FFOODS Spectrum March 2022

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

Almost Equitable

Dr Milind Kokje However, the food processing industries' expectations
from the Budget does not seem to have met. The industry
Chief Editor had sought a Production Linked Investment (PLI) Scheme
for lower investment level about which the budget appears
Agood news for the food processing sector in the to be silent. Another concern of the industry was the high
Union Budget 2022-23 can be expansion and rate of electricity, which it claimed was affecting the food
development of supply chain infrastructure. industry as well as the cold storage sector. Of course, this is
Strengthening of the logistics infrastructure would an issue that the states will have to do with. But the finance
become possible now with Nirmala Sitharaman, Union minister has not announced any relief in the form of a
Finance Minister making the first allocation of Rs 20,000 subsidy or taking up the issue with the states.
crore for the ‘PM Gati Shakti’ Plan, a master plan to spur
the logistics infrastructure, in her 2022-23 Budget. But, certain tax related issues the industry has raised
are directly related to the Union Government. It had
Driven by seven engines - roads, railways, airports, ports, demanded an increase in depreciation rate of plant and
mass transport, waterways, and logistics infrastructure – equipment, time bound payment of pending Value-
the plan has components like multimodal logistic parks, added tax (VAT) refunds and Goods and Services Tax
Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), one station- (GST) input credits. Both the issues need to be addressed
one product, railways developing new products and by the union government. Though the issue of refunds is
efficient logistics services for small farmers. Together, they an administrative one and hence may not become a part
will remove a major roadblock in faster movement of agri of the budget speech, the minister could have addressed
produce from farm to fork. the issue related to a change in the depreciation rate. The
demand for a lower GST tax bracket for snacks, ready-
Considering the 40 per cent post-harvest food loss as to- eat foods and instant food mixes etc. is, again, in the
estimated by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) purview of the GST council.
caused by fragmented food systems and inefficient supply
chain, strengthening the logistics infrastructure to create The provision for micro and small enterprises like
an efficient supply chain is very crucial. The estimated facilitating them additional credit of Rs 2 lakh crore and
economic value of post-harvest losses in India was Rs extending Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
926.51 billion in 2014. (ECLGS) for hospitality and related industries till March
2023, will benefit food companies in the Micro, Small &
The government has given a further push to the food Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. It is important since
processing sector by increasing its allocation 2.25 times, to several food companies are in the MSME sector.
Rs 2,941.99 crore for the next financial year. This will aid in
more food processing units getting set up. But such units The food exporters’ demands like capital for setting
require very good backward linkages for the smooth supply up CODEX standard based R&D labs, incentivising
of raw material like agriculture produces. In the absence of traceability, subsidisation of cost of testing and duty rebate
the effective supply chain merely having a number of more proportionate to value addition also seem to have not
processing units will not substantially resolve the food loss been addressed fully. Considering what the sector has
issue. In reduction of food loss not only farmers and food got in the form of supply chain development and not got
processing units will be benefitted, but the country itself several other things, the 2022-23 Budget is a balanced one
will be benefitted. It will also help in sustainability as it will for the food processing sector which makes up 32 per cent
reduce the wastage of natural resources like water and soil. of the total food market.

By increasing the Budget of the Agriculture and Farmers’
Welfare Ministry and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying on one side and the Ministry of Food Processing
Industries on the other side and allocating funds for supply
chain development in between, the government has
planned to ensure strengthening all the points on food
value addition route.

Volume 9  |  Issue 1  |  March 2022 www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

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'Nuffoods Spectrum' monthly publication is owned by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Pvt. Ltd.,
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Printed at Spectrum Offset, D2/4, Satyam Industrial Estate, Behind CDSS, Erandawana, Pune - 411 038. and
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Editor: Narayan Kulkarni

6 INSIDE NNUUFFFFOOOODDSSSPECTRUM | March 20220 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

20COVER STORY

EXUDING
EXUBERANT
LEADERSHIP
Women continue to sustain the quest to make a mark in the workplace and 27
balance their personal and family life. Pandemic or not, woman power has not
diminished one bit, and it shows in their exemplary achievements in India and ‘Woman Power’
the rest of the world. On the occasion of Women’s Day, nuFFooDS Spectrum is Making a
salutes 10 inspiring leaders of the food and beverage (F&B) industry, for Difference
motivating others around them, breaking the glass ceiling and paving their
own paths in 2021. These 10 women are powerhouses in their respective fields, Karan Chechi
inspiring not just their employees and the people around them, but other
women and the next generation of women leaders. Director,
TechSci, Research

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

Edible Oil Nutrition

28 39

Balancing the Supply and Can Private Sector make
Demand of Edible Oil Prices 'Workforce Nutrition' Click?
Genome Sequencing
Tarun Vij,
30
Country Director,
How Genome Sequencing Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
Prevents Foodborne Outbreaks
Investment Hub Food Fraud

34 41

India turns Lucrative How Food Fraud Plays
Turf for Foreign Brands with Consumer Safety
Nutri Crop and Brand Reputation

37 Nakul Pasricha,

Millets: Key to Food President, Authentication Solution
and Nutrition Security Providers’ Association (ASPA)

Dr Sujeet Ranjan, Food Colours

Public Health Nutritionist 43

Why Natural Food
Colours are Way Forward

Dr KV Satyanarayana,

Food Processing practice lead,
Sathguru Management Consultants

REGULARS

Editorial 04

Video Snippets 08

Regulatory News 09

Finance News 11

Start-Up News 12

Company News 15

World News 18

Ingredients News 46

R&D News 48

Supplier News 49

Let’s Talk Food 50

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

Ravinder Grover, Acknowledgements
Programme Lead, Thank you for timely supporting CUTS International as
Harvest Plus, Division we are advocating for consuming more local produce.
of International Food
Policy Research - George Cheriyan, Jaipur
Institute (IFPRI)
reflects upon how Thank you for featuring my views on how
biofortification can nanotechnology will change the future of food packaging
tackle hidden hunger and what is future of this technology. Also, while going
in India. through the February edition of the magazine, I found
some interesting pieces. Thank you once again.
Scan the QR Code »
- Dr Meenu Sachdeva, Haridwar
Arvind Varchaswi,
Managing Director, Thank you for the feature on ‘Fermented foods and
Sri Sri Tattva talks immunity’ in the February edition. Looking forward for
about the growth more write-ups.
of Ayurveda-based
products in Latin - Dr Anumiita Pathakk, Gurugram
America.
The magazine has been enhanced with new layout and
Scan the QR Code » contents in the field of food technologies and business.
The topics are very much relevant and interesting for
Dr Manoj Nesari, its readers including our faculty members and students
Advisor (Ayurveda), of the Food Science and Technology Department.
Ministry of AYUSH COVID-19 has further motivated to delve into research on
shares progress Nutraceutical and Nutrition that can enhance immunity
about various against viral and bacterial infection. I will appreciate it
ongoing global if we can plan for a collaboration to contribute quality
ayurvedic research development of products related to Nutraceutical and
collaborations for Nutrition to prevent malnutrition and enhance immunity
COVID-19. in order to support quality life for the people of our nation.

Scan the QR Code » - Prof G.D. Sharma, Meghalaya

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 | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in REGULATORY NEWS 9

India becomes largest MoFPI releases
exporter of gherkins
vision document
India has emerged as the largest undertook a series of initiatives
exporter of gherkins in the world. in infrastructure development, of capacity
India has exported cucumber and product promotion in the global
gherkins to the tune of 1,23,846 market and adherence to food building plan
Metric Tonnes with a value of
$114 million during April- safety management The Ministry of Food Processing
October, 2021. India systems in Industries (MoFPI) has released
has crossed the $200 processing units. the Vision Document of Capacity
million mark of export Gherkins are Building Plan under Mission
of agricultural processed Karmayogi. It has been developed
product, - pickling cucumber, exported under two with the support of the Capacity
which is globally referred as categories - cucumbers and Building Commission. The MoFPI
gherkins or cornichons, in the last gherkins, which are prepared is the first amongst all Ministries
financial year. In 2020-21, India had and preserved by vinegar or acetic and Departments to develop and
shipped 2,23,515 Metric Tonnes acid and cucumbers and gherkins, implement Capacity Building Plan
of cucumber and gherkins with a which are provisionally preserved. under Mission Karmayogi. The
value of $223 million. Following Gherkins is currently exported to objective of the Capacity Building
directions of the Department of more than 20 countries, with major Plan of the Ministry is to enable
Commerce, Ministry of Commerce destinations being North America, employees to be more creative,
& Industry, the Agricultural and European countries and Oceanic proactive, professional, technology-
Processed Food Products Export countries such as USA, France, enabled, efficient, accountable and
Development Authority (APEDA) Germany, Australia, Spain, South citizen centric by providing them
Korea, Canada, Japan, Belgium, training in domain areas relating to
Russia, China, Sri Lanka and Israel. the Food Processing Sector.

Form IV (See Rule 8)

Statement about ownership and other particulars about newspaper (NuFFoods Spectrum) to be published in the first issue every year after the
last day of February.

1. Name of the Periodical : NuFFoods Spectrum

2. Place of Publication : ‘Ashirwad’ , 36/A/2, S. No. 270, Pallod Farms, Baner Road, Near Bank of Baroda, Pune–411 045.

3. Periodicity : Monthly

4. Printer’s Name : Ravindra Boratkar

Nationality : Indian

Address : Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Farms, Near Bank of Baroda, Baner Road, Pune-411045.

5. Publisher’s Name : Ravindra Boratkar

Nationality : Indian

Address : Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Farms, Near Bank of Baroda, Baner Road, Pune-411045.

6. Editor’s Name : Mr. Narayan Kulkarni

Nationality : Indian

Address : Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Farms, Near Bank of Baroda, Baner Road, Pune-411045.

7. Name & Address of Printing Press : Spectrum Offset, D - 2/4 , Satyam Estate, Behind CDSS, Erandwane, Pune-411 004.

Owner Name and address : MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Pvt. Ltd.,

‘Ashirwad’ , 36/A/2, S. No. 270, Pallod Farms, Baner Road, Near Bank of Baroda, Pune – 411 045

Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding More than one per cent of the total capital.

Name : Mr. Ravindra Vidyadhar Boratkar

Address : 402, Siddhivinayak Apartment, Khare Town, Dharam Peth, Nagpur–440010.

Name : Mr. Jagdish Balkrishna Patankar

Address : B-55, Mahavir Park Society, Pune - Satara Road, Pune–411037.

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Office Address : Ashirwad, 36/A/2, S.No. 270, Pallod Farms, Near Bank of Baroda, Baner Road, Pune-411045.

I Ravindra Boratkar hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Sd/-

Date: 1st March 2022 Signature of Publisher

10 REGCUOLMAPTAONRY NEWS NUNFUFFOFOODOSDSPSEPCETCRTURMUM | | MAarpcrhil 20212 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

KVIC’s innovative 'Mobile Centre secures
Honey Processing Van'
can process 300 kg honey approval for

Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) export of Indian
has launched the country’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van at Village Sirora
in Ghaziabad, UP. The Mobile Van has been designed in-house by KVIC at its mangoes to US
multi-disciplinary training centre, Panjokehra, at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. This
mobile honey processing unit can process up to 300 kg of honey in 8 hours. The The Central Government has
van is also equipped with a testing laboratory that would instantly examine secured the approval of the
the quality of honey. KVIC has designed the van that will process beekeepers’ United States Department of
honey at their doorsteps and thus save them the hassle and the cost of taking Agriculture (USDA) for export
the honey to processing plants in far off cities for processing. While this will of Indian mangoes to the US
make beekeeping a more profitable business for small beekeepers; this will in the new season. The export
also maintain purity and highest quality standards of honey. of Indian mangoes has been
restricted by the US since
Govt launches 6 2020 as USDA inspectors
'One District One Product' were unable to visit India
brands under PMFME scheme for inspection of irradiation
facilities due restrictions
Union Minister for Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Pashupati imposed on international
Kumar Paras and Minister of State, Prahlad Singh Patel and senior officials of travel because of COVID-19
NAFED have launched six, One District One Product (ODOP) brands under the pandemic. As part of the
Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) mutual agreement, India will
Scheme. The brand Amrit Phal for amla juice has been exclusively developed be able to export mangoes
to the US in the mango
under the ODOP concept for Gurugram. While season commencing with the
the Cori Gold brand has been developed for Alphonso variety of mangoes
coriander powder which is the identified ODOP by March onwards. Notably,
for Kota, Rajasthan. Brand Kashmiri Mantra there is a huge acceptance
brings out the essence of spices from Kulgam, and consumer preference of
Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmiri Lal Mirch Indian mangoes in the US as
product has been developed under the ODOP India had exported 800 Metric
component for spices for Jammu and Kashmir. Tonnes (MTs) of mangoes
Brand Madhu Mantra has been developed under the ODOP concept for honey to the US in 2017-18 and
from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand, whole wheat cookies is the export value of the fruit
the second product developed under the brand Dilli Bakes. The brand and the was $2.75 million. The USDA
product have been developed under the bakery ODOP concept for Delhi; and approval would pave the way
the brand Somdana has been developed under the ODOP concept of millets for exports from traditional
from Thane, Maharashtra. mango production belts such
as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh
and Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana.

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

JBCPL enters into fast- Haldiram’s
growing probiotics market
with new acquisition Nagpur to foray

Mumbai-based JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited (JBCPL) will into wider ethnic
acquire brands for the Indian market from Sanzyme, a leading player
in the probiotics and reproductive health segment in the country. The dairy and non-
transaction is valued at Rs 628 crore. Sanzyme, ranked amongst the top
five probiotics players in the country, is engaged in the manufacture, dairy products
distribution and marketing of speciality probiotics formulations, infertility
management products and nutraceuticals products. It operates in the Setting up a massive dairy facility,
gastroenterology, nephrology, urology and gynaecology therapy areas with an investment of over Rs 100
with leading brands such as Sporlac, Lobun, and Gynogen. As per IQVIA crore, Haldiram’s Nagpur is now
MAT Dec 21 data, the revenue for the combined brands was Rs 160 crore. looking to expand its footprint from
The acquired brands have a pan-India presence and wide distribution its existing markets of Maharashtra,
reach of ~ 300,000 chemists and ~100,000 prescribers. Probiotics portfolio Goa and Chhattisgarh. SIG, a leading
includes Sporlac (which is the third largest probiotics brand in India) systems and solutions provider
and specialised products such as Lobun (A probiotic used for delaying for aseptic carton packaging, has
progression of Chronic Kidney Disease) and Oxalo (alternate risk-free been chosen by Haldiram’s to
therapy to decalcify kidney stones). help expand its business offerings
by leveraging SIG’s pioneering
iD Fresh Food closes Rs 507 Cr filling machines for aseptic carton
in Series D round of funding packs. For the first time, Haldiram’s
Nagpur has invested in its own
iD Fresh Food has announced the closing of its Rs 507 crore Series D round manufacturing set up for filling
of funding. In one of the largest deals in the food startup space, the round products into aseptic carton packs
was led by NewQuest Capital Partner, Asia’s leading secondary private and SIG is supplying them with
equity firm along with the existing investor, Premji Invest. Bengaluru-based a high-speed CFA 1224 filling
iD’s constant endeavour to create a fresh and healthy revolution in the fresh machine for combiblocXSlim
food space, coupled with its iconic and consumer friendly innovations, carton packs from SIG. SIG’s
have made the company one of the most popular brands in the country filling technology offers excellent
and overseas. Testimony to iD’s growth story is Helion Ventures’ exit with flexibility with multiple volume
a multi-bagger 10X return. Kotak Mahindra Capital acted as the exclusive offerings, making it an ideal choice
financial advisThe strategic fund raise reflects the brand’s ambition to for Haldiram’s. SIG’s high-speed
further strengthen its market leadership in the fresh foods business, foster filling machine, able to fill 24,000
product innovation, build capacities and expand its presence across key carton packs per hour, provides
markets in India, the UAE, and the US. As part of its global expansion plans, sufficient capacity for Haldiram’s to
the company plans to extend its presence to Singapore, Malaysia and other expand and grow over the next few
markets in the near future. years. Starting from co-packaging
its products through contract
manufacturers, Haldiram’s Nagpur
now aims to launch an even wider
range of ethnic dairy and non-dairy
products, leveraging on its existing
retail network and distribution
capabilities.

