take this into account when planning
reduces their capability to hold stocks and sell at the their future strategies. This increase in population augurs
right time and obtain reasonable margins. well for the spice industry but these bright prospects
come with a great deal of responsibility – the increased
Many of the small producers lack awareness of production has to be organised from more or less the
quality norms and requirements of the market, as well same land area with increased productivity levels. This
as knowledge of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). This needs to be done without harming the environment and
results in the indiscriminate use of chemicals, leading to wasting precious resources. Fortunately, the use of smart
food safety and environmental issues. Spice production and modern technology that is being developed can
in India is beset with issues of low productivity, assist in this if used properly.
insufficient production, loss and waste.
The application of smart digital technology will
It is therefore important that proper awareness and help in meeting the requirements of an effective supply
training programmes are conducted to make the farmers chain, commencing with addressing farmers' needs
and the rest of the stakeholders in the supply chain which are mainly for lower cost of production and loss-
aware of the requirements of the market. minimisation through better waste management.

The ability of farmers to produce spices as per With the current emphasis on sustainability,
quality norms will lead to increased acceptability of the biodiversity and food safety the spice industry would
product in both overseas and domestic markets, thereby do well to support the Sustainable Development
resulting in higher price realisation for producers. Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations since it has been
However, this ability is compromised somewhat owing rather remiss in this aspect. The existing fault lines
to problems arising from unnecessarily stringent and have become more pronounced and it is necessary to
sometimes unrealistic quality controls. This disconnect navigate and correct this in these challenging times.
and discord between producing and consuming
countries needs to be settled and a harmonisation Though spices are essentially used as ingredients
of standards worldwide, preferably based on CODEX and flavouring agents in various cuisines, a wide range
standards is required. of innovative uses in fields such as nutraceuticals,
cosmetics, perfumery, dyes and toiletries have been
Sudden climatic shifts and insect attacks have discovered recently.
increased in numbers and have become more common
in recent years. Experts are of the view that exploitation Also, from time immemorial, spices have been
of natural resources like deforestation, large-scale recognised as possessing medicinal properties and their
conversion of agricultural land to other economic use in traditional systems of medicine has been known
activities, and indiscriminate water management for a long time. The discovery of the intrinsic quality
have contributed to climate change and new disease of spices and the advancement of knowledge of the
outbreaks. chemistry and pharmacology of their active principles
have resulted in their greater use in the health and
The spice industry has been trying to address these wellness sector.
issues with the help of associations like the World
Spice Organisation and the All India Spices Exporters Spices have great potential to grow within India and
Forum, which conduct various programmes for Farmer the rest of the world, since it has pervaded many facets
Producer Organisations (FPOs) and farmer groups under of human life. However, it is important to ensure that
the National Sustainable Spice Programme (NSSP) future growth plans must be such that they will enable
wherein training is imparted on Good Agricultural and the stakeholders to realise their potential in a sustainable
Manufacturing Practices (GAP)/(GMP) to stakeholders in and enduring manner.
the supply chain. Information about quality norms and

42 EVENT REPORT NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to make
the Indian nutraceutical industry a
prominent player on domestic as well
as on global platforms”

(L-R) Kaushik Desai, Secretary-General, HADSA; Ajit Singh, President HADSA; Pritee Chaudhary, IRS, Regional

Director, East & West Region, FSSAI; Dr Vaibhav Kulkarni, Hon. Secretary, HADSA.
The Indian nutraceuticals market is currently at a
nascent stage but holds promise for tremendous very tedious to process the applications of nutraceuticals
growth owing to a series of factors like the or health supplements. There are various complications
and a need for compliance in matching the RDA

country’s large population base, increasing urban (Recommended Dietary Allowances) levels and labelling

belt, rising middle class with disposable income, health requirements, checking the claims made, etc. I would urge

awareness, lifestyle, and growing incidence of lifestyle- on the behalf of FSSAI, that the producers should be sure

related diseases. For achieving higher growth and to about the product lines they want to introduce in the

reach the level of market shares on par with some other future instead of applying for bulk products so that the

countries, additional steps and efforts are necessary. officials would also be at ease and the products can be

To give impetus to these efforts, The Health Foods and cleared smoothly.”