12 STARTUPS NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Vedas Cure provides ayurvedic kit Wild Drum
for patients suffering from arthritis
launches low-
Vedas Cure, a Noida-based Ayurvedic startup providing online treatment,
has come up with a self-designed, Ayurvedic composition for the patients cal, vegan and
dealing with muscle pain, joint pain, early arthritis signs and severe arthritis.
The experts of Vedas Cure have developed a unique and customised gluten-free

treatment plan which suits and fulfills seltzer
the requirement of the arthritis patient.
The range of compositions, tablets and Mumbai-based startup Wild
oils in the sustainable healing Ortho kit Drum has launched hard-
of Vedas cure are Ortho care- a herbal seltzers, a clear carbonated
formulation. For this Vedas Cure has beverage infused with natural
developed a unique herbal composition fruit flavourings, in four
which is made of some very good herbs flavours: peach, pure, mango,
by the name of Vedas Ortho Care. The and lemon-mint. Hard-seltzer
herbal composition helps to correct the is a new category of alcoholic
problem of arthritis internally. It helps beverage which has taken the
to make the joints flexible and controls international market by storm.
the pain along the joints. It provides The brand plans to specifically
strength to the bones. It also helps to address the community of
control inflammation caused due to health-conscious people
arthritis. Apart from the herbal formulation, the team also gives some classical by offering a beverage that
tablets such as Ekaangveer Ras which helps to control excruciating pain is vegan, gluten-free, low
along the joints, Mahavaat Ras which controls the inflammation, Mahayog Raj calorie, fat-free, and with no
Guggulu and Lamivilaas Ras. preservatives. According to
the startup, hard seltzers are
Immunity Bloom unveils becoming increasingly popular
Korean Ginseng-based across the globe as a perfect
dietary supplements combination of a hydrating
and refreshing alcoholic
Noida-based startup Immunity Bloom has recently launched its new range beverage. It is healthier and
of dietary food supplements made from pure thus a preferred alternative to
Korean Ginseng which is directly imported from beer. The audience is largely
South Korea. Priced at Rs 1890, Shield –Om Plus & aware of the negative effects
Shield – Om Ultra are the two supplement variants of alcohol combined with high
manufactured by Immunity Bloom using these sugar intake and appreciates
plants which have the quality of enhancing body the option of a novel drink with
immunity. Both the variants are approved by the an outstanding taste that is
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI). Korean Red Ginseng in Shield-Om exhibits guilt free.
exceptional healing properties, this breakthrough
medicinal herb alleviates stress, inflammation
and is an ally to fight age and helps recover from
pain, sickness, in a matter of few days. As per the
proven research, a person consuming Shield –Om
Plus recovers 20x faster from all sorts of diseases,
including COVID-19 or its variants because of its
exceptional healing properties.

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

Government Kapiva steps into
felicitates 46 ingestible skin foods category
startups with
National Awards Mumbai-based startup Kapiva, an ayurvedic D2C brand, has
announced that it is foraying into the ingestible skin foods
The National Startup Awards 2021 category with the launch of Glow Mix, a plant-based
was recently held where 46 startups supplement in a ready-to-go convenient sachet. Aimed at
were felicitated across various sectors. nourishing the skin from within, Glow Mix will empower
The awards were presented by Piyush people to address skin dullness, anti-aging,
Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce pigmentation, dark circle, and UV damage
& Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & concerns adding a natural glow to their skin.
Public Distribution and Textiles. Uipl Available as a 30-day regime package, Glow Mix
Innovations from New Delhi bagged is a vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO
the award in packaging and retailing. (genetically modified organisms) product,
The startup has innovated UNIWRAPS, targeted at women in the age group 21-40.
a 100 per cent biodegradable, In addition to this, it is also preservative-free,
certified food wrapping paper with has no added sugar, and is available in rose
distinct properties to handle Indian flavor. With this launch, Kapiva strengthens
food items. The unique innovation has its vision of integrating Ayurveda into India’s
an 88 per cent lower carbon footprint daily lifestyle and promoting holistic living.
than aluminium foil, which is generally Glow Mix is designed to be effective
used to wrap food. Technology has on various skin types - sensitive, dry,
to lead to sustainable management oily, or combination. Its primary
of water along with ensuring overall ingredients include - Pomegranate,
environmental sustainability. On the Rose, Shatavari, Aloe Vera extracts
other hand, New Delhi-based Arboreal that reduce hyperpigmentation
Bioinnovations bagged the award in by reducing melanin synthesis
the food processing sector. and increasing pro-collagen and
hyaluronic acid.

Govt backs AI-based startup for
developing water purification technology

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of of Department of Science & water accessible to communities at
State (Independent Charge) Science Technology, Government of India affordable price, for their project on
& Technology (S&T); Minister of and Swajal Water, a tech startup IoT enabled point of use solar water
State (Independent Charge) Earth company founded by ex-IITians purification unit for slums, villages
Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, based in Gurugram. The company is and high utility areas. The Gurugram
Public Grievances, Pensions, focused on innovative technologies based company’s patented system,
Atomic Energy and Space, recently to make reliable clean drinking ‘Clairvoyant’ uses AI to optimise
launched artificial intelligence purification systems and predict
(AI) driven startup by IIT alumni future breakdowns. Thus, allowing
for water purification through it to remotely manage, update, and
innovative technology. The facility repair each system in real time. They
aims to provide clean drinking have also developed clean drinking
water at a price, much less than the water solutions in the form of Water
market price. A Memorandum of ATMs, which combines Internet of
Understanding (MoU) was signed Things (IoT) technology with solar
between Technology Development energy to provide clean drinking
Board (TDB), a statutory body water.

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

Yogic Secrets launches Power
range of nutraceuticals Gummies
secures $6M
Gurugram-based Yogic Secrets has launched a range of nutraceuticals in funding
across therapeutic areas to improve the quality of life and longevity. The
company’s product portfolio follows the protocol of standardised herbal New Delhi-based startup Power
and plant extracts backed by clinical studies to provide enhanced bio- Gummies, a leading player in
absorption and bioavailability and can be taken as part of a daily dietary the nutraceutical industry, has
system and most of the ingredients used in the products are based on raised $6 million in Series A
ancient wisdom, patented technologies and clinical studies. The startup funding led by 9Unicorns, with
began its journey in mid-2018 with an objective to offer preventive participation from Vcats, DSG
healthcare, management of lifestyle disorders and chronic diseases. The Consumer Partners, WIPRO
product portfolio addresses key therapeutic areas like digestive health, Consumers, Sharpp Ventures
heart health, sleep, stress and anxiety, joints and flexibility, respiratory (Marico Family office) and NB
health, weight management, energy management and immunity building Ventures. The dietary supplement
and reversal of certain diseases. brand aims to revolutionise the
nutraceutical market in India
Beverage startup Lahori raises to expand the brand locally as
$15M in Series A funding well as internationally. They
also look forward to using the
Punjab-based beverage startup Lahori has raised $15 million funding funds for marketing purposes,
from Belgium-based consumer-focused investor Verlinvest for an to build a larger team and to
undisclosed minority stake. Lahori will use the funds to double down launch more variants of dietary
on its brand’s growth through offline and online expansion and will supplements. Having already
also enhance the national presence of the brand in retail chains. The established themselves as a
fresh fund will also be utilised for the development and launch of new pioneer in this segment of the
category-creating products. The business plans to expand its presence market, Power Gummies is now
across India in the next three years. The capital raised in this round will be looking forward to launching
used to expand production capacity and towards accelerating branding more variants for the health &
and marketing efforts. The non-alcoholic beverage industry in India is fitness industry. Currently, the
growing at a phenomenal rate and is expected to exceed $18+ billion by brand has four variants being
2026. In India, given the majority of the population resides in Tier II and III Gorgeous Hair & Nails (hair & nail
cities, price points have been a critical aspect in penetrating the markets vitamin gummies), The Beach
and building a brand with customer loyalty. The Indian market currently Body (sugar-free gummies for
remains underpenetrated with low per capita consumption at about weight management), That Time
5.5 litres per annum despite the population size vis-a-vis the per capita of the Month (period pain relief
consumption in the US, which is estimated to be at least 20x higher. gummies), Jaw-Dropping Skin
(collagen builder gummies for
glowing skin and promoting
beauty from within) and plans to
launch 45 more in the upcoming
future.

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

ENTOD Pharma introduces Hindustan
saffron-based eye care product Foods forays
into OTC
Mumbai-based ENTOD Pharmaceuticals has come up with a saffron-based healthcare &
eye care supplement, MACUSAFF capsule in India. Manufactured from wellness
100 per cent DNA certified Persian origin natural saffron extract with
guaranteed 5 per cent crocins and specially imported from France, this Mumbai-based FMCG contract
natural eye supplement helps with various eye conditions like age-related and private label brand
manufacturer Hindustan Foods
macular degeneration, glaucoma, Limited (HFL) has signed a
diabetic retinopathy and retinitis Share Purchase Agreement with
pigmentosa. Saffron is a spice, Reckitt Benckiser India to acquire
which is harvested from the fall- the entire issued Share Capital
flowering plant Crocus Sativus, a of Reckitt Benckiser Scholl
member of the Iris family, and India Private Limited (RBSIPL).
commonly known as saffron. It This marks HFL’s entry into fast
contains carotenoids crocin and growing OTC Healthcare and
crocetin that have shown strong Wellness segment as a contract
protective effects on retinal cells manufacturer. The factory is
that help restore the function an Export Oriented Unit inter
and structure of retinal cells alia into manufacturing and
damaged by oxidative stress in supply of foot care products. All
employees of the factory will be
age-related macular degeneration. A clinical study has shown that taking retained and HFL is expected
oral supplementation of saffron (20 mg per day) for 3 months in patients to leverage the potential by
with early-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD) expanding site utilisation and
induced a significant improvement of retinal function and visual clarity. capacities and thus increase
the share of business for foot
Australia’s Blackmores brings care products worldwide from
multivitamins products to India this site. The project is the fifth
under the HFL banner in FY22.
Australia based health and dietary supplements company, Blackmores Earlier this year, HFL invested in
has announced a distribution partnership for its range of multivitamins a Greenfield ice creams project
products in India. As part of this partnership, Blackmores range of premium in UP, a detergent bars and
multivitamins products will be available to bath soaps plant in Hyderabad,
independent pharmacies in India through a sports shoes manufacturing
udaan, a business-to-business (b2b) factory in Chennai, and a surface
eCommerce platform. India is a focus growth cleaning liquid products plant in
market for Blackmores which already operates Silvassa.
in 12 other markets across Asia-Pacific, and has
an ambition to connect 1 billion consumers to
the healing power of nature by 2025. The initial
launch products for Indian consumers include
Blackmores Shine Power D3 for healthy bone &
immunity, Blackmores Glucosogreen 1500 for
joint health, Blackmores Blue Light Defence
for eye health, Blackmores Bio Calcium for
bone health, and Blackmores CoQ10 150mg
for heart health. Additional tailored and innovative products will be rolled
out over the coming months. The pharma category on the udaan platform
will provide independent pharmacies the access to Blackmores’s products
through its extensive distribution footprint connecting 25+ cities.

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

Atrimed Pharma AMA Herbal launches HûMaree
to enrich foods for holistic wellness
develops
Lucknow-based AMA Herbal has launched HûMaree, a brand of Vegetal
herbal capsule Wellness. HûMaree is the world’s first extensive natural food washes
range that aims to safeguard the consumers and their loved ones
to inhibit viral from possible harmful effects that various pesticides, insecticides,
germs, bacteria, artificial coating, etc. have on humans as they get
replication inadvertently contacted or consumed along with various foods. With
7 variants, HûMaree has built a
Bengaluru-based Atrimed strong portfolio of washes that
Pharmaceuticals has recently are ECOCERT certified (organic
launched its new find- Vyvuz certification from Europe) which
Capsules, a highly researched shall help the discerning customers
product licensed by the Drug to suitably choose the right product
Authority of Kerala that has been wash for their foods. Based on the
shown to inhibit the virus by up requirement, customers can choose
to 99.9 per cent. Since it is known the respective wash VegeSûre
to be safe, Vyvuz has ingredients for vegetables, FrûSure for fruits,
that have been tested in the DalSûre for pulses, EggSûre for eggs, FishSûre for fish, ChickenSûre
government of India biotechnology for chicken, and MeatSûre for meat. The food wash range is enriched
labs. The formulation contains with the natural goodness of neem, tulsi, giloy, berberine extracts etc.
Centella Asiatica (Gotu kola), HûMaree’s complete range of products is currently available in over 5000
Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha), retail outlets across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi- NCR, Mumbai and
and Andrographis Paniculata will be extended to other geographies in the coming quarters.
(bitterweed). Atrimed has
conducted In-Silico, In-Vitro, In-Vivo, Healthways Dairy & Foods
Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. opens new manufacturing
The formulation was proven to be facility in Gorakhpur
effective in reducing inflammatory
markers and hence early New Delhi-based Healthways Dairy & Foods, after embarking on
symptomatic relief in COVID-19 successful milk operations in Gorakhpur and neighboring areas in
patients.  September 2021, has seen further fruition with its new world class
fresh milk and milk products manufacturing facility in Gorakhpur

being functional. The new facility which
houses equipment with latest technology
to manufacture and pack milk and other
value added products was inaugurated by
Healthways CEO, Dr Mahesh Chand Tiwari
and this step of Healthways is a natural
progression to serve the purpose of providing
a sustainable business model; while enhancing
the milk productivity in the region. With the
opening of the facility, Healthways is happy
to offer consumers the highest standards of
safety and nutrition by using the best-in-class technology that the world
has to offer. Healthways has its own manufacturing facility in Gulaothi &
Sandilla as well. Narendar Nagar, Managing Director of Healthways Dairy
& Food products started a new age dairy brand ‘Healthways’ in 2018.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COMPANY NEWS 17

Cargill unveils first Food Bonn Group
introduces new
Innovation Centre in India range of
chocolate biscuits
Ramping up its Research & Development (R&D) focus,
Cargill has opened the Cargill Innovation Centre in Bonn Group, Ludhiana-based manufacturer of
Gurugram to develop innovative solutions that address bread and bakery products in India, has launched
food and beverage (F&B) market trends. Cargill will exclusive Americana Bourbon biscuits, in yet
partner with its F&B customers in India to identify another offering of a healthy and delectable
consumer demands, translate global industry trends bakery. Made with the finest chocolates, the
into local application and accelerate customer product bourbon biscuits contain caramel, cocoa and
innovation pipelines by co-developing healthy, topped with sugar crystals. Priced at Rs 30,
nutritious food options the family pack of the new biscuit comes in an
for consumers. This attractive 150 gm pack. The company is planning
first, state-of-the-art to launch this product in the markets of Punjab,
Innovation Centre Haryana, and Delhi NCR initially. Bonn was able
in India, spread over to successfully manage its business through
almost 17,000 sq ft, e-commerce during the first and second waves
includes a sensory lab of the pandemic. The sales figures and overall
and demonstration revenue of the brand came to pre-pandemic
kitchen, with capabilities levels during the festive season last year.
to serve dairy, beverage, The FMCG major has big plans for 2022 from
bakery, and convenience increasing the distribution network across the
food industries, as well country to working on newer products with the
as other specialized help of technology and innovation.
culinary applications. It will have 27 food specialists/
scientists and will provide opportunities for aspiring
talent from academia, agribusiness and food sectors as
well. It will also allow R&D collaboration for companies
of all sizes. The Innovation Centre will be equipped
with the most advanced applications and analytical
capabilities, such as an Ultra High Temperature
Processing (UHT) pilot plant and a chocolate processing
line, to develop market driven solutions.

SAVA Healthcare launches herbal formulations business

Pune-based SAVA Healthcare that manufacturing facility located in tested for clinical efficacy and safety
manufactures human and veterinary Malur, Karnataka and aims to bring in patients, which is very significant.
pharmaceuticals has announced the together the power of Ayurveda Each of the herbal ingredients has
launch of its OTC (over the counter) and the pathbreaking advanced been carefully chosen for its health
business of herbal formulations, phytotechnology to promote a benefit. The formulations have
under the name of SAVA Herbals healthier lifestyle. All brands being been developed in partnership
which is based on the science launched by SAVA Herbals have with Gurusolv Naturals Inc. Their
of Ayurveda. Launched with the been developed in-house and current product portfolio includes
purpose of
‘Improving Actisheeld for
health every enhancing
day’, SAVA immunity, Gudslep
Herbals has for treating sleep
a state- disorder and
of-the-art Lo-wt for weight
management.

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

Codex adopts WHO to
framework for roll out sugar,
Steviol Glycosides calorie reduction
initiative in Europe
The International Stevia Council (ISC) has announced that
Codex Alimentarius (Codex), the international food standard In 2022, the World Health Organisation
safety authority, has recently adopted the Framework for (WHO) Europe will launch the new, voluntary,
Steviol Glycosides encompassing four different technologies Member State led Sugar and Calorie Reduction
for the production of steviol glycosides. The Framework and Network to promote healthier diets as well as
these production technologies will enable greater access to reduce overweight and obesity levels across
the WHO European Region. The Network will
the full range of stevia ingredients to a significant portion bring together policy-makers and health
of the world and will continue to answer consumer experts from all 53 of the Region’s Member
demand for healthier products. The four steviol States, to explore ways to achieve sugar and
glycoside production technologies calorie reduction, respecting national food
approved by Codex now include systems and food traditions, and the regulatory
stevia leaf extract, steviol glycosides environment. The United Kingdom will lead
from bioconversion, steviol the Network for the first 3-year term. The WHO
glycosides from fermentation and European Office for Prevention and Control
glucosylated steviol glycosides. of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is
Data from Innova shows that facilitating this Network based on the success
they have achieved through similar networks
Western Europe has experienced a significant growth of such as the European Salt Action Network
products launched with stevia from 2011-2021 with a 10- (led by Switzerland) and Reducing Marketing
year CAGR of 38 per cent. Of those launches, 62.2 per cent Pressure on Children (led by Portugal). In
occurred in five countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, a global food market where products are
Netherlands, France and Spain. According to Nielsen, US increasingly supplied by the same transnational
retail sales of products containing stevia cut across all food companies, the Sugar and Calorie Reduction
categories represent $3.9 billion out of the total food and Network will encourage open and transparent
beverage retail sales. Beverage continues to be the leading ways of working with businesses and help to
category for new product launches with stevia, while sports create a healthier food environment.
nutrition, supplements, dairy, snacks and confectionery are
also seeing significant growth.

NIH awards $170M for precision nutrition study

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) factors that affect how individuals
in the US is awarding $170 million over respond to diet into a personalised
five years, pending the availability of nutrition regimen. These potential
funds, to clinics and centers across factors include the microbiome–the
the country for a new study that community of microbes that live
will develop algorithms to predict in our gut, metabolism, nutritional
individual responses to food and status, genetics, and the environment.
dietary routines. Nutrition for Precision The way these factors interact to affect
Health (NPH) powered by the All of Us health are still poorly understood. To
Research Program will recruit a diverse address these gaps, NPH will collect
pool of 10,000 participants who are new data on multiple potential
part of the NIH’s All of Us Research predictive factors and combine it with
Program to inform more personalised existing data in the All of Us database
nutrition recommendations. A major to develop a more complete picture of
challenge in precision nutrition is how individuals respond to different
the inability to combine the many foods or dietary routines.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in WORLD NEWS 19

WFP launches central World Bank
kitchen project in Libya
suggests
In partnership with the Ministry of Education of the Libyan
Government of National Unity, the United Nations World Food repurposing
Programme (WFP) has launched a central kitchen project in the
Garyounis School in Benghazi to provide nutritious school meals current policies
to 7000 children from 13 schools across the city. Through the
for food security
Central Kitchen, children will
receive a lunch box consisting A new World Bank and International
of a sandwich, fresh fruit, a dairy Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
drink, a fortified date bar and report finds that repurposing current
clean water at school every day. agricultural public policies could
The contents of lunch boxes deliver multiple benefits for people, the
are chosen based on the food planet, and the economy. ‘Repurposing
available locally and its nutritional Agricultural Policies and Support:
benefits. WFP has supported this Options to Transform Agriculture and
initiative by selecting a kitchen Food Systems for Better Health of People,
location close to 13 schools in Economies and Planet’ reveals that
Benghazi. In addition, WFP has also provided essential kitchen investing in climate-smart innovations
equipment as well as training on meal preparation, handling, and that both increase agricultural
packing to some 30 young people from the community, around 12 productivity and reduce greenhouse
of whom are women. gas emissions could reduce overall
emissions from agriculture by more than
ADB’s $65M contribution to 40 per cent, restore 105 million hectares
boost food security in Afghanistan of agricultural land to natural habitats,
and reduce the cost of healthy foods,
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) thereby also contributing to better
has announced a groundbreaking $65 million contribution from nutritional outcomes. To achieve this,
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to boost food security and concerted action is needed, including
support livelihoods of the most vulnerable rural communities in support to low- and middle-income
Afghanistan. The ADB support represents a significant contribution countries, facing fiscal constraints, to
to FAO’s $200 million review current policies and prioritize
crisis response green investments. The World Bank is
programme for 2022, working with governments to rethink
and beyond, to raise and transform food systems, including
local food production, redirecting public support to produce
protect livestock, better outcomes, foster innovation and
increase rural incomes enable sustainable growth.
and improve the food
security of poor and
vulnerable people
across the country as
well as increase the
resilience of women and help farm households access markets.
The aim is to achieve this through providing critical agricultural
inputs and services, including the distribution of wheat cultivation
assistance packages and livestock feed, veterinary support and the
provision of vegetable cultivation packages and poultry, as well as
small farm equipment and technical training.

20 COVER STORY NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

EXUDING
EXUBERANT
LEADERSHIP
Women continue to sustain the quest to make a mark in the workplace and balance their personal
and family life. Pandemic or not, woman power has not diminished one bit, and it shows in their
exemplary achievements in India and the rest of the world. On the occasion of Women’s Day,
nuFFooDS Spectrum salutes 10 inspiring leaders of the food and beverage (F&B) industry, for
motivating others around them, breaking the glass ceiling and paving their own paths in 2021.
These 10 women are powerhouses in their respective fields, inspiring not just their employees and
the people around them, but other women and the next generation of women leaders.

Women’s representation has, who are dealing with burnout or navigating work–life
indeed, improved across challenges.
all levels of the corporate
pipeline in 2020 and 2021. This Over the past 18 months, companies have
is an encouraging sign and embraced flexibility. More than three-quarters of senior
worth celebrating after an HR leaders say that allowing employees to work flexible
incredible financial disaster hours is one of the most effective things they’ve done
was thrust upon the world, back in March 2020. to improve employee well-being. However, many
The theme for International Women’s Day, March 8, companies are missing a crucial piece i.e. without clear
2022, appropriately so, is ‘Gender equality today for a boundaries, flexible work can quickly turn into ‘always
sustainable tomorrow’, recognising the contribution on’ work, and that is affecting a lot of women lately.
of women and girls around the world to build a more Maybe even pushing them to quit their jobs, since they
sustainable future for all. have less time in-hand for the family.

According to the ‘Women in the Workplace 2021’ As per the State of Working India 2021 report by the
report by McKinsey, women are rising to the moment Azim Premji University, the number of women who
as stronger leaders and taking on the extra work that have had to quit the workforce has been alarmingly
comes with stress and exhaustion. Compared with high over the last one year, irrespective of their nature
men at the same level, women are doing more to of employment. Almost 50 per cent of the women
support their teams and advance diversity, equity, and exited compared to only 11 per cent of men. The
inclusion efforts. number of women exiting from any work arrangement
is at least twice their share in that arrangement in the
Also, compared with men in similar positions, pre-pandemic period.
women managers are taking more consistent actions
to promote employee well-being including checking in On the brighter side, more women have entered
on their team members, helping them manage their the workforce as ‘freshers’ than men. Also, women are
workloads, and providing support for team members taking up different kinds of jobs as compared to men. A
study of the men and women who remained employed

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER STORY 21

in 2021 reveals that women seem to stick around in the board of ITC as the first woman director in 2012, and
same job longer. In other words, women have displayed continues to stay put. Then there is Leena Nair who
higher determination in the last one year. was appointed as the first female, first Asian, and the
youngest ever Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Raising a toast to ‘Women Achievers in F&B’ of Unilever in 2016. Leena had worked with Unilever
Out of the many other industries, the food and for almost 30 years before moving out in January 2022
beverage (F&B) industry in India has seen very few to pursue a new career opportunity as Global Chief
‘women achievers’ holding the reins of the business Executive Officer at Chanel.
and being instrumental in its growth, at par with the
opposite sex. For instance, Indra Nooyi, an Indian- Not to forget Sarvita Sethi who in 2016 had become
born American businesswoman, restructured and the first woman to head Coca-Cola India’s finances
diversified soft-drink manufacturer PepsiCo’s brands and later became the Vice-President, merger and
while serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer acquisitions (M&A) and new ventures, for India and
(CEO) from 2006 to 2018. The company enjoyed steady Southwest Asia region. She has now moved on to
revenue growth under her leadership. Amazon Surface Transportation Services.
It also reminds us of Vinita Bali who joined Britannia
as the CEO in 2005, and the company almost doubled On that note, nuFFooDS Spectrum brings to you a
its turnover in just four years, growing at an annual list of 10 inspiring leaders of the F&B industry in India,
rate of 23 per cent, as compared to the previous three motivating others around them, breaking the glass
years’ 10-11 per cent growth. She led Britannia beyond ceiling and paving their own paths in. 2021 saw these
its core biscuits business into categories such as dairy women taking over lead roles in the financial and
and bakery, and moved into international markets with investment divisions of renowned food companies,
Britannia’s range of products. She left the company receiving recognition for their contribution towards
in 2014. Adding on, Meera Shankar, who was India's nutrition-based research, and revolutionising the
ambassador to the US from 2009 to 2011, joined the alternative meat space with novel offerings.

Dr Manbeena Chawla
[email protected]

22 COVER STORY NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

DURGA DORAISAMY Global Head of Investor Relations Diageo

“CONNECTING THE DOTS 'Investment leader'
INTRIGUES ME; CONNECTING WITH
PEOPLE INVIGORATES ME; BUT IT’S Always self-motivated by a challenge, Durga
CONNECTING THE INTEGRITY AND Doraisamy, residing in London, joined Diageo
THE ‘WHY’ PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE IN in 2021, the world's largest producers of spirits
THE COMPANY THAT INSPIRES ME.” and beers, as the Global Head of Investor
Relations (IR). She moved to Diageo from
Starbucks Corporation, where she was the Vice President,
Investor Relations, responsible for the leadership of the IR
function. Durga brings over 20 years of broad-reaching,
finance-driven investor relations experience. Prior to
joining Starbucks in 2014, Durga led investor relations
at Puget Sound Energy, Inc., the largest investor-owned
regulated electric and natural gas utility in Washington
State, where she successfully led the transition of the
company from being publicly traded on the NYSE into
private ownership. In Durga’s early career, she held audit,
analyst and controller roles at Cargill, Union Distributing
and Unisource Energy in the US.

GEETIKA MEHTA Managing Director-India Hershey Company

'Marketing chief' “MY CENTRAL FOCUS AT
HERSHEY INDIA WILL BE ON
Mumbai-based Geetika Mehta is a seasoned THE NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH
leader backed by more than 18 years IN DEVELOPING A STRONG,
of experience across commercial and MULTI-CATEGORY PLAY, WHILE
consumer marketing. Moving from STRENGTHENING POSITIONS
Unilever, where she was General Manager, ACROSS KEY GROWTH SEGMENTS.”
Home & Hygiene (India) and regional brand director
(South Asia), Geetika took over in 2021 as the India
Managing Director at Hershey Company, the global
producer of chocolates and snacks. Having held
important leadership roles in FMCG and food businesses
for more than a decade, she has managed various
categories including soups, noodles and spice mixes.
She has also led the laundry detergents category for
Unilever in South Asia, Thailand, Brazil and South Africa.
In her previous role at Unilever, Geetika was responsible
for delivering annual P&L and long-term business health
(market shares, brand health, innovation pipeline).
Under her leadership, Home & Hygiene became the
fastest growing category in Hindustan Unilever.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER STORY 23

RICHA SINGH Chief Financial Officer Mars Wrigley India

“CORPORATES AND SOCIETY 'Business value creator'
AT LARGE HAVE SO MUCH
Apassionate team leader having worked
TO GAIN, IF WE ARE ABLE TO as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and
IDENTIFY THESE INDIVIDUALS Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of growing
businesses, Gurugram-based Richa Singh has
WITH THEIR TALENTS AT A started serving as the CFO of Mars Wrigley
VERY YOUNG AGE.” India in 2021. She comes with a global experience
of over two decades across consumer durables and
FMCG companies, leading business accelerations and
transformations, process optimisations, among others.
Richa joins Mars Wrigley from Niine Pvt Ltd, a startup
in feminine hygiene that she led for three years. Prior to
Niine, she worked in Philips Healthcare@Home, Philips
Consumer, J&J Medical ASEAN, Coca-Cola and P&G
across India, ASEAN, Australia and Japan. Turning around
team performances, and driving a winning culture with
strong focus on value creation by business building,
compliance and cost optimisation are her key attributes.

DEEPIKA BHAN President, Packaged Foods-India Tata Consumers Products

'Brand builder' “I'M ALWAYS INSPIRED BY THE
MULTIPLE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Deepika Bhan has developed herself as AROUND US, IF ONLY WE SERVE
a purposeful business leader with an THE RIGHT CONSUMER PROBLEMS
excellent performance track-record of WELL. BUILDING BUSINESS IDEAS TO
building consumer brands. She has CAPTURE THESE, KEEPS ME ENGAGED.”
moved to Tata Consumer Products
(TCP) in 2021 as the new President of Packaged
Foods division from Hindustan Unilever where
she was Global Brand Director, Haircare for South
Asia. She has had varied stints in sales, customer
marketing, media, brand and category/ P&L roles
in her career during which she has led large teams
across brands and portfolios. She has also worked
with PepsiCo and Tata Motors. Always inspired by
the multiple growth opportunities around her,
Mumbai-based Deepika seeks to bring creativity
and craftsmanship at the heart of brands and
business.

24 COVER STORY NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

DR SHAKUNTALA HARAKSINGH THILSTED

A global nutrition expert & Winner of the 2021 World Food Prize

“FISH AND AQUATIC FOODS 'Nutrition transformer'
OFFER LIFE-CHANGING
Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, a global nutrition
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MILLIONS OF expert of Indian descent currently based in
VULNERABLE WOMEN, CHILDREN, Malaysia, has received the 2021 World Food Prize
for her groundbreaking research, critical insights
AND MEN TO REMAIN HEALTHY and landmark innovations in developing holistic,
AND WELL-NOURISHED." nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquaculture and food systems.
By bringing together interdisciplinary and international
collaborators, she drove transformations in aquatic food
systems to deliver improved nutrition, resilient ecosystems and
secure livelihoods for millions of vulnerable people across the
globe. She was the first to discover the high levels of essential
micronutrients and fatty acids found in the small native fish
species commonly found and consumed in Bangladesh. Her
findings have now been amplified across numerous countries
where millions of low-income families are farming and eating
small fish to provide their children with the necessary nutrition
to ensure a child’s prosperous first 1,000 days.