Dietary Supplements Association (HADSA) organised In addition, Pritee Chaudhary said, “The manufacturers

an annual conference with the theme- Stimulating should ensure the compliance of given RDA guidelines/

nutraceutical markets–strategies & actions. The purpose of The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines/

the conference was to explore ways to create a potential Codex guidelines in the declaration and in the product. As

nutraceutical market and attract financial assistance to the an association, we have to be very vigilant in this regard

sector. and I urge our members to follow good practices as it’s

The conference was inaugurated in the presence everyone’s responsibility to make the Indian nutraceutical

of the guest of honour, Pritee Chaudhary, IRS, Regional industry a prominent player on domestic as well as on

Director, East & West Region, Food Safety and Standards global platforms.”

Authority of India (FSSAI). While sharing her thoughts on Manufacturers of nutraceuticals have a duty to

the challenges associated with processing nutraceutical communicate the benefits of their products with

claims during the inaugural session, she said, “It is always supporting scientific and clinical evidence. However,

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in EVENT REPORT 43

inadequate documentation of the products, processes formats should be developed to attract consumers to
and clinical studies are proving to be hindrances in nutraceuticals. It is also necessary to know the consumers’
popularising nutraceuticals, consequently affecting expectations of nutraceuticals and their delivery formats.
credibility. Raising his concerns over this issue during the Understanding the innovative routes that are available
CEO roundtable panel discussion, Ajit Singh, President and focusing on R&D-driven innovations is imperative
HADSA & Chairman of ACG Group said, “Besides aiming for growth. Moreover, according to the panel, in the
for growth, the sector has some crucial responsibilities to last 10 years, Indian labs have taken a quantum leap in
handle. One is to build credibility even while practising technology and other aspects, and are fully equipped to
innovations. Another is to maintain the quality of the test any type of innovative product. Some labs work with
nutraceutical product. Third is to ensure the validity of companies right from the beginning of the new product
the claims and lastly strategic marketing of our products development. The panel appealed to producers to be
in India and abroad by following the code of conduct transparent with their claims and adopt a clean label
and good manufacturing practices. We have the existing concept. While emphasising the importance of investing
model of the pharmaceutical industry to follow in this in food fortification, the panel opined that micronutrient
regard.” deficiencies are equal in lower as well as higher income
groups. Around 53 per cent of women and 25 per cent
The conference witnessed various panel discussions of men are anaemic. A study in the Gadchiroli district
on the topics such as building credibility in nutraceuticals, showed that using fortified rice showed a reduction in
fueling innovation in the sector with R&D-driven efforts anaemia by 23 per cent. Hence, for a strategic approach
in product development and delivery formats, investing to a healthier India, it was suggested that clear, realistic,
in the tactical plan toward food fortification, and and easy-to-implement guidelines, and uniform
analysing estimates of expectations vs reality of the Indian implementation on a pan-India basis in terms of fortified
nutraceutical market. The panels were of the opinion that food is the need of the hour.
building the necessary awareness about nutraceutical
health supplements among consumers and healthcare Lastly, while citing his futuristic views on the Indian
professionals is crucial for the growth of the sector. On nutraceutical market, Dr Vaibhav Kulkarni, Director &
this issue, Dr U V Babu, Head R&D, Himalaya Wellness Senior Leadership Team Member, Abbott Nutrition Pvt
Company suggested “In terms of building trust in the Ltd said “The global nutraceutical market is expected
health claims of nutraceutical products in the minds of to grow with 8.9 per cent CAGR up to 2028. In terms of
consumers and health professionals, considerable efforts nutraceutical ingredients, the market is poised to grow
are necessary. To give an example, Guduchi (Tinospora at around 7.1 per cent CAGR. Comparing these numbers
Cardifolio) was suggested by the Ayush ministry during with the Indian nutraceutical market, it is growing at 12
the pandemic. However, after a few months, it was per cent and is closer to around $8 billion. The way it is
claimed by a few reports that Guduchi produces liver growing between 12 and 14 per cent year on year, the
toxins. Although, in reality, it was not Tinospora Cardifolio market has the potential to reach $100 billion by 2030.
but Tinospora crispa (another species of Guduchi) which During COVID-19, the importance of health supplements
creates the liver toxins, the credibility of the Guduchi escalated and is expected to shoot up in the near future.
herb as a whole went away. Hence to build trust in the Hence, the goal of India becoming the global capital of
claim, we need to put a lot of effort into the authenticity nutraceuticals and wellness looks realistic. I hope this
of herbs. The most advanced techniques like barcoding conference will help provide the necessary impetus to this
should be implemented to ensure the authenticity of sensitive sector.”
herbs. Moreover, efforts are necessary in medicinal plant
cultivation practices by organisations in order to build With this conference, HADSA aims not just to help
credibility.” FSSAI to create the right regulations for nutraceuticals
but also to help the Indian economy by adding new
Adding to Dr Babu’s thoughts, Dr Nikhil Kelkar, Jt. players in the emerging nutraceutical sector. The event
Managing Director, Hexagon Nutrition said, “Awareness urged the government to put the nutraceutical industry
still needs to be created amongst the consumers in India on the list of Production Linked Incentive Schemes (PLI)
about the nutraceuticals. Hence, nutraceutical players and expressed the hope to see more schemes in future
need to leverage social media advertisements and to advance the sector. HADSA is hopeful of becoming
other marketing strategies to build trust and credibility. the catalyst in drawing up the guidelines for clinical trials
Moreover, while talking to the scientific professionals, we on nutraceutical products with the help of concerned
need to have a backup about the product claim which regulatory bodies.
increases the product acceptability.”
Mansi Jamsudkar
There was a lot of discussion about how new delivery [email protected]