DR BHARATI KULKARNI National Institute of Nutrition

Senior Grade Deputy Director (Scientist F)- Clinical Division

'Nourishing scientist' “WE NEED A DEEPER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE
With her research encompassing various aspects MULTIPLE DETERMINANTS OF
of public health nutrition including maternal UNDERNUTRITION FOR DESIGNING
and child nutrition, Dr Bharati Kulkarni, a MORE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS.”
scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition
(NIN) in Hyderabad, has received the first
Tulpule award in 2021 for her contribution to nutritional sciences.
The award was instituted by the Indian Council of Medical
Research with donation from Pune-based Tulpule family in
honour of former NIN director P G Tulpule and his late wife Malati
Tulpule to encourage scientists, research scholars and students.
Dr Bharati’s studies on bone health and body composition of
various population groups have highlighted the central role of
muscle mass for improvement of bone health and prevention
of chronic diseases such as diabetes. In addition, her research
has emphasised the importance of local foods in management
of severe acute malnutrition in children. She has also led a large
study exploring the linkages between agriculture and nutrition.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER STORY 25

NIKKI ARORA SINGH Co-founder Blue Tribe Foods

“IN INDIA, OVER 60 PER CENT 'Revolutionary trend-setter'
OF THE PEOPLE ARE NON-
VEGETARIAN. THE SCIENCE Realising that inadvertently by consuming animal-
based meat products we are coercing our environment
AGAINST ANIMAL-BASED MEAT towards a dark corner, Mumbai-based Nikki Arora
CONSUMPTION IS REAL. THE GOOD Singh has decided to reinvent the meat consumption
THING IS THAT WE ARE BECOMING methods with her startup Blue Tribe Foods. She has
started this venture in 2020 along with her husband Sandeep
AWARE OF WHAT WE EAT.” Singh who is currently serving as the Managing Director of a
leading pharmaceutical firm Alkem Laboratories. Through her
startup, Nikki has developed innovative plant-based foods such
as chicken keema, mutton keema, chicken nuggets in 2021. At
present, she is working on DTC (direct to consumer) and HORECA
(hotels, restaurants, cafes) based business models and has already
garnered massive traction for her products in Delhi, Mumbai,
Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Chandigarh,
Kolkata and Chennai. Before starting this venture, Nikki was
successfully running a jewelry designing business for 7 years.

SWATI PANDEY Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Arboreal Bioinnovations

“THE NATIONAL STARTUP AWARD 'Sweet perfectionist'
WOULD BE A CONSTANT REMINDER
OF OUR CAUSE AND A MOTIVATION Recently in the news for winning the National
TO PUSH FURTHER AND HELP MORE Startup Award 2021 in the food processing
PEOPLE ACCESS HEALTHIER FOOD.” category, Swati Pandey takes pride in her ‘no
cutting corners’ approach to deliver quality
stevia based ingredients and experiences to
millions of consumers globally, through her venture
Arboreal Bioinnovations. The original idea of Arboreal
evolved over time and it was formally incorporated into a
company in 2014 when Swati and Manish Chauhan chose
to return to India from London and Singapore with the
vision to create a world-class plant biotechnology platform
out of India to deliver highest quality natural extracts to
the world from India. Based in New Delhi, Swati is also the
proud owner of Magicleaf, India's fastest-growing direct-
to-consumer zero/low-calorie food products brand. With
her mother as her driving force, Swati reckons low-calorie
and sugar substitutes like stevia to be the future of the
entire food and beverage sector and the fast-moving
consumer goods (FMCG) industry as well.

26 COVER STORY NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

SWETA KHANDELWAL Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer alt foods

“AS STARTUP FOUNDERS, WE 'Novelty seeker'
ENCOUNTER CHALLENGES
Continuing the major momentum in the new
EVERY NOW AND THEN. ONE category of sustainable ‘smart protein’ foods, Sweta
OF OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES Khandelwal has recently set up a plant-based
WAS TO CREATE A NOVEL DAIRY milk startup- alt foods by launching original and
chocolate flavours of plant-based milks made with a
ALTERNATIVE WITHOUT ANY unique blend of sprouted millets and grains. Along with her co-
BENCHMARK PRODUCT AND founders, Sweta has been on a journey to improve her lifestyle
OVERCOMING THE POSSIBILITY by eating better and completely removing animals-based
products from our plates. Personally experiencing the positive
OF COMPLETELY FAILING.” impact of a plant-based diet but not feeling fulfilled by the
current plant-based options, New Delhi-based Sweta decided to
bring great tasting novel plant-based alternatives for everyone.
Currently, she is pursuing her dream career at ‘alt foods’ as a
co-founder with a goal to make alternatives accessible to the
masses. Her venture alt foods emerged as Asia’s first plant-
based dairy startup to make its way to the ProVeg Incubator
accelerator programme, a Berlin-based incubator offering
expert mentorship and up to €250,000 in funding, in 2021.
Moreover, Sweta was also one of the Top 5 Finalists of the Vegan
Women Summit Pathfinder Competition, 2021.

ANJALLI RAVI KUMAR Chief Sustainability Officer Zomato

'Problem solver' “WOMEN NOT BEING ABLE TO
ACCESS WORK OPPORTUNITIES IS
AHarvard Kennedy School alumnus, Anjalli ONE OF THE REASONS WHY OUR
Ravi Kumar has stepped in as the Chief SOCIETY IS NOT MAKING PROGRESS
Sustainability Officer of the famous food IN THE BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY,
delivery platform Zomato in 2021. Earlier DISEASE AND IGNORANCE.”
serving as the Global Sustainability
Director at Unilever, Anjalli is the recipient of the
Unilever Global Heroes Award in 2017 for launching
a unique mobile skills programme that has reached
over one million women across five countries. As Fair
& Lovely Social Mission Director, Anjalli has worked
to advance Unilever’s efforts on gender equality by
democratising access to opportunities for women.
She has also worked with KPMG’s climate change
advisory practice in the past. Anjalli wants to solve
big problems for which there are no easy answers.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in COVER STORY 27

‘Woman Power’ is Making a Difference

KARAN CHECHI Pankaj Bhadouria, who is the face of numerous
renowned businesses and the host of several cooking
Director, TechSci, Research shows, including the popular '3 Course with Pankaj.'
She has also written and co-written a number of
Women in India are currently not only cookbooks. She was the first MasterChef Winner in
becoming change-makers through the world to have her name on an official MasterChef
their new ideas, but they are also Cookbook.
proving time and again that they
have what it takes to be the driving Another name is Rashmi Daga, the founder
force in the various sectors, particularly the food sector. and owner of one of the most popular food-tech
companies – FreshMenu, an online restaurant that
Women entrepreneurs and their growing currently serves around 14,000 orders per day from its
presence in India have had a tremendous impact app and website in Mumbai, South Delhi, Bengaluru,
on the country's social and economic demography. and Gurugram.
Men have historically dominated most aspects of
this industry, particularly in positions of decision- Another such example is Kanchan Devi, the
making authority. However, women are increasingly president of a village-level women's vegetable
exerting a substantial impact on how the food and producer group and a member of the Farmer
beverage industry is formed, as well as the advertising Producer Organisation's Board of Directors. She
department of food products. cultivates vegetables on her 0.5-acre plot of land using
Integrated Nutrient Management and Integrated Pest
As the sector continues to grow and innovate, more Management. She has also reported a 30 per cent
and more women will join the top executive ranks. At improvement in net return from vegetable farming as
some companies, women are beginning to take on a result of the recommended package of techniques
leadership roles in the food and beverage industries. learned during her training.

Some of the women who are setting an example in However, women in the Indian food industry are
this industry include Karyna Bajaj, executive director of still facing certain challenges. Despite the extent of
KA Hospitality, Dipna Anand, award-winning celebrity work done by women, their involvement in the food
chef and owner of Dip in Brilliant, Lisa Suwal, vice and agriculture sector is largely unacknowledged.
president in marketing and sales of Prasuma Meats
& Delicatessen brand, Pallavi Jayswal, a chef and a According to the United Nations Food and
businesswoman, co-founder at Uno Más -Tapas Bar Agriculture Organisation (FAO), women make up
Kitchen, etc. at least 43 per cent of the agricultural workforce in
developing countries. Nonetheless, women in rural
Also, there are other inspiring women who are and agricultural livelihoods continually have less
spearheading the growth of the food sector of India. access to resources and opportunities than males. Also,
For instance, Puja Sahu, co-founder of The Potbelly, women still face social norms and barriers that prohibit
Ramya Ravi, director of Nandhana Group, etc. them from fully expressing their leadership.
Furthermore, there are other food startups such as
iPakka food, Dream a Dozen, The Atta Girl, etc, thriving Few women around the world have been
with women leading such companies. continuously working to close the gender gap
and empower women in the food system. In India,
Additionally, some of the other powerful women Harsharan Kaur (State coordinator at Self-Employed
making a great impact on the food business include Women’s Association (SEWA) Bharat) and Reema
Nanavaty (Director of the Self-Employed Women’s
Association (SEWA) in India, are focusing on women's
economic empowerment by assisting in the
establishment of women-owned businesses and
women-led supply chains in food processing and
agriculture business.

As a result, despite the problems that women
encounter in India's food business, women are likely
to continue to lead and alter the food industry for the
better in the coming years.

28 EDIBLE OIL NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Balancing the Supply and
Demand of Edible Oil Prices

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service in its February ‘Oilseeds:
World Markets and Trade’ report noted that dry weather in South America over the past two months has
significantly depressed forecast soyabean yields and slashed production. In the first USDA forecast released in
May 2021, the combined total 2021-22 soyabean crop in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay was a record but is
now forecast to be the smallest crop since 2018-19. Since the December 2021 World Agricultural Supply and
Demand Estimates (WASDE), soyabean production in these three countries has been lowered by more than 18
million tonnes: down 7 per cent in Brazil, down 9 per cent in Argentina, and down 37 per cent in Paraguay. This
will have a significant impact on the Indian edible oil market with prices increasing since August last year. To
support the local market the government has taken many steps to bring some relief to consumers.

India is one of the largest importers of edible oils as its 8.25 per cent, crude soyabean oil and crude sunflower oil
domestic production is unable to meet its domestic will be 5.5 per cent each.
demand. The country has to rely heavily on imports
to meet the gap between demand and supply. Around Apart from rationalising import duties on palm
56-60 per cent of the edible oils consumed in the oil, sunflower oil and soyabean oil, futures trading
country is met through imports. International prices of in mustard oil on National Commodity & Derivatives
edible oils are under pressure due to a shortfall in global Exchange Limited (NCDEX) has been suspended and
production and increase in export tax/levies by the stock limits on oils and oilseeds have been imposed.
exporting countries. Therefore, domestic prices of edible Despite international commodity prices being high,
oils are dictated by the prices of imported oils. interventions made by the Central Government along
with State Governments’ pro active involvement have led
As the domestic prices are governed by the to reduction in prices of edible oils. Edible oil prices are
international price trends, the prices of edible oils in higher than a year ago but from October onwards there
the country have been ruling very high for the past is a declining trend. Further, the government is taking
one year. This has been a major cause of concern steps to improve the production of secondary edible oils,
for the Government. In order to rein in the prices especially rice bran oil to reduce the import dependence.
and provide relief to the consumers who are reeling
under unprecedented inflationary circumstances, the The department is regularly interacting with the
government has taken a number of steps. In a bid to oil industry associations and leading market players
reign in the continuous rise in the cooking oil prices and has convinced them to reduce the MRP which will
since past one year, the basic duty on crude palm oil, translate to passing on the benefit of duty reduction
crude soyabean oil and crude sunflower oil have been to end consumers. As per the trend from 167 price
cut from 2.5 per cent to nil. The Agri-cess on these oils collection centers, edible oil prices have declined quite
has been brought down from 20 per cent to 7.5 per cent
for crude palm oil and 5 per cent for crude soyabean oil
and crude sunflower oil.

Consequent upon the above reduction, the total
duty is now 7.5 per cent for crude palm oil and 5 per
cent for crude soyabean oil and crude sunflower oil. The
basic duty on RBD palmolein oil has been slashed to
12.5 per cent from 17.5 per cent recently. The basic duty
on refined soyabean and refined sunflower oil has been
slashed to 17.5 per cent from the current 32.5 per cent.
Before reduction, the agricultural infrastructure cess
on all forms of crude edible oils was 20 per cent. Post
reduction, the effective duty on crude palm oil will be

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in EDIBLE OIL 29

significantly in the range of Rs 5 and 20 per kg in the India Oilseeds and
major retail markets across the country. Major edible Products Supply and Distribution
oil players including Adani Wilmar and Ruchi Industries
have cut prices by Rs 15-20/L. The other players that According to Foreign Agricultural Service/
have reduced the prices of edible oils are Gemini Edibles United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
& Fats India, Hyderabad, Modi Naturals, Delhi, Gokul Re- the oilseed production in India has increased
foils and Solvent, Vijay Solvex, Gokul Agro Resources and from 35,427,000 metric tonnes (MT) in 2017-18 to
N.K. Proteins. 41,963,000 MT in February 2021-22. The domestic
consumption remained stable at 22,118,000 MT in
The latest step taken by the Government for 2018-19 till 22,505,000 MT February 201-22. Even
controlling the prices of various oils is with respect to the food use domestic consumption of edible oils
soya meal. Stock limit on soya meal which is a major too has remained stable during the last few years
source of protein and constitutes almost 30 per cent at 20,576,000 MT in 2017-18, 20,887,000 MT in
in livestock feed has been imposed with effect from 2018-19, 21,160,000 MT in 2019-20, 21,392,000 MT
December 23, 2021 till June 2022 by including it in in 2020-21, 21,739,000 MT in 2021-22 (January)
the Schedule to Essential Commodities Act, 1955. This and 21,720,000 MT in 2021-22 (February).
will cool down the prices and improve supply. The
Government has also suspended futures trading in all India witnessed an increase in the oilseed
essential commodities for a period of one year, upto meals consumption in the last five years from
December 2022. 14,184,000 MT in 2017-18 to 14,922,000 MT in
2018-19, 15,646,000 MT in 2019-20, 16,298,000 MT
Besides, the government has notified an order on in 2020-21, 17,193,000 MT in 2021-22 (January)
February 3, 2022 specifying the stock limit quantities on and 17,745,000 MT in 2021-22 (February). To fulfil
edible oils and oilseeds upto June 30, 2022 with a view the domestic requirement India has imported
to provide impetus to the various steps taken by the palm oil, soyabean oil and sunflower oil 14,466,000
Government to cool the prices of edible oil in the country. MT in 2017-18, 15,250,000 MT in 2018-19,
13,733,000 MT in 2019-20, 13,805,000 MT in
For edible oils, the stock limit specified is 30 quintals 2020-21 and 14,734,000 MT 2021-22 (January) and
for retailers, 500 quintals for wholesalers, 30 quintals for 13,834,000 MT in 2021-22 (February).
retail outlets of bulk consumers i.e. big chain retailers
and shops and 1000 quintals for its depots. Processors help the Government in checking hoarding of edible oils
of edible oils would be able to stock 90 days of their and oilseeds in the country.
storage capacities.
A meeting was held by the Department of Food &
For edible oilseeds, the stock limit is 100 quintals Public Distribution on February 8, for discussing the
for retailers, 2000 quintals for wholesalers. Processors implementation plan of the above plan. The States/UTs
of edible oilseeds would be able to stock 90 days were also briefed about the current international price
production of edible oils as per daily input production scenario and how the Indian market is affected by it.
capacity. Exporters and importers have been kept
outside the purview of this Order with some caveats. The Government has also initiated certain long term
and medium term plans to attain self-sufficiency in
The Stock Limit Order empowers the Union edible oils. Recently, the National Mission on Edible Oils –
Government and all States/UTs to regulate storage and Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme
distribution of edible oils and oilseeds. This would also with a special focus on the North east region and the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been launched.
Due to the heavy dependence on imports for edible
oils, it was important to make efforts for increasing the
domestic production of edible oils in which increasing
area and productivity of oil palm plays an important part.

Overall, the reduction in import duty and other steps
like imposition of stock limits to curb hoarding etc. has
helped cool down domestic prices of all edible oils and
granted much required relief to the consumers.

Narayan Kulkarni
[email protected]

30 GENOMESEQUENCING NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

How Genome Sequencing
Prevents Foodborne Outbreaks

The Indian food industry has been adopting various Food Safety Management Systems to meet the customer
and industry requirements, for which Genome Sequencing has proved to be a powerful tool in the US, England,
Thailand, Switzerland, Bangladesh and India. The food industry in India has started to become more aware
of this area and wish to have a constructive dialogue with government agencies; however, there can be lack
of knowledge regarding the technology and the potential uses of it in an industrial setting. As there is an
imperative need for assessing India’s readiness in deploying WGS for food safety, we take a closer look.

Increasingly used by food regulatory agencies to collect isolates and relevant metadata from both clinical
facilitate, investigation, and control of foodborne and food/environment samples. Unless these issues are
bacterial outbreaks, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) solved, WGS will remain a technique that is exclusively
is a cutting-edge technology that the United States Food employed in research projects. The proper application of
and Drug Administration (FDA) has put to a novel and international rules and regulations may be able to assist
health-promoting use. Globally, WGS has helped the India in dealing with this issue. For data manipulation and
food industry to monitor ingredient supplies, determine comparative studies, the development and processing of
the effectiveness of preventive and sanitary controls WGS data necessitates the transportation of huge packets
and determine the persistence of pathogens in the of data between laboratory locations involved in the
environment. Apart from this, genomic sequencing has exploitation of this information, distant computer sites,
already shown benefit in refining diagnoses and guiding and internet databases.”
therapeutic approaches like development of food as
therapeutics. He added, “A centralised dedicated laboratory is
needed for storing, analysing and interpretation of the
For implementing WGS, India already has good WGS isolates across the country. Even for relatively small
infrastructure and pre-requisites in terms of sequencing
capacity, high-capacity storage and data analysis. The
major challenge for India to adopt WGS for food safety
would be database construction and validation since
foodborne disease surveillance in India is lacking. Keeping
in view the challenges and benefits of WGS, several
research institutes in India like Indian Institutes of Science
Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, have sequenced
the genome of turmeric and giloy for the first time in the
world.

Industry players like Mars, Nestle, ConAgra &
DuPont are implementing WGS in their own food safety
programmes. To monitor ingredient supplies, determine
the effectiveness of preventive and sanitary controls, WGS
can provide a much faster response time for outbreaks
and recalls in the food industry.

Dr Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara, Professor, Department
of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati said, “The
availability of diagnostic services for detecting infections
is particularly critical in India, because, without it, we are
forced to depend only on syndromic monitoring, which
lacks the sensitivity and specificity required. Prior to
the implementation of WGS, the Indian government at
central and state levels must have a system in place to

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in GENOMESEQUENCING 31

laboratories with minimal operational budgets, the Department of Biological Sciences, have sequenced the
high-tech requirements of the WGS can be handled in a genome of the turmeric plant for the first time in the
variety of ways. There are several opportunities for food world. The researchers have used two techniques – the
inspection, public health, and academic laboratories to short-read sequencing of 10x Genomics (Chromium) and
combine their resources and work together to protect long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing – to unravel the
populations from preventing food-borne disease.” genetic makeup of turmeric. The genome sequencing of
this medicinal plant provides new insights on the origin
Monitoring ingredients for Implementing WGS of the medicinal properties of this plant and will also aid
As defined by the FDA, genomic data from foodborne further studies on this species, genus, and family.

pathogens is a robust resource that can be used: to Highlighting the uniqueness of his research Dr
determine which illnesses are part of an outbreak and Sharma, said, “We have, for the first time in the world,
which are not; to determine which ingredient in a sequenced the genome of Turmeric, the golden spice of
multi-ingredient food is responsible for an outbreak; to India.”This work is significant because turmeric has been
identify geographic regions from which a contaminated focused in more than 3,000 publications, but the whole
ingredient may have originated; to differentiate sources genome sequence was not known until the IISER team’s
of contamination, even within the same outbreak; to work on it.
link illnesses to a processing facility even before the food
product vector has been identified; to link small numbers Tulsi: The Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic
of illnesses that otherwise might not have been identified Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, has published the whole
as common outbreak; and to identify unlikely routes genome sequence of Ocimum Sanctum, the wonder
of contamination. The Indian food industry has been plant ‘Holy Basil’ or ‘Tulsi’. This is the first report of a
continuously working to develop food crop varieties that complete genome sequence of a traditional and most
are resistant to diseases and offer better nutritional values, respected medicinal plant of India, using a composite next
and are publicly releasing the genome to continue to generation sequencing technology.
broadly advance crop research.
Considering the metabolic and therapeutic potential
Turmeric: A team of researchers from the Indian of this revered plant, the availability of whole genome
Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) sequence is the first step to understand and unravel the
Bhopal led by Dr Vineet K Sharma, Associate Professor, secrets of this herb and provide scientific validity to the
traditional claims of its utility in diverse medicinal usage.

Apart from the therapeutic potential, the plant is used
in the preparations to cure various diseases like bronchitis,
bronchial asthma, malaria, diarrhoea, dysentery, skin
diseases, arthritis, painful eye diseases, chronic fever,
insect bite etc. It has also been described to possess
anti-fertility, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-
microbial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antiemetic,
antispasmodic, analgesic and diaphoretic actions. Many
of the basil oil constituents have found applications as
medicinal ingredients, flavours, fragrance, etc.

Giloy: The IISER Bhopal scientists have sequenced
the genome of Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), a plant with
medicinal properties, for the first time in the world.

The genome and transcriptome sequencing of Giloy is
important due to its tremendous use in pharmaceuticals
and ayurvedic formulations to treat various health
conditions including COVID-19 and can provide deep
insights into the genomic basis of its medicinal properties.

Elaborating the highlights of this research, Dr Sharma,
said, “Giloy also has anti-microbial activity and is used in
skin diseases, urinary tract infection, and dental plaque,
among others. It is also found to reduce the clinical
symptoms in HIV-positive patients and its antioxidant

32 GENOMESEQUENCING NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

activity has anti-cancer and chemo-protective properties. “A centralised dedicated
Giloy extracts are found to be potential candidates in laboratory is needed
treating various cancers like brain tumour, breast cancer,
and oral cancer, as well.” for storing, analysing

Commenting on the other developments by IISER, he and interpreting the
said, “We have completed the genomic sequencing of the
important plants like Aloe vera, turmeric, giloy, and ginger. WGS isolates across
Recently we have published the preprints of the genomes
of banyan tree and peepal tree and many more herbs and the country. Even for relatively
other plants are in the pipeline but cannot be revealed at
this stage. In fact, from our lab, we have sequenced the small laboratories with minimal
National bird- Peacock, National tree- Banyan, National
animal- Tiger, and several varieties of Indian cows.” operational budgets, the high-tech requirements of

Wheat: A team of international researchers, the WGS can be handled in a variety of ways. There
including 18 from India decoded the wheat genome,
considered insurmountable so far. In the research article– are several opportunities for food inspection, public
authored by more than 200 scientists from 73 research
institutions in 20 countries. A team of 18 Indian scientists health, and academic laboratories to combine their
co-authoring this paper, led by Dr Kuldeep Singh at
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana, Prof. J P resources & work together to protect populations
Khurana at the University of Delhi South Campus, and
Prof. Nagendra Singh at ICAR-National Research Centre from preventing food-borne disease.”
on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, contributed to the - Dr Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara,
decoding of Chromosome 2A of the wheat genome. This
project was financially supported by the Department of Professor, Department of Biosciences and
Biotechnology, Government of India.
Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati
The availability of high-quality reference genome
would accelerate the breeding of climate-resilient wheat be the FDA's first domestic investigation of a foodborne
varieties to feed the ever-increasing world population and illness outbreak associated with leafy greens grown in a
help address global food security in the decades to come. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) operation.

Benefits of WGS Outbreak investigations are the most common
To understand and characterise the pathogenicity of application for WGS. Beyond that, one of the greatest
benefits of WGS when it comes to outbreak investigation
viruses, genome sequencing is already established in the is the ability to match the genome sequence of a
areas of plant/animal breeding, and in animal health. The foodborne pathogen with its geographic origin.
technique has proved to be a great success in the area of
outbreak investigation of foodborne illness. With its benefits, WGS is surely helping to track down
pathogens:
The DNA sequences are like fingerprints, that are
unique to each organism and its strain. Whole genome  WGS adds a level of precision to the surveillance
sequencing allows food safety experts to identify the DNA leading to faster and more efficient decision making in the
sequence of an organism quickly and efficiently. preparedness and response to foodborne infections.

One of the greatest benefits of scientific technology  WGS makes it easier to tell what the pathogen is and
like WGS is that it helps food safety experts react the type of illness it can cause.
retroactively to a foodborne illness outbreak. Outbreak
investigations like the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak,  WGS can determine source of contamination
that caused 31 reported illnesses and four hospitalisations According to Sathguru Management Consultants,
in the US between June and August 2021. the WGS technology has now become fast and cheap
enough to efficiently replace nearly all the other
The US FDA worked with the US Centres for Disease methods of bacterial identification and pathogenicity
Control and Prevention (CDC) and state partners to assessment. The older methods used for genotyping,
investigate the outbreak, which was linked through DNA and genetic fingerprinting or identification of single
epidemiology and traceback to packaged salad greens nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) using Pulsed Field Gel
during the summer of 2021. This outbreak is believed to Electrophoresis (PFGE) and the Restriction Enzymes (REs)
are not only slow, inefficient and uncertain but now more
costly than WGS.
Giving insights on the benefits of genomic sequencing
of food, Rachit K Saxena, Professor (Plant Biotechnology),
Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU) stated, “With
the advancement of sequencing methodologies and
analysis tools, the field of plant genome sequencing has
grown rapidly in the past two decades. It has resulted in
the better understanding of plant genomic architecture
and subsequently enriched the quantity and quality of
available genomic resources. India has diverse climatic

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in GENOMESEQUENCING 33

“We have completed the “The genome revolution
genomic sequencing of has already proved to
the important plants be a game changing
like Aloe vera, turmeric, technology across
giloy, and ginger. the world. The
Recently we have published growing wealth of genomic
the preprints of the genomes data from an increasingly
of banyan tree and peepal tree and many more diverse set of crop species is unprecedented
herbal and other plants are in the pipeline but and is allowing for a better understanding of
cannot be revealed at this stage. In fact, from genome architecture and evolution of crops.
our lab, we have sequenced the National bird- This information has been revolutionising crop
Peacock, National tree- Banyan, National animal- improvement programmes in recent years in
Tiger, and several varieties of Indian cows.” both the public and private sector.”

- Dr Vineet K Sharma, - Prof. Rachit K Saxena,
Associate Professor, Department of Department of Plant Biotechnology,
Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU)
Biological Sciences, IISER Bhopal

zones, with crops facing multiple challenges including in production of top cultivars with traits like high yield,
disease, drought, water logging, salinity, etc. Therefore, it stress tolerance, and insect resistance that are beneficial
is important to make our crops more resilient and ready in agriculture. In addition, the potential to detect genetic
for climate change. This will drive modernisation of crop markers linked to virulence, antibiotic resistance, and
improvement efforts through genomics assisted breeding other features essential in the identification, risk profiling,
(GAB).” and typing of foodborne bacterial isolates is crucial in
influencing regulatory decisions and identifying food
A game changer contamination sources.”
In a country like India, food safety is jeopardised
Speaking on the challenges before India to adopt WGS
due to the presence of an unorganised sector that does for food safety, Prof. Saxena, said “Enhanced awareness
not adhere to appropriate hygiene norms. Thereafter, among policy makers and a centralised policy to support
food regulatory agencies are using genome sequencing WGS efforts in crops species should be priority. Further,
to examine and detect the presence of harmful a clear long term road map needs to be established on
microorganisms in food. Genome sequencing can not how WGS will help develop a better understanding of
only aid in the research of foodborne outbreaks, but helps crops and new varieties. At present there is a disconnect
to improve our understanding of virulence, pathogenicity, between the native range of crops species and the
survival, adaptability, antibiotic and biocide/antiseptic regional affiliation of the researchers studying them.
resistance of microorganisms. Therefore, a consortium approach is required to reap the
benefits of WGS or GAB. Fortunately, falling WGS costs
As pointed out by Prof. Rachit, “The genome revolution and enhanced availability of analytical tools provide key
has already proved to be a game changing technology opportunities to improve our status in WGS and further its
across the world. The growing wealth of genomic deployment in achieving food safety.”
data from an increasingly diverse set of crop species is
unprecedented and is allowing for a better understanding Perhaps, it is the right time for India to sequence the
of genome architecture and evolution of crops. This prominent crops & plants which are the key constituents
information has been revolutionising crop improvement of the Indian diet. As pointed out by Dr Sharma, “The
programmes in recent years in both the public and private advancement in new sequencing technologies and in fact,
sector.” the availability of multiple methods, high performance
computing machines & a trained expertise available in the
Dr Kunnumakkara stated, “The discovery of genomics sequencing labs like at IISER Bhopal, provides the much-
and its integrations to the food industry has brought a needed platform to India to mark their presence at the
paradigm shift in the food surveillance, safety and security global level and also to make a genetic catalogue of the
programmes. Agricultural genomics is a vast area that has biodiversity of the unique plants, animals and microbiome
aided in crop development breakthroughs for decades. endemic to this region.”
Advances in genome revolutions have led to development
from reference genome sequencing to genotyping for Pooja Yadav
genome-wide association studies. These have resulted [email protected]

34 INVESTMENT HUB NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

India turns Lucrative
Turf for Foreign Brands

Several forces are transforming Indians’ consumption of food and drink products, creating an attractive
market for international brands. In particular, factors such as rising incomes, a growing preference for
convenience food, a greater willingness to explore new tastes, and the increasing penetration of D2C
channels are playing a critical role. However, foreign players eyeing the India opportunity must still
overcome a number of challenges to ensure a profitable entry into the shopping baskets and stomachs of
the Indian consumer.

The presence of global brands in India goes back snacks brand and captured the market, sitting now at a
on a history spanning more than 150 years. For good 60 per cent market share.
example, a number of European and American
brands that entered India in late 1800’s and early 1900’s Despite these examples right in front, we saw many
includes the Lever Brothers (now Hindustan Unilever), new international entrants into the Indian market in
GlaxoSmithKline (now GSK), Nestle, Imperial Tobacco 2021-22. While India represents an attractive opportunity
Company (now ITC), Cadbury (now a part of Mondelez) for imported food and drink products, foreign companies
among others. must take heed of the particular challenges of the Indian
market if they are to avoid potential falls.
Some remain their respective category leaders while
others failed to attract consumer’s attention. One such “The overall geopolitical landscape after the
name is Danone. This multinational European company pandemic has acted as a catalyst for foreign investors
marked its entry into the Indian market in 2010 and to set up businesses in India, as the case for investment
offered products like flavoured smoothies and yogurts at diversification across multiple geographies became
premium prices. It later realised the merit of having one's stronger”, said Mohit Bhasin, Partner and Head –
own milk procurement and set up an infrastructure in Economic Development Advisory, KPMG India.
Punjab. But despite making all the right moves Danone
didn't succeed in India, and left in 2018. New players wow the market
One of the most influential changes in the
One also remembers the name of Dunkin' Donuts, a
popular American multinational coffee and doughnut behaviour of food consumption that we are coming
company. In 2012, Jubilant Food Works opened its first across is from the ‘K culture’. Thus we see a lot of Korean
Dunkin Donuts in India and eventually expanded to 77 foods becoming popular in India. Leveraging on this
stores across the country within a short time. However opportunity, South Korea-based confectionery company
soon after, their stores went down from 77 to 37. Initially, Orion has invested Rs 200 crore to set up a 17,385-square-
the concept of doughnuts was welcomed especially by metre manufacturing facility for the production of
young adults. But unlike Americans, Indians did not prefer Original ‘Choco-Pie’ cookies locally and the soon-to-be
doughnuts for breakfast since they were and still are a introduced product portfolio in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan as
little biased towards their traditional fare such as paratha, part of its growth drive. The new plant will also cater to
idly, dosa, bhakri, ragi balls, among others. local taste preferences and is producing a 100 per cent
vegetarian range of Choco Pies.
Then we have our very popular Kellogg’s brand from
the US. Kellogg’s tried to enter the Indian market after “Given the annual confectionery market of around
realising that the market in the US was more or less $15 billion for a 1.3 billion population, there is a
saturated back in the 90s. While it was a seemingly good huge scope for a player like us. Orion has partnered
business opportunity, Kellogg’s made a few mistakes and with confectionary specialist Mann Ventures for the
misjudged the correct way to advertise their offerings. production of Choco-Pie locally. In the coming months,
As a result, the brand did not click with the consumers. Orion plans to add more ‘Made in India’ products to its
Eventually, they repositioned themselves as an evening offerings and will be introducing more global offerings
to Indian consumers”, said Saurabh Saith, Chief Executive