44 PEOPLE NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

McCain Foods Mondelēz appoints
India names Hemant Rupani as
Piyush Patnaik President for SEA biz unit
as MD
Mondelēz International, the maker of iconic
McCain Foods India, a wholly brands including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Oreo,
owned subsidiary of Canadian Ritz and Toblerone, has announced the
firm McCain Foods, has appointment of Hemant Rupani as President
appointed Piyush Patnaik as the for its Southeast Asia (SEA) Business Unit.
new Managing Director (MD) Previously the Managing Director of Mondelez
of the company. In this role, Kinh DoVietnam, Rupani replaces Glenn Caton
Patnaik will be managing end- who has moved to another position in the
to-end India operations which company’s global operations. In his new role,
will include manufacturing, Rupani will be responsible for the SEA cluster
supply chain, sales, and of markets including the exports business
distribution for McCain. He in the broader Asia Pacific, Middle East and
will spearhead sustainability Africa (AMEA) region, leading growth and end-to-end business. Rupani is an
and innovation for the accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience working in India, US
frozen foods brand across and Vietnam covering various industries including food and beverage (F&B),
key geographies nationally. telecommunications, and consulting. Throughout his career journey, he has
With over two decades of enabled multiple business turnarounds, driven operational excellence, and
extensive experience in people built high-impact teams. Prior to joining Mondelēz International in 2016,
management, sales, supply he worked with several leading organisations including PepsiCo, Vodafone,
chain, strategy and business Britannia, and Infosys Technologies.
development in the FMCG and
beverages space, Patnaik is Rajneet Kohli steps in as
known to strive for results, the Executive Director & CEO
company said in a statement at Britannia
on Tuesday. In his previous
stints, he has worked for Britannia Industries, with popular brands
organisations including Coca- like Good Day, Tiger, NutriChoice, Milk
Cola India, Dabur, and Cargill Bikis, Marie Gold and Little Hearts among
India. In his role with Cargill, others, has announced the appointment of
Patnaik worked in the capacity Rajneet Kohli as Executive Director and Chief
of Managing Director leading Executive Officer. The board has elevated
pan-India sales & distribution Varun Berry to Executive Vice-Chairman and
network and multi-channel Managing Director with immediate effect.
go-to-market teams across Kohli will report to Berry. Kohli has served
segments. in numerous senior leadership roles during
his career in Asian Paints and Coca-Cola, and
joins Britannia from food services company
Jubilant FoodWorks. Under his leadership, Jubilant FoodWorks has delivered
sustained profitable growth and emerged as the largest QSR chain in the
country with over 1600 stores. He has also been instrumental in leading
several transformational changes deeply embedded with technology.
Kohli was heading over 1450 Domino's restaurants in India before this
announcement. He has over 24 years of experience in the food and retail
industry.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in INGREDIENTS NEWS 45