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in INVESTMENT HUB 35

Officer, Orion India. “Given the annual
Another big investment plan which is pushing confectionery market of
around $15 billion for
plant-based trends in India is coming from Japanese a 1.3 billion population
startup Next Meats. It has teamed up with an Indian in India, there is a huge
food-tech startup Vegan Meat India to launch meat- scope for a player like us.”
free alternatives. The company, which is listed in the
American Stock market, is planning to expand its product - Saurabh Saith,
assortment by introducing plant-based cakes, vegan Chief Executive Officer, Orion India
cheese, tuna, egg and soya milk especially for their
consumers in India in the price range of Rs 250- 400. The “India is the biggest
products will have their online retail presence in five cities consumer market in the
including Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and world. Our products
Mumbai. are high in protein,
low in saturated fats
“As our modern lives have become more convenient, with no added flavours and
it has taken an inconvenient toll on our environment.
Thinking things through from the perspective of our cholesterol. These items are just
planet’s well-being, led to our discovery of plant-based
meats. Now we know we can’t shift our global eating apt for people suffering from diabetes and blood
culture of meat-based diets overnight. But if we focus
on delivering the best tasting plant-based products, we pressure.”
believe it will lead us to a future where people will make
a choice that is better for them and our planet. India is - Ryo Shirai,
the biggest consumer market in the world. Our products
are high in protein, low in saturated fats with no added Founder, Next Meats
flavors and cholesterol. These items are just apt for
people suffering from diabetes and blood pressure. We “We hope to eventually
are excited to cater our Indian consumers,” said Ryo Shirai, produce a total of 10,000
Founder, Next Meats. tonnes of Tempeh a
year to give the Indian
Up next is the Dutch food production system Tempeh diet a healthy and
that has been recently launched in India by Netherlands- sustainable protein boost.”
based Schouten Food. The company is introducing an
innovative way to produce food in a sustainable and - Henk Schouten,
healthy way using protein-rich Tempeh that is locally Chief Executive Officer, Schouten Food
produced in high-tech small fermentation units (SFU). The
company hopes to have at least 100 SFUs in operation in “The overall geopolitical
India by 2025. landscape after the
pandemic has acted as
“Tempeh is an ancient vegetable protein source a catalyst for foreign
based on soy and made by fermenting soybeans. investors to set up
The process occurs through the influence of a fungus businesses in India.”
(Rhizopus oligosporus), which binds the soybeans into
a whole. It is completely plant-based, contains about 22 - Mohit Bhasin,
grams of protein per 100 grams and is rich in B vitamins, Partner and Head – Economic Development
iron, minerals and fibre. Tempeh can also be made with
other types of beans or chickpeas. We hope to eventually Advisory, KPMG India
produce a total of 10,000 tonnes of Tempeh a year in
order to give the Indian diet a healthy and sustainable “In the next four years, we
protein boost”, said Henk Schouten, Chief Executive plan to open 250 stores
Officer, Schouten Food. of Figaro’s Pizza across
major cities through
Then there is the entry of the Australian food group, exclusive development
Simplot Australia, with the launch of its Leggo’s pasta and franchise partners.”
pizza sauces in India, last year. Leggo’s joins a growing
band of Australian food producers that are marketing - Venus Barak,
brands in India, including via e-commerce platforms. Chief Executive Officer, FranGlobal

36 INVESTMENT HUB NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

“India is, obviously, a to give it a try. If we went early, we could build our brand
developing market and and give it some heritage before global competitors
consumers in India arrived. Also, lockdowns in India accelerated trends
are willing to try new towards home-cooking, so demand rapidly increased
and different things. in early 2020. Austrade fast-tracked our entry into India
Austrade fast-tracked our by making vital connections to reliable distributors”,
entry into India by making vital said David Malone, International Sales and Marketing
connections to reliable distributors.” Manager, Simplot Australia.

- David Malone, Adding to this list is the entry of two new
International Sales and Marketing Manager, international food service brands that have stepped into
the market in 2022- Figaro’s Pizza and Popeye’s. While
Simplot Australia American QSR restaurant chain serving Italian cuisine,
Figaro’s Pizza has announced their expansion in the
“For international food Indian market in association with FranGlobal, Jubilant
brands entering the Foodworks has launched the US fried chicken brand
Indian market, the Popeyes in India with the first restaurant opening in
decision to enter the Bengaluru.
market organically
versus forming local “In the next four years, we plan to open 250 stores
across major cities through exclusive development
partnerships is key.” franchise partners. Our team will be working with Figaro’s
team for menu and product development. We have
- Shubh Karman Singh, already started working with real estate developers for
initial key locations”, said Venus Barak, Chief Executive
Angel investor Officer, FranGlobal.

US pork products to Sharing his views on the various strategies to be
enter Indian market considered by the foreign players before entering the
Indian market, Shubh Karman Singh, an angel investor,
Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of said “For a successful entry in the Indian market,
Agriculture and Katherine Tai, Trade Representative international food brands should focus on getting three
have announced that the Government of India key pieces of their strategy right – target consumer
has agreed to allow imports of US pork and pork profile, pricing strategy and market entry channel. The
products into India, removing a longstanding decision to enter the market organically versus forming
barrier to US agricultural trade. In 2020, the United local partnerships is key. While organic entry may
States was the world’s third-largest pork producer translate to better control over the brand and product
and second-largest exporter, with global sales of as well as higher margins, tying up with a local partner
pork and pork products valued at $7.7 billion. In can provide access to local know-how to ease the
India, the majority of the Indian pork consumers market entry and help mitigate unproductive and costly
reside in the northeast and south regions, and thus mistakes.”
might be most benefited by this announcement.
However, we see a tone of disagreement setting in. Choosing the right partner is one among the many
factors that the international brands must consider
E-commerce is proving an effective route to market before entering a new territory. Further, the foreign
for Australian food brands in India. Exporters say it allows brands should carefully juggle between brand loyalty
them to test markets and then branch out to offline retail. and brand awareness while launching their products.
To date, 35 Australian exporters have used the ‘Australian Whether it’s the confectionary of Cadbury’s or Horlicks’,
Store’ on Amazon India to enter and test the market. these products have won over the hearts of generations
Additionally, Austrade is helping Australian businesses of Indian consumers. But recent surveys indicate that the
expand into India through the Australia India Business jump in brand awareness has not been matched by a
Exchange (AIBX) programme. corresponding leap in brand loyalty. Thus focusing on key
aspects of Indian life i.e. traditional and contemporary,
“India is obviously a developing market. Consumers will go a long way to securing sustainable growth for the
in India are willing to try new and different things. We international players.
investigated the market and sensed the timing was right
Ila Kaushik
[email protected]

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in NUTRI CROP 37

Millets: Key to Food
and Nutrition Security

Dietary patterns in India have shifted away from traditional staple food Dr Sujeet Ranjan,
grains, which were largely millets, towards the post-green revolution staples
such as wheat and rice. This dietary shift from traditional to ‘modern’ foods is Public Health Nutritionist
considered to be one of the main reasons for diet-related non-communicable

illnesses as well as malnutrition in India. Let's explore how we can achieve
nutrition and food security with a conscious millet rich diet adoption.

It is noteworthy that all socioeconomic groups have that these ‘smart foods’ can boost growth in children
exhibited a marked shift in grain consumption from a and adolescents by 26-39 per cent when they replace
predominantly millet-based diet to a rice and wheat- rice in standard meals. Results suggest that millets can
based diet, though it is more pronounced in urban areas. significantly contribute to overcoming malnutrition.
Among the children (Infants, preschool and school
Government policies, specifically in the form of children, adolescents) fed millet-based meals, a
distribution of subsidised rice and wheat through public relative increase of 28.2 per cent in mean height, 26
distribution system (PDS), are primarily responsible for per cent in weight, 39 per cent in the mid upper arm
the dietary shift among the rural and urban poor. In circumference and 37 per cent in chest circumference
populations with higher disposable incomes, millets was noted when compared to children on regular rice-
are often seen as ‘coarse’ grains and are not preferred based diets. Children studied had consumed millets
for daily consumption. The predominance of rice and over 3 months to 4.5 years. These findings provide
wheat rather than in processed and convenient foods evidence that nutrition intervention programmes can
produced by the industry compounds the problem in be developed and adapted to increase diversity in
this socioeconomic group. meals using millets, and thus to improve the nutritional
content, including in school feeding and mother and
Treasure trove of nutrients child programmes. Millets help meet many of the largest
Millets are rich sources of nutrients like carbohydrate, nutrition and health needs. They not only help tackle
child undernutrition, but also assist in managing Type 2
protein, dietary fibre, good quality fat and have Diabetes as well as overcoming iron deficiency anaemia,
substantially higher amounts of minerals like calcium, lowering total cholesterol levels, obesity and the risk of
potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and B cardiovascular disease.
complex vitamins making them a preferable choice
over the cereal grains. It also contains several bioactive Surge in millet products
phytochemicals including feraxans, lignans, β-glucan, After a few decades of not considering millets,
inulin, resistant starch, sterols and phenolic compounds
(e.g. ferulic acid, caffeic acid and quercetin). Studies the food industry has started recognising the unique
have supported the role of polyphenols in antioxidant, nutritional qualities of millets and has been building a
anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and sizable product portfolio with millets. Today, there are
neuroprotective activities which in all has shown to be many products ranging from millet rice to multi grain
beneficial against diseases like cancer and cardiovascular mixes, instant mixes, breakfast and snack items.
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
inflammatory diseases, metabolic syndrome and Millet product technologies have been diversified
Parkinson’s disease. Millets are also regarded to have into various Ready to Cook forms such as Vermicelli,
antimicrobial and DNA damage protection activities due Pasta, Instant Dosa, Upma, Kheer mixes, etc. and into
to their phytochemical content. A very high proportion various Ready to Eat forms such as Cookies, Muffins,
of the millet grain comprises dietary fibre and non-starch Ready-to-Eat cereals, Flakes, Murukku, Chikki, Extruded
polysaccharides which help in weight regulation. Due Snacks, etc.
to high fiber content and the slow release of glucose,
millets are an excellent choice of food for diabetics. Consumer demand also seems to be high. As
reported by India's largest online grocery store, they are
Scientific evidence also shows eating millets leads offering the 50+ millet-based products and continuously
to better growth in children. Researchers have found working towards bringing the new alternatives to meet

38 NUTRI CROP NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

the needs of diverse and wellness seeking consumers. with the government regulations for procurement need
The big brands such as ITC, Kellogg’s, Britannia, MTR to be refined to meet the reality, and help processors
to comply with and aggressively leverage them for
Foods, Big Basket, etc.have already diversified into millet- high product flow. Especially the Food Safety and
based products and have been planning for the long Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to collaborate
term with millets. The industry is very optimistic about with the concerned organisations for keeping the
meeting the nutritional needs of consumers with millets standards and guidelines for nutritional, shelf life, foreign
in the coming days and has been laying plans to develop contamination, etc in place.
numerous commercially viable products. However, millet
foods are still only a niche market. These Supply – Demand changes have placed the
millet prices high and have limited their accessibility
The fast-changing millets landscape through huge too. The best and proven way to bring down the prices
realisation regarding nutritional benefits of millets and make them accessible food sources is to increase
along with consumer awareness about the traditional the production backed by increasing demand. Hence
millets has been opening up the opportunities in the policy intervention is key for millet production and
food sector. This has manifested as 400 plus millet- consumption to increase and thus to rebuild the
based startups in the last five years. The investments in nutritional security for the population.
the millets landscape have been estimated to be above
Rs 2000 crore and the coming days are likely to see an As rightly pointed out by the industry experts, the
exponential rise in market size. two major threads of the demand for millets are weak.
One is consumer demand that has declined over decades
After sensing the wave of resonating awareness because of the availability of other grains at cheaper
about millets, many giant private players realised the prices, incentivised grains through public distribution,
roadblocks existing in the present supply chain. Millets changes in taste preferences, inconvenience in cooking
value chain being unexplored and unexploited, there the millets, non-availability of millet-based products in
is lack of suitable varieties, farming practices, proper the market, technological stagnation, lack of consumer
technologies, standards and guidelines for procurement awareness on nutrition benefits of millets, etc.
and handling of millets. This resulted in a struggling
backend for food processors and hindering the traction The second factor is the lack of demand for industrial
for innovation and replication for reaching the bigger application. The efforts for exploring and developing
segment of consumers. the industrial use for millets will increase the demand
and will result in the increased production which is the
Encouraging private players essential recipe for both bringing down the prices as well
For private players to scale up the millet’s category as making the millets a remunerative crop.

from niche to mainstream category, the challenges Initiatives of state governments
It’s encouraging to see that the Government of India

and various states like Karnataka and Odisha have led
the cause to improve consumption of millets and make
it a popular food choice. The state of Madhya Pradesh is
promoting locally grown millets and its inclusion as part
of supplementary nutrition programme (SNP).

The Government of India had launched the National
Millet Mission in 2018 and celebrated that year as the
‘National Year of Millets’. With 2023 notified as the
International Year of Millets by the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the country
needs to be ready with integration of backward and
supply chain, sufficient production, strong value chain,
diverse range of value-added product technologies, USPs
in place, consumer awareness and communication, clear
standards and guidelines, policy support, incubation,
branding, etc. for tapping the export market potential
and passing the heritage of India to the world community
as future cereal foods that are on trend with nutritional
benefits and offer functional health benefits.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in NUTRITION 39

Can Private Sector make
'Workforce Nutrition' Click?

Globally, deaths attributable to poor diet have grown by 15 per cent since 2010, Tarun Vij,
more rapidly than population growth. Poor diet comprises lack of optimal amount
of food and nutrients in the plate, leading to malnourishment. One in three people Country Director,
Global Alliance for
suffers from at least one type of malnutrition, worldwide. We shall decipher the Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
role of 'Workforce Nutrition' programmes by the private sector and how it can

benefit both employees and employers, with employees experiencing increased
job satisfaction, reduced sick days, increased wage earnings, as well as higher
consumption of healthy foods and better health.

In the context of India, 15.3 per cent of the population to impaired performance, reduced productivity and
is undernourished, 24 per cent women and 22.9 per absenteeism from work.
cent men are obese, and more than 57 per cent of
women suffer from iron-deficiency anaemia, making Role of private sector
malnutrition a public health challenge. Apart from this, While nations around the world continue their effort
more than 12 million deaths in adults are caused due
to diet-related non-communicable diseases, globally. In to combat malnutrition, there are opportunities for
India alone, non-communicable diseases cause 65.9 per the private sector to play a catalytic role in sustaining
cent of total deaths. a healthy and thriving workforce. Given that most of
the working-age population will eat at least one meal a
Malnutrition has consequences beyond individuals’ day at work; access to nutritious food in work settings
health and wellbeing and can negatively impact the is often inadequate – a missed opportunity given the
economic potential of nations. A recent report by strong connection between health, nutrition, and
Chatham House reveals that malnutrition could be productivity. Private sector investment in human capital
costing low and middle-income countries over $850 through workforce nutrition-sensitive programmes can
billion annually through loss in productivity. A similar not only reap benefits for employers but also impact
study in 19 countries estimates that $8-38 billion per national economies and global public health.
year is lost from reduced worker productivity due to
employees being underweight, and $4-27 billion per 'Workforce Nutrition', as defined by the Global
year due to obesity. Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), refers to a set of
interventions that work through the existing structures
The problem of poor nutrition is complex, of the workplace to address fundamental aspects of
encompassing lack of diversity and awareness about nutrition amongst employees and/or supply chain
food, inadequate food intake, affordability, accessibility workers. These programmes aim to create improved
to nutritious food, and underlying factors related access to, and demand for safe and nutritious food.
to poor water and sanitation. More recently, the Breastfeeding support programmes are included in
COVID-19 pandemic has further added to these existing this definition. Traditionally, governments have been
challenges. The partial or total national lockdowns accountable for taking initiatives and addressing health
severely affected the population working in small and and nutrition issues.
medium-sized companies, and low-wage workers in
the informal sector who had limited access to safety Workforce nutrition programmes by the private
nets. Evidence around disruptions of the food supply sector can benefit both employees and employers, with
chain during the pandemics shows that providing food employees experiencing increased job satisfaction,
security to the poor was a challenge. A survey of 12 reduced sick days, increased wage earnings, as well
states in India found that many households reduced as higher consumption of healthy foods and better
the number of items in a meal and the overall number health. Businesses gain benefits in the form of reduced
of meals in a day. Reports also indicated that rural India absenteeism, enhanced productivity, lower rates of
was already eating less food and less nutritious food. accidents and mistakes, and improved brand reputation.
Failure to provide these basic nutritional intake to the Workforce nutrition programmes are cost-effective and
vulnerable population results in failure to achieve the straightforward to implement, fitting well with existing
recommended daily levels of micronutrients leading business structures and providing a high return on
investment.