Akums Drugs finds way to deliver keratin
soluble supplements in India via cynatine

Deficiency of the fibrous protein keratin leads to hair, nail capable of delivering keratin peptides to the body and
and skin (HNS) problems. But as keratin, in its original can be consumed by humans, with no fear of toxicity
form, is insoluble and cannot be absorbed by the body, associated with it. This is a revolutionary step-up in the
it cannot be consumed by humans.
To bridge this gap in the supplements healthcare and supplements segment.
market and fuel its business as keratin protein acts as an incredible
growth ambitions, Akums Drugs & support element to the structure of skin,
Pharmaceuticals, a New Delhi-based hair and nails. In the erstwhile market,
contract manufacturing pharmaceutical there were no healthcare supplements
company, has exclusively partnered other than biotin and regular HNS
with French firm LC Ingredients for multivitamins for controlling hair fall
obtaining raw material, manufacturing, innovating, and and other related issues, that were 100
selling finished products containing Cynatine to all Indian per cent effective. Akums has identified this gap and
big pharma and nutraceutical companies for the benefit connected with the innovator company LC ingredients
of consumers. Cynatine’s high bioavailability makes it with the aim to get exclusive rights to introduce this
revolutionary healthcare supplement in India.

ADM opens new Azelis opens Polish meat
extrusion facility in alternatives centre
Serbia for soy proteins
Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in
The Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM), a global the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry,
leader in human and animal nutrition, has announced recently announced the inauguration of its Regional
the opening of a new extrusion facility in Serbia. Competence Centre (RCC) dedicated to meat and meat
This comes less than a year after ADM’s acquisition alternatives in Poznań, Poland. In line with the company’s
of European provider of non-GMO soy ingredients, ambition to develop its innovation capabilities, this well-
SojaProtein. With the combined efforts of ADM and equipped centre enables Azelis to carry out production
SojaProtein, the facility will further expand ADM’s process trials, helping partners to develop recipes and
footprint in Europe, extending its production of non- products that meet their needs. The RCC represents new
GMO textured soy to include vital origination and opportunities to share knowledge and experience in food
extrusion capabilities. The facility is set up to produce & nutrition with colleagues, customers, and suppliers.
non-GMO soy proteins, which is a highly sought-after Located between Warsaw and Berlin, the RCC will benefit
assertion not only in Europe, but around the world. local as well as regional partners, thanks to Azelis’modern
Globally, 75 per cent of consumers look for non-GMO and sustainable technologies of smoking and browning.
claims on protein content. Unique to the European These technologies enable Azelis to propose healthier
region, ADM will now offer both origination and and more efficient ways of adding flavour and colour to
extrusion capabilities, extending the high-quality, meat, meat alternatives, fish, cheese, bakery, and many
non-GMO solutions currently available from ADM’s more finished products.
acquisition of SojaProtein. This is made possible due
to 90 per cent of the soy sourced grown within 100
kilometres of the facility, enabling a local supply chain.

46 INGARCEADDIEMNTISCNEWS NUNFUFOFFOODOSDSSPSEPCETCRTURMUM| |NovMemarbcehr22002212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Givaudan & UC Berkeley offer new
research on future techs for alt proteins

Swiss firm Givaudan, a global industry leader are healthier and have less impact on the planet.
in innovations in food and beverage as well as To meet the demand both in volume and in desired
inspiring creations in the world of scent and beauty, product characteristics, constant innovation and new
has launched its latest white paper entitled ‘The technologies are necessary. The research takes a future
Protein Horizon: the landscape of alternative protein perspective, highlighting the benefits of emerging 3D
technologies enabling future food experiences,’ its printing technology, the ‘near future’ techniques of
fourth collaboration with the University of California cultured meat, and Mycelium biomass fermentation
(UC), Berkeley. This paper provides cutting-edge producing fungi-derived protein. It also looks further
information on current, emerging and future over the horizon to lab scale technologies such as shear
technologies for manufacturers producing meat and cell, which is set to attract significant investment. Given
fish alternatives. No longer considered niche, the no single technology is the ‘silver bullet’, collaboration
growth of plant-based alternatives has been fuelled across companies and organisations is essential for
by rising consumer desire for food products that creating delicious and nutritious meat alternatives.

Orkla invests in ice-cream Puratos India
ingredients biz in US
introduces new fillings
Oslo-based Orkla Food Ingredients (OFI) has entered
into an agreement to purchase 84 per cent of the Traditionally the market for compound chocolates has
shares in Denali Ingredients, which is a leading ice been segmented as dark, milk, and white. However, the
cream ingredients business in the US. The purchase growing appetite for chocolate flavour in various sweet
price on a 100 per cent and cash and debt free basis recipes has propelled the demand for coloured and
is $200 million, equivalent to NOK ~2.2 billion. Denali flavoured compound and compound fillings. Hence,
Ingredients has seen strong organic growth of more keeping up with the market landscape, Mumbai-based
than 10 per cent p.a. over the past 15 years. The Puratos India has now launched coloured and flavoured
company is headquartered in Wisconsin, where it compound and compound filling in two categories –
carries out manufacturing at two facilities and has Hard Compound Chocolate- Carat Cover Classic, and
160 employees in total. Denali Ingredients develops Fat-based filling- Carat Supercrem. Puratos coloured &
and manufactures ingredient solutions for the US ice flavoured compound and compound filling bring the
cream industry, complementary with OFI’s strong best flavour and colour to the finished products without
position in the European market for ice cream and the complexity of ingredient sourcing. These unique
confectionery ingredients. The new business will components come in selective colours and flavours based
be part of OFI’s Sweet Ingredients vertical. Orkla is on consumer insights
a leading supplier of branded consumer goods and and expert panels.
concept solutions to the consumer, out-of-home Puratos Cover Classic
and bakery markets in the Nordics, Baltics and range is designed for
selected markets in Central Europe and India. The customers looking for
company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and its an easy melting profile,
headquarters is in Oslo. good snap, excellent shine,
and versatile application
– Coating, Ganache,
Garnishing, and Enrobing.
The flavourings
include Mango,
Strawberry,
Orange, and
Pineapple.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | November 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in R&D NEWS 47