40 NUTRITION NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Nutrition-sensitive programmes World Bank analysis estimated that every $1 invested
A global review of workforce nutrition initiatives in interventions to meet the World Health Assembly
nutrition targets would yield an economic return of
found that businesses and employers have implemented between $4 and $35.
nutrition-sensitive programmes in the following four
broad areas: Awareness, access and consumption
(i) Creation of access to safe and nutritious foods within At GAIN, the Workforce Nutrition programme is

the work environments through the introduction of being implemented across four countries: India, Kenya,
healthy food at work. Employers provide healthy food Bangladesh, and Malawi, catering to workers involved
for free, with subsidies, or at full cost to employees. in the tea sector and garment factories. In India, the
(ii) Generation of demand and behaviour change for programme is tailored to improve the awareness,
healthier diets through the introduction of nutrition access, and consumption of nutritious food amongst
education programmes focused on changing tea estate workers and their families through behaviour
attitudes and behaviour. Nutrition-sensitive change communication (BCC) interventions and
communication strategies have been enabled to market-based supply-chain interventions. The first
generate awareness. phase of the programme has shown promising results
(iii) Provided the opportunity to access nutrition-
focused health checks and counselling with an increase in minimum dietary diversity
where relevant. This helped by 15-24 per cent among farmers
in the prevention of non- and tea estate workers, especially
communicable diseases women, and improvement in
and aided employees knowledge about healthier
to understand their diets among workers in
health, nutritional Assam. Additionally, despite
risk factors, and a nationwide COVID-19
lifestyle changes. lockdown, the market
(iv) Promotion of supply chain model in
breastfeeding tea estates sustained its
support to allow operations and expanded
working parents to its range of nutritious
provide adequate food products to support
nutrition to their the consumption of
infants and ensure regular food among the tea
the development estate families at the most
of supportive difficult of times. The monthly
environments for order value of products by
women employees retailers, which started with Rs
catering. 7,400 in September 2019 increased
The focus by ‘Workforce Nutrition’ to Rs 6,70,540 in September 2021 even
programmes on introducing healthy food
at work to increase access to nutrition at work, behaviour after COVID-19 restrictions. This implies
change interventions, nutrition-focused health that both awareness and access resulted in increased
checks, and supporting working mothers to optimally consumption of nutritious food products such as
breastfeed, is an important aspect of workplace food fortified cooking oil, pulses, eggs, vegetables, etc which
systems that can have a positive on employees’ health were less consumed previously.
and simultaneous positive business outcomes. The
scientific evidence of the present systematic review Workforce nutrition policies and programmes need
shows that it is possible to positively influence work- not be just one-off employee welfare activities, but
related outcomes, especially absenteeism, through an integral part of the sustainable business practices
health promotion efforts. of the organisations. From an employer’s perspective,
Success in tackling malnutrition in all its forms can these programmes represent an investment in the well-
have a multiplier effect at both household and economic being of employees and a win-win opportunity for the
levels, improving health, boosting consumer incomes, businesses and workers, due to its potential to increase
and stimulating economic development. A recent productivity and revenue, positively impact worker
health, and additionally contribute to attainment of the
overall nutritional goals of the country.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FOOD FRAUD 41

How Food Fraud Plays Nakul Pasricha,
with Consumer Safety
and Brand Reputation President,
Authentication Solution
Food fraud is fast becoming one of the most heinous crimes committed against humanity. Providers’ Association (ASPA)
It is a much bigger problem than assumed and, unfortunately, one of the most widespread

crimes worldwide. As such, food fraud always concerns the quality of food. It includes
adulteration, tampering, mislabelling, theft, under reporting of production, diversion,

simulation, counterfeit, refilling and diversion of government supplies etc.

Global Impact Enforcement report:
As per estimates, the food industry lost 3 year trend (2016-17 to 2018-19)

EUR 30 billion every year due to food fraud Year No of samples No of samples
(European Commission, 2018). According to The
Consumer Brands Association approximately 10 analysed found non-
of commercially produced food and beverage
products are affected by fraud. To give a hint, in the conforming
latest Operation APSON, coordinated by Europol's
Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition 2016-17 78,340 18,325
and INTERPOL, more than €100 million worth of
potentially dangerous food and drinks were seized. 2017-18 99,353 24,262
The problem is much bigger than economical
losses. While the seizure data is anecdotal and may 2018-19 1,06,459 30,415
only reflect crime prevention tactics, an increasing
number of incidents indicate that food fraud is Source: FSSAI
growing worldwide.
Food most impacted by fraud
The impact of food fraud is beyond economic Every household item is impacted by food fraud,
losses as there are health costs to consumers
poisoned by spurious and adulterated food. including Olive oil, seafood, milk-based products,
Approximately $100 billion is lost each year in honey, natural sweeteners, fruit juices, coffee and tea,
productivity and medical expenses from unsafe spices, organic products, jaggery, etc. Last year, during
food in low-and middle-income countries. Almost April 2021, more than 400+ people were hospitalised,
600 million (60 crore) people fall ill after eating suspected of eating adulterated buckwheat (Kuttu
contaminated food, and 420,000 die every year. Atta). In another shocking incident, in December 2020,
Children under five years of age carry 40 per cent of police officials seized a factory in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh,
the foodborne disease burden, with 125,000 deaths making fake spices from donkey dungs, bhusa, and acids.
every year. These incidents raised questions over several increasing
incidents of food adulteration cases in India and how far
Scenario in India the food we eat is safe?
In the Indian scenario, the situation is not
Brand reputation takes hit
different. As per the Food Safety and Standards Food fraud is impacting both brand and legitimate
Authority of India (FSSAI) findings, during 2018-19,
1,06,459 samples were analysed. 3.7 per cent of industries directly and indirectly. Food frauds impact
these were unsafe, 15.8 per cent substandard, and individual brands and the entire industry's goodwill and
9 per cent samples had labelling defects. This is the reputation. Apart from societal there are economical
first time the data has been compiled separately risks, including loss of business, wastage of food stocks,
for unsafe, substandard, and labelling defects. This maintaining safety and cost of food recalls hitting
would help food safety authorities take specific profitability etc. According to Food Safety magazine,
corrective and preventive action. recall costs are estimated at an average of $10 million per
annum. Food recalls are the biggest threat to the food
industry profitability.

Another classic example is the Maggi Noodle crisis in
2015, which came under fire after laboratory tests found
the famous two-minute instant noodles unsafe for human

42 FOOD FRAUD NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

consumption. Nestle was bound to recall nearly 38,000 formula. The famous Zomato food incident was known
tonnes of Maggi Noodles from retail stores across the to everyone. Zomato quickly confirmed the incident and
country and destroy them. It took almost another year for introduced "tamper-proof packaging" to prevent such
Maggi to return to shops across all states in the country. cases from happening again.

Another example is from Karnataka & Tamil Nadu. Innovative technologies
In September 2020, The Tamil Nadu Food Grains Many food and supplements organisations lack
Merchants Association had alleged that 90 per cent
of the jaggery and jaggery powder produced in end-to-end supply chain traceability. Without a
the state is adulterated and impacting legitimate clear understanding, managing risk becomes more
businesses. Due to the increasing incidence of jaggery challenging resulting in businesses facing food quality
adulteration in Tamil Nadu State, Sabarimala and other and safety issues that could permanently damage
significant temples have started procuring jaggery the brand reputation or, worse, harm consumers. The
from Maharashtra. According to estimates alone, the industry and policymakers in the food industry can take
Sabarimala temple consumed 1,000 tonnes (10 lakh kg) references and benefit from tested solutions adopted
of jaggery annually. by other sectors, including beverages, liquor, and the
pharmaceutical industry.
In similar incidents during March 2021, where traders
in Gujarat decided against buying jaggery manufactured To prevent packaging tampering, food manufacturers
in Karnataka's Mandya district, has cast a shadow over can apply deterrents to each of these packaging items.
the decades-old jaggery business. After the Gujarati Physical solutions such as a tamper-evident hologram,
traders, traders from Rajasthan, Assam, and Madhya holographic shrink sleeves, hidden text printed using
Pradesh have also been mulling over a similar move. The security or magnetic ink solutions can be used, which act
development has exposed the widespread practice of as first deterrents to the counterfeiter.
jaggery adulteration in Mandya, the biggest producer of
jaggery in Karnataka. DNA barcoding, which has seen success when
used to identify fish, is a promising and potentially
Consumer trust very accurate method of identifying the species and
Trust is essential in products mainly related to food, detecting cases of food fraud by substitution. Using
digital technologies over and above the physical
beverages and health items. It has a direct impact on solutions takes the anti-counterfeiting features one step
sales. Many consumers question everything about a further, addressing, and curbing supply chain issues. A
product—from ingredients and place of origin to working unique serial number (URN) is a randomised number
conditions—and for good reasons. Food scandals diminish printed onto the product's packaging. It is impressive
consumer confidence. The 2008 China milk contamination and can be used to define precisely who manufactured
scandals resulted in the death of six innocent babies and the item, where it made its journey through the supply
made 300,000 ill. According to surveys, even after almost chain and the country or state of origin.
ten years, parents in China won't trust their babies to local
What's the solution?
We recommend measures including:

 Include the topic of food fraud when discussing
emerging issues regarding food safety

 Adopt a definition of food fraud at the national level
 Review national food safety and quality legislation
 Develop a framework to respond to challenges

related to food fraud in e-commerce
 Make tamper-proof packaging mandatory for food

items and online deliveries,
 Keep up to date with and invest in new technologies

to counter food fraudsters
These steps are necessary for a better food security
ecosystem in India. Eliminating food fraud activities
from the whole ecosystem is a long long way. However,
a solution-driven phased approach that prioritises
immediate action and long-term steps can bring
effective change.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in FOOD COLOURS 43

Why Natural Food
Colours are Way Forward

Rising consumer awareness about the harmful side effects associated with Dr KV Satyanarayana,
synthetic additives and colours, the growing clean label trends as well as
Food Processing practice lead,
stringent labelling requirements in major markets are driving the demand for Sathguru Management Consultants
natural colours in the food and beverage industry. Let’s examine the exciting

possibilities offered by natural food colour sources.

While there are hundreds of natural compounds Innovations in natural colours
contributing to various shades of colours, Leading food colour players are focussing on
only few of them such as anthocyanins,
betalaine, carotenoids, carmine, curcumin, paprika, etc. extraction, formulation and delivery technologies to
are approved for food industry applications. Spirulina make the natural food colours safer, cost-efficient, more
extract, a blue colouring agent obtained by aqueous stable to heat, light and pH. Adoption of formulation
extraction of Arthrospira platensis biomass is the more and stabilisation technologies like micro-encapsulation,
recently approved colouring agent by US FDA and EU. The emulsion techniques for better miscibility etc. have
food industry categories of bakery, beverages, breakfast expanded the applications of natural colours across
cereals, confectionary, dairy, plant-based meat, etc. have the food and beverages categories. Formulation
high demand for vibrant shades of blue, green, red and technologies are also being used to make the natural
yellow offering growth opportunities for natural food colours remain fixed in product without bleeding
colours. The global food colours industry is dominated by or colour precipitation. A multipronged approach
MNCs like Sensient, GNT, Kalsec, Chr Hansen, ADM, DDW, like stabilisation technologies and use of novel raw
LycoRed, Naturex. Europe is the largest market for natural materials can be adopted to address colour stability.
food colours followed by the USA. E.g. Anthocyanin pigments are stable only at lower pH
but anthocyanin pigments containing acyl groups are
Major challenges highly stable with low sensitivity to pH changes. The
Several global food companies have pledged to acylated anthocyanins can be sourced from vegetables
like black carrot, red cabbage, red radish etc. Formulation
remove artificial colours from their products in the technologies like emulsification, encapsulation can
last few years. While they have succeeded in removing also increase colour stability. Water based extraction
artificial colours from most products, the shift has been technologies can address the solvent residue problem
gradual due to challenges such as lack of stability and and meet the stringent extraction guidelines for certified
vibrancy of natural colours, higher cost-in-use compared organic colours.
to artificial colours, and lack of consumer demand
for replacing artificial colours in brightly hued foods Food colours in India
with duller natural colours. Natural colours also face The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
food safety and supply chain issues such as pesticide
residues, aflatoxin/ochratoxin (e.g. paprika), pathogen (FSSAI) permits eight synthetic colours with limits to be
contamination, solvent residues, adulteration with added to specific foods namely Erythrosine, Carmoisine
synthetic versions (e.g. curcumin). On the regulatory & Ponceau 4R (Red), Sunset Yellow & Tartrazine (Yellow),
front, standards and specifications for food colours Indigo Carmine & Brilliant Blue FCF (Blue) and Fast Green
vary across countries with respect to permitted food FCF (Green). Addition of inorganic colouring matters
colouring additives, their dosages and colouring and pigments is prohibited. FSSAI approved natural
additives classified as ‘natural’. This lack of harmonisation colouring principles (isolated from natural colours or
of standards across countries poses challenges for produced synthetically) such as Carotene & Carotenoids,
packaged food manufacturers to use standardised Chlorophyll, Riboflavin, Caramel, Annatto, Saffron and
product formulations and labelling information in Curcumin or turmeric can also be used in foods. The
multiple markets. market penetration of synthetic colours is very strong in
India due to lower cost-in-use and their stability. There

44 FOOD COLOURS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

are reports of indiscriminate use of synthetic colours ensuring food safe natural colours. India’s exports of
and their combinations especially in the small-scale and food colour were valued at > $250 million in 2018 with
unorganised sector. However, regulatory enforcement, significant exports to US, EU, China, Brazil and Mexico.
increasing consumer awareness and availability of cost- The tropical conditions and the large production areas
effective natural colours can drive the preference away for fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs in India makes
from synthetic colours to natural colours. the availability of raw materials for natural colours at
scale very easy. India is a leading producer of turmeric,
In December 2020, FSSAI introduced FSS (Food paprika, many fruits and vegetables and has great
Products Standards and Food Additives) Tenth potential for sources like Annatto and Spirulina.
Amendment Regulations (2020), which recognised
‘Colouring Foods’ as a separate category. ‘Colouring Developing vertically integrated supply chains for
Foods’ are defined as products obtained from the fruits, natural food colours is critical for securing supply of
vegetables, spices and herbs normally consumed as food raw materials, stabilising raw materials costs, increasing
or as a characteristic ingredient of food. These should be crop productivity as well as ensuring quality control
prepared by aqueous extraction without any selective across the value chain. The major cost of typical natural
extraction of pigments, retaining essential characteristics colour is due to its raw material. Breeding varieties with
of source material’s colour, taste and odour. The new higher pigment content can reduce the cost-in-use of
standard considers ‘Colouring Foods’ as a food ingredient natural colours by reducing the raw material required for
in food products for the primary function of colouring extraction/ reducing the usage levels. Curcumin content
as against the synthetic and natural colours which are in Indian turmeric varieties is lesser than in turmeric from
considered additives. This is similar to the term ‘colouring Southeast Asian nations, forcing many extraction players
foodstuff’ in Europe that is widely used for food to import turmeric for blending. Breeding hybrids (like
ingredients contributing to food colouring; and classified paprika) with different shades can provide opportunities
as ingredients and not additives, without need for having to launch unique shades of natural colours. Indian
E-numbers on labels. The new FSSAI standards specify food colour manufacturers can partner with research
the allowed sources and aqueous extraction to produce organisations/ private seed companies to develop
‘Colouring Foods’ paving the way for launching products varieties/ hybrids with unique colours and higher
with natural and clean labels in India. pigment content.