New tech from IIT LPU prepares golden milk
Roorkee to remove formulation with nanocurcumin
arsenic, heavy metals
from drinking water Jalandhar-based Lovely Professional University (LPU) has
prepared golden milk, also known as turmeric milk, based
A group of researchers at the Indian Institute of on research which involved golden yellow free flowing milk
Technology (IIT) Roorkee has developed a simple powder, as it has multifaceted health benefits. The innovative
and affordable point-of-use technology that can product has been prepared using a simple technique of
successfully remove arsenic under a real arsenic- mixing that does not require sophisticated instruments
contaminated water environment. This low- or highly skilled labour, overall leading to a scalable and
cost solution to produce arsenic-free drinking commercialisable product. Curcumin used in this research is
water can also remove other heavy metals. This in nano form which increases the solubility of curcumin 33
project was showcased at the two day ‘IInvenTiv,’ folds. For preparing the golden milk, LPU had to first increase
the IITs R&D Fair held at IIT Delhi on October the solubility of curcumin from 3 to 99 per cent. The solubility
14-15, 2022. The researchers have developed a of curcumin was increased by dissolving it in a mixture of
novel adsorbent that will adsorb the two most oils and surfactants. This mixture was then adsorbed on the
hazardous arsenic species of arsenite (As (III) & surface of solidified milk powder to which sugar was added.
arsenate As(V)) along with other heavy metal Finally, in order to enhance its taste, different flavours (vanilla,
ions. The two key features of this innovation butterscotch, mango, pineapple, chocolate) were added in
are that it can be easily integrated into existing golden milk. In this way the team has prepared solidified
water purification systems in households golden milk with enhanced flavours and improved solubility
as well as large domestic systems; and the of curcumin, which will result in better health benefits.
adsorbent is prepared from industrial waste
called ‘ferromanganese slag’ and an economical
natural rock that is abundantly available,
through a simple chemical treatment. Currently,
this technology is not available in India, and
imported adsorbents available in the market are
both limited and expensive.

ICRISAT develops new variety of
heart-healthy groundnut

Groundnut oil considered as good Spanish lines occupy a significant to six months. A higher acid
as olive oil was made possible with area across India, Southeast Asia content also helps reduce the risk
the development of high oleic and Africa, while the less popular of cardiovascular diseases and
acid varieties. Now, a new variety Virginia lines are limited to the obesity. High oleic acid groundnuts
identified for national release Indian states of Rajasthan and parts are preferred for confectionary
opens promising avenues for India, of Gujarat. The new groundnut line products and peanut butter. Its
parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. has recorded 80.7 per cent oleic kernel exhibits a desirable ‘nutty
India’s first ‘Spanish type’ high acid and 3.6 per cent linoleic acid flavour’ that is enhanced when
oleic groundnut developed by content. It has a protein content of roasted. The new groundnut line
researchers at International Crops 26 per cent and an oil content
Research Institute for the Semi-Arid of 51 per cent. High oleic is recommended for cultivation
Tropics (ICRISAT) in partnership acid content indicates in Rajasthan, Gujarat,
with the Junagadh Agricultural improved quality Andhra Pradesh,
University is advantageous of groundnut oil Karnataka, Tamil
compared to the initial varieties with an increased Nadu, Telangana and
(Girnar 4 and 5) of the ‘Virginia-type’. shelf life of up
Maharashtra during the
rainy season.

48 SUPAPCLAIEDREMNIECWNSEWS NUNFUFOFFOODOSDSSPSEPCETCRTURMUM| |NovMemarbcehr22002212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Godrej Körber automates Vizag gets
India’s cold chain storage sector
German lab for
Godrej Körber, a joint venture company between Godrej & Boyce and
Körber Supply Chain, a German company, is driving warehouse automation seafood, spices,
transformation for the Indian cold chain sector through differentiated
automation solutions. Godrej Körber is steering for 20 per cent contribution commodity
in revenue from India’s cold chain sector by introducing highly advanced
testing
high density automated storage and
retrieval system (AS/RS) in FY23. The cold TÜV SÜD South Asia, a leading
storage sector encounters challenges certification, testing, auditing,
that other dry warehouses do not face. inspection and training company
The higher cost of operations in the cold and the wholly-owned subsidiary
storages make it critically important that of TÜV SÜD Group, Germany,
the space must be utilised in the most has inaugurated its enhanced,
optimal manner. In India, the dairy or ultra-modern seafood, spices
cold chain industry has not evolved in and commodity testing lab in
terms of intralogistics automation as Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
companies ignore the benefits of modern cold storage design, which also The company already had an
includes a high density storage system apart from advanced refrigeration existing seafood testing laboratory
technology. Aside from needing to pay the labour working in cold in Visakhapatnam that had been
storage more than in a dry environment, there are also major concerns meeting the testing and inspection
such as attrition and difficulty in recruiting individuals to work in freezing requirements of domestic and
warehouses. Automation technologies such as AS/RS systems, conveyors, export markets for over seven years.
and layer picker solutions can guarantee faster delivery, allowing for less The laboratory is now operating at
footprint and maximised space utilisation in the facilities. the new site with enhanced scope
and capacities and will focus on
Eurofins & SCIEX achieve further reducing turnaround times.
lowest detection limits for PFAS The facility will provide chemical
chemicals in drinking water testing & microbiological testing
solutions and will also cater to
Eurofins Sacramento, part of the Eurofins network of companies in the US, globally recognised certification
in collaboration with SCIEX USA, has successfully achieved the analytical requirements including BRC,
challenge of detecting the 2022 interim Health HACCP and ISO 22000. This will
Advisory Levels (HALs) of 4ppq (parts per quadrillion) help achieve traceability across key
for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 20ppq for markets and act as a quality gate
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), as established between manufacturers, suppliers
by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). and buyers. Apart from the
The drinking water HALs for per-and polyfluoroalkyl Visakhapatnam lab, the company
substances (PFAS) are not enforceable regulatory also caters to food quality assurance
limits but indicate the levels below which adverse services from its locations in
health effects are not anticipated to occur, considering Bengaluru and Gurugram.
lifetime exposure. The low ppq levels demand an
unprecedented level of cleanliness and instrument
sensitivity which ultimately necessitate newer, and more robust analytical
techniques. The results provide clear evidence that ultra-trace levels of
PFOA and PFOS can be detected, but with significantly increased levels of
effort, cost, and environmental impact that are not sustainable for routine
analysis. With this demonstration of capabilities, Eurofins Sacramento is in
the process of developing an ultra-trace method, capable of supporting
the analysis of PFAS in the sub-ppt (parts per trillion) range.

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

Neogen unveils accurate cashew allergen
detection test

US-based Neogen Corporation has even the lowest levels of food allergens for its detection. This innovative
released its innovative Veratox VIP in order to protect consumers around quantitative test demonstrates a
assay for the detection of cashew, the the world. Cashew is being used high level of specificity to very low
second assay in Neogen’s new Veratox more frequently and in more unique levels of cashew protein, down to 0.2
VIP line of enhanced quantitative ways than before, and it is important ppm. The product is appropriate for
ELISA products. The new Veratox VIP that the industry offers an easy-to- testing samples from a wide variety
for cashew allergen test demonstrates use and highly sensitive solution of product types and processing
robust performance across sample environments, including heat-
types while maintaining the simple processed and UHT matrices. Veratox
testing methodology of the Veratox VIP for Cashew utilises the same
product line. As plant-based foods testing methodology as Neogen’s
and alternative proteins become existing Veratox product line,
more in-demand in the marketplace, including a 30-minute time-to-result,
it is important that we offer highly and ready-to-use, non-hazardous
sensitive tests that are able to detect reagents.

Huhtamaki and Stora Enso Novelis breaks
launch paper cup recycling ground on new
initiative in Europe aluminium recycling
& rolling plant
Sustainable packaging solutions providers Huhtamaki and Stora
Enso have joined forces to launch a new paper cup recycling Novelis Inc., a leading sustainable aluminium
initiative, The Cup Collective. The programme, which is the first solutions provider and the world leader
of its kind in Europe, aims to recycle and capture the value of in aluminium rolling and recycling, broke
used paper cups on an industrial scale. Initially the programme ground and has begun construction on its
will be implemented across the Benelux. With the aim of setting $2.5 billion recycling and rolling plant in
new standards for paper cup collection and recycling in Europe, Bay Minette, Alabama in the US. The highly
The Cup Collective has issued an open invitation for partners advanced facility is expected to create up
from across the supply chain to get involved in working towards a to 1,000 new jobs and will have an initial
systemic European solution. The EU has set a recycling target for 600 kilotonnes of finished aluminium
paper and board packaging of 85 per cent by 2030. Paper cups goods capacity per year focused on the
are recyclable but need to be collected before they can be turned beverage container market, with flexibility
into new paper products. The Cup Collective initiative will create for automotive production. It also adds a new
the necessary collection infrastructure to significantly increase recycling centre for beverage cans, increasing
the recycling rate of wood-fibre in paper cups. Above all, the the company’s recycling capacity by 15
programme will make it easier for consumers and businesses to billion cans per year, when fully operational.
collect used paper cups to be regenerated into valuable recycled Novelis has hired its core leadership team to
raw material. lead the multi-year effort to build the facility.
The company is also actively recruiting for
open roles in engineering, maintenance,
finance, human resources and IT.

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

How Opinion Polls Assail

‘Brand India’ children and cannot be representative of the entire
population. The fourth and most important indicator
The Global Hunger Report 2022 released on estimate of Proportion of Undernourished (PoU)
October 13, 2022, by Concern Worldwide population is based on an opinion poll conducted
and Welt Hunger Hilfe, Non-Government on a very small sample size of 3000.
Organisations from Ireland and Germany
respectively, has ranked India at 107 among 121 The centre has observed that the report is not
countries. With a score of 29.1, India has a level only disconnected from ground reality but also
of hunger that is serious. chooses to deliberately ignore efforts made by
the government to ensure food security for the
It may be noted that as per Global Hunger population especially during the COVID pandemic.
lndex (GHI) 2021 report India’s score was 27.5 and Taking a one-dimensional view, the report lowers
it has ranked 101 among 116 countries. GHI is India’s rank based on the estimate of PoU population
based on four indicators – Undernourishment (1/3), for India at 16.3 per cent. The Food and Agriculture
Child Stunting (1/6), Child Wasting (1/6) and Child Organisation (FAO) estimate is based on “Food
Mortality (1/3). Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)” Survey Module
conducted through Gallup World Poll, which is an
Going further down the GHI 2020 report, has “opinion poll” based on “8 questions'' with a sample
placed India at 94 among 107 countries with a size of “3000 respondents”. The data collected from
score of 27.2 points, India has a level of hunger that a miniscule sample for a country of India’s size
is “serious”. Out of the total 107 countries, only 13 through FIES has been used to compute PoU value
countries fare worse than India including countries for India which is not only wrong and unethical, it
like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), also reeks of obvious bias. The publishing agencies
Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among of the Global Hunger Report, have evidently not
others. In 2019, India’s rank was 102 out of 117 done their due diligence before releasing the report.
countries.
The per capita dietary energy supply in India, as
Though GHI reports kept India at serious level i.e. estimated by FAO from the Food Balance Sheets, has
in the range between 20 and 34.9 but these reports been increasing year-on-year owing to enhanced
indicate that India’s score has been on rise in the last production of major agricultural commodities in
three years from 27.2, (2020), 27.5 (2021) and 29.1 the country over the years and there is absolutely
(2022). However, the composite GHI scores of India no reason why the country’s undernourishment
have improved in the last two decades from 38.8 in levels should increase. During the period the central
2000 to 30.3 in 2019. Thus, the country has shown government had taken a series of measures to
consistent improvement over the years. ensure food security.

As against a score of 28.2 in 2014, India’s score The matter was taken up with FAO not to use
has increased to 29.1 points for 2022 an increase such estimates based on FIES survey module data
of 0.9 points placing India at a level of hunger that in July 2022 as the statistical output of the same will
is serious. This clearly indicates that there is no not be based on merit. Though an assurance was
improvement in the hunger status of the country. forthcoming that there will be further engagement
on this issue, the publication of the GHI report
Taking a serious note of the report the centre has irrespective of such factual considerations is
noted that a consistent effort is yet again visible to regrettable.
taint India’s image as a Nation that does not fulfill
the food security and nutritional requirements of Narayan Kulkarni
its population. Misinformation seems to be the Editor
hallmark of the annually released GHI. The index is
an erroneous measure of hunger and suffers from [email protected]
serious methodological issues.

Three out of the four indicators used for
calculation of the index are related to the health of