Opportunity for natural colours in India Vertical integration can provide competitive
The growing clean label trend and the recent advantage to Indian food colour suppliers by
providing the opportunity to demonstrate traceability,
regulatory developments provides a great opportunity transparency and sustainability measures deployed
for natural colours used in the growing domestic food in the supply chain and help them acquire customers
industry. However, the higher cost-in-use of natural in key markets. Opportunities can be explored to
colours is likely to remain a major barrier especially in extract natural colours from by-products or waste from
low margin products/ categories. Indian food colour processing industries such as peels of fruits and position
manufacturers have great opportunity in the domestic the sustainable production of such natural colours as
as well as export markets by expanding their scale, upcycled colours. The global growth in certified organic
range of stable colours and controlling supply chains foods presents a great opportunity for Indian food colour
manufacturers to offer a full range of certified organic
colours. Apart from sourcing organically grown raw
materials, the extraction process and processing aids
may need to be modified for some colours considering
stringent extraction guidelines for organic certification.

A ‘colorful’ future
Development of cost-effective natural colours,

adoption of formulation technologies to address
stability challenges and the development of value
chains for natural food colours will create opportunities
for the expansion of the natural food colours market in
India. Harmonisation of the labelling requirements for
natural colours will also help the food manufacturers in
marketing their products easily across geographies.

NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in 45

OBITUARY

Dr RB Smarta passes away

Dr RB Smarta, Founder and
Managing Director of Interlink Marketing
Consultancy, passed away on January
25 due to cardiac arrest. He was 77. He
was undergoing treatment for COVID-19
at the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.

A regular columnist for nuFFooDS
Spectrum magazine, Dr Smarta
was a reputed consultant, corporate
trainer and mentor for corporations
in Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical,
Wellness, Healthcare and Life Sciences
industry for over three decades.

He received his PhD in Management
Sciences from the University of East
Georgia in 1982 and was affiliated with
FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society of
Arts) by RSA, UK and CMC (Certified
Member of Consultants) by Institute
of Management Consultants of India
(IMCI). He has made considerable
contribution to the International
Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Delhi
Pharmaceutical Trust (DPT), All India
Drugs Control Officers' Confederation
(AIDCOC), IPA (Indian Pharmaceutical
Association) for their projects. He
had addressed many national and
international seminars organised by
Indian Drug Manufacturers Association
(IDMA), Organisation of Pharmaceutical
Producers of India (OPPI), Nutra India, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
(FICCI), The Health Foods & Dietary Supplements Association (HADSA)- Nutraceutical summits,
Nutracon – Hong Kong, Strategic Management at IBC–Singapore, FIP at Amsterdam, Ayurvedic
Congress etc.

He has more than 45 years of experience in the industry including over 30 years in management
and business consulting. Being a thought leader, he has helped the management of a number
of organisations set up and grow through strategic initiatives in the Indian pharmaceutical,
nutraceuticals, diagnostics, animal health and healthcare domains. He was assisting Industry
associations in creating the new business of nutraceuticals in India.

As an author he has contributed over 100 articles on marketing and management to business
periodicals apart from having authored two research books- 'Strategic Pharmaceutical Marketing' and
'Revitalizing the Pharmaceutical Business'. He had also co-authored the book (Mega) Market—in
German and English and was a contributing author for Innovation of Healthy and Functional Foods.

He was a recipient of the prestigious 'Rashtriya Ekta Award' by the Global Economic Council of
India in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of management.

46 INGREDIENTS NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 2022 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Protein consumption in India
driven by health concerns: Kerry

A new global research, The above the global average. The purchase choices. The report also
Protein Mindset: Uncovering research details how consumers found that consumers in India
Consumers’ Perceptions and around the world increasingly are willing to pay a premium for
Preferences of Proteins has perceive protein content and protein fortification, with 94 per
uncovered that most protein quality as fundamental drivers cent open to paying a higher
consumers in India are motivated of their food and beverage price and 69 per cent willing to
by health and wellness. The pay at least 10 per cent more.
research undertaken by Ireland- When it comes to purchase
based food company Kerry considerations for protein-rich
reveals that 56 per cent of protein food and beverages, the research
consumers associate protein revealed that quality of protein
with a healthy diet, 50 per cent is the leading purchase driver for
with generally healthy and 49 60 per cent of consumers in India,
per cent associating protein with followed by natural ingredients,
immunity boost, significantly then brand name and taste.

Firmenich to commercialise Univar opens new
Finlays’ tea & coffee
extract biz in Europe food solution centre

Firmenich, Switzerland-based fragrance and taste company, and innovation hub
and Finlays, a leading supplier of tea, coffee and botanical
solutions, have entered an agreement giving Firmenich full sales Univar Solutions Inc., a US-based chemical
rights to Finlays’ European tea and coffee extracts portfolio in and ingredient distributor and provider
Europe, effective immediately. As a part of this new agreement, of value-added services, has announced a
Firmenich will focus on commercialising two core parts of Finlays’ collaboration with The Hatchery Chicago, a
extract business in Europe: its world-leading Cold Brew Coffee nonprofit food business incubator, to foster
portfolio and its Tea Extract portfolio. The Cold Brew Coffee food and beverage innovation in one of
portfolio serves a rapidly growing segment within the European North America's largest incubator facilities.
region, and is crafted using a proprietary process which delivers The Hatchery Chicago is now home to Univar
a distinctly smooth, rich flavour experience. Finlays’Tea Extract Solutions’ new Food Solution Centre, which
portfolio includes The Wellbeing Collection, a range of premium, is part of a specialised network of Solution
all-natural tea extracts which are rich in bioactive compounds Centers around the globe. These state-
associated with various health benefits. These extracts are of-the-art centers of excellence include
sustainably sourced from Finlays’ own tea farms, with on-site formulation labs, research and development
extraction facilities that enable tea leaves to be harvested and centers and test kitchens that help deliver
extracted on the same day, thereby preserving their fresh flavor innovative solutions across a range of
and natural bioactive composition. industries. Through the company's work
at The Hatchery Chicago, Univar Solutions
hopes to foster a spirit of innovation and
drive solutions for the technical challenges
shaping the future of food.

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

Barentz acquires Sweegen’s
Grasse in Brazil ‘protein
sweetener’
Barentz International, a leading global life science ingredients distributor facilitates
has, in close collaboration with its joint venture partner Tovani Benzaquen, low calorie
expanded its activities in South America.The company proudly announces F&B product
the acquisition of Grasse Aromas e Ingredientes, a leading Brazilian innovations

distributor of flavour and nutrition US-based Sweegen has announced
ingredients for the human nutrition the commercialisation of its newest
and pharmaceutical industries. advancement in sweetness, the
Grasse Aromas e Ingredientes Ltda, high-intensity sweetener brazzein.
headquartered in Diadema, São Paulo, Food and beverage brands seeking
Brazil, has built a strong position in new ways to create better-for-
the Brazilian food, beverage, and you and reduced sugar products
consumer health markets in the past can begin product development
25 years. The company is renowned activities with Sweegen’s Ultratia
for their expertise in taste and health, supported by their strong sales brazzein. Samples are ready for
force and their own development and application laboratories. brands interested in expanding
their sugar reduction toolkits with
Alland & Robert makes cost-competitive ingredients to
organic acacia gum sugar. Brazzein is 500 to 2,000 times
available to French consumers sweeter than regular sugar and
low-calorie, making it an excellent
For the first time, international leader Alland & Robert makes powdered alternative to sugar, artificial
organic acacia gum available to French consumers. 100 per cent natural, sweeteners, and old generation
vegetable and a prebiotic fiber, it is an ideal and multifunctional ingredient nature-based sweeteners such as
to cook at home. Alland & Robert provides its expertise to consumers for stevia rebaudioside A. Brazzein is
the first time by launching powdered organic acacia gum packaged in a protein sweetener that promises
a doypack of 150 gram net. The product is distributed online via French little to no bitter aftertaste and
marketplaces Greenweez and Amazon. There are two acacia varieties that helps reduce sweet linger, thereby
exudate acacia gum. Alland & Robert’s acacia gum available to consumers reducing the taste challenges that
is of the Senegal variety. It’s the highest quality organic gum with most have historically been a problem in
functional properties. Acacia gum is a real asset for cooks looking for the natural sweetener space.
healthy recipes. It is an extraordinary ingredient, but still little known in
many countries. Its functional properties are so numerous that it is useful
in a multitude of recipes, whether in pastry, baking, in sauces or soups.

48 ACADERM&IDC NEWS NUFFOODS SPECTRUM | March 20221 | www.nuffoodsspectrum.in

Millets boost CSIR-NCL develops new
method for manufacturing
children’s food preservatives

growth, combat A team of researchers at the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory
in Pune have found that electrolysis can be used with surface-
malnutrition: modified electrodes for efficient large-scale transformation
of phenol to 1,4 hydroquinone that is used as intermediate
ICRISAT in the manufacturing of food preservatives. India currently
imports 1,4 hydroquinone at a heavy cost due to lack of efficient
Researchers examining the nutritional processes for conversion of phenol to 1,4 hydroquinone. Phenol
benefits of millets have found that these and its oxidised products like 1,4-hydroquinone, catechol, or
smart foods can boost growth in children resorcinol are vital and primary building blocks used in the
and adolescents by 26- 39 per cent when synthesis of many medicinal and industrially used organic
they replace rice in standard meals. The compounds. Especially products like 1,4 hydroquinone are used
results suggest that millets can significantly as intermediates in the manufacturing of food preservatives.
contribute to overcoming malnutrition. The Electrochemical organic transformations are being looked at
study was published in the journal Nutrients with great interest these days because of the economic and
and is a review and meta-analysis of eight environmental advantages they offer over conventional chemical
prior published studies. It was undertaken transformation methods. As these transformations are typically
by seven organisations in four countries carried out in an aqueous medium by just passing electricity
and was led by Dr S Anitha, Senior Scientist- through the substrate (in this case phenol), no environmentally
Nutrition at Hyderabad-based International hazardous oxidants/reductants are involved in this process.
Crops Research Institute of the Semi-Arid
Tropics (ICRISAT). Among the children fed
millet-based meals, a relative increase of
28.2 per cent in mean height, 26 per cent
in weight, 39 per cent in the mid upper
arm circumference and 37 per cent in chest
circumference was noted when compared
to children on regular rice-based diets. The
children studied consumed millets over 3
months to 4.5 years.

IIT Mandi discovers antiviral
properties of Himalayan Buransh plant

Researchers from the Indian arboreum, are consumed in various ICGEB set out to scientifically test
Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi forms by the local population the extracts containing various
and The International Centre for their varied health benefits. phytochemicals in it, with a
for Genetic Engineering and The scientists from IIT Mandi and particular focus on antiviral activity.
Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, The researchers extracted the
have identified phytochemicals phytochemicals from the Buransh
in the petals of a Himalayan plant petals and performed biochemical
that could potentially be used assays and computational simulation
to treat COVID-19 infections. The studies to understand their antiviral
findings of the research team have properties. Hot water extracts from
been recently published in the these petals were found to be rich
journal Biomolecular Structure in quinic acid and its derivatives.
and Dynamics. The petals of Molecular dynamics studies showed
the Himalayan Buransh plant, that these phytochemicals have two
scientifically called Rhododendron kinds of effects against the virus.

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

FDC picks UFlex’ Asepto as
packaging partner for RTD brand Electral

UFlex’ Asepto, the first Indian solution, drawing attention with light, and air do not contaminate
manufacturer of Aseptic Liquid interactive packaging. Overall, the the liquid ORS packed, and that
Packaging business, has been packaging has not only proved to the product contents stay sterile.
chosen as the packaging partner of be the ideal match facilitating clear As a result, the ORS solution has
FDC brand ‘Electral Z+ (ORS+Zinc communication to consumers, but a long shelf life without having
Solution)’ ready-to-drink OTC also highlighted the product's USP. preservatives. Packaging is
product, having this unique The six-layer packaging ensures that extremely vital for the ORS category
formulation manufactured by external media such as bacteria, for the simple reason that the
Ahmedabad-based Halewood content is sensitive in nature and
Laboratories. The new value- is aimed at boosting immunity.
added variant of Electral launched The launch is an extension of the
in Asepto’s holographic packs is flagship brand Electral with Zinc,
available in pharmacies and health marketed as Electral Z+ (ORS +Zinc
centers across India. Asepto is a Solution) RTD and is available in a
unique 3D holographic packaging 200ml pack, in orange flavour.

Tetra Pak, Elvir launch SIG unveils world’s
caps using certified
recycled polymers first aluminium-

Tetra Pak, in partnership with Elvir, a subsidiary of Savencia free full barrier
Fromage & Dairy has become the first carton packaging
player in the food and beverage industry to launch a cap packaging materials
using certified recycled polymers. This move marks a key
step in both companies’ progress towards circularity. By Swiss firm SIG has announced the launch of
helping to find an economically sound use for plastic waste SIGNATURE EVO, the world’s first aluminium-
and responsibly sourcing raw materials, Tetra Pak and Elvir free full barrier packaging materials for
continue to minimise their dependency on virgin, fossil- aseptic carton packs. SIGNATURE EVO extends
based resources. Elle & Vire chose the HeliCap 23 cap solution SIG’s lower-carbon
to complement its cream products, which are distributed aluminium-free
in Tetra Brik Aseptic 1L Slim carton packages. This one- packaging materials
step resealable screw cap is manufactured at Tetra Pak’s – already available for
Châteaubriant plant in Loire-Atlantique, France – a site that plain white milk – for
wider use with oxygen-
has been awarded the Roundtable on Sustainable sensitive products such
Biomaterials (RSB) Advanced Products as fruit juices, nectars,
certification and boosted by a flavoured milk or
€100 million investment to plant-based beverages.
accelerate the transition SIGNATURE EVO will
to the production of initially be launched
tethered caps. The HeliCap in the combiblocMini
23 cap offers consumers portion-sized format
ease of opening and features before being extended
a clearly visible tamper to other formats. In the
evidence ring, providing future, it will also be
reassurance that the product available in more options
hasn’t been opened before. such as SIGNATURE EVO 100 – SIG’s full barrier
solution for aseptic carton packs linked to 100
per cent renewable forest-based materials.

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

Routing out Anaemia
Anaemia is a public health problem in India.
The prevalence of anaemia among six 2022 in ICDS+ PM POSHAN schemes. Phase II: 175
groups as per the National Family Health LMT of Fortified rice to be distributed till March
Survey 5 (2019-21), is 25.0 per cent in men (15-49 2023 in ICDS+ PM POSHAN +291 Aspirational and
years) and 57.0 per cent in women (15-49 years). High Burden districts. Phase III: 375 LMT of Fortified
31.1 per cent in adolescent boys (15-19 years), rice to be distributed till March 2024 in the entire
59.1 per cent in adolescent girls, 52.2 per cent in targeted public distribution system (TPDS) and
pregnant women (15-49 years) and 67.1 per cent other welfare schemes (OWS). Looking at this data
in children (6-59 months). there is a long way to go from now.

The Government of India had launched the The Statista Research Department in its
Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy with the published data released on October 26, 2021
target to reduce anaemia in the vulnerable age noted that India's rice production volume was
groups such as women, children and adolescents over 122 million metric tonnes for the financial
in life cycle approach providing preventive and year 2021. Except for a few years, the production
curative mechanisms through a 6X6X6 strategy of rice in the country has increased over the last
including six target beneficiaries, six interventions decade. According to the First Advance Estimates
and six institutional mechanisms for all of production of rice for 2021-22 released by the
stakeholders to implement the strategy in 2018. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in
September 2021, rice production is about 107.04
One of the strategies is encouraging increase million metric tonnes. According to Ricepedia,
in intake of iron-rich food through diet diversity/ rice consumption in India is 68.2 kg milled rice per
quantity/frequency and/or fortified foods (like person per year (as of 2009 data).
rice) with focus on harnessing locally available
resources. Rice fortification will help address India being the world's second-largest producer
anaemia where rice is a staple food. of rice, and the largest exporter of rice in the world,
now it has to increase its capacity of fortification
To boost this, in his address on the 75th of rice as the government has set a huge target of
Independence Day (August 15, 2021) Prime offering fortified rice under PDS.
Minister made an announcement that fortified
rice will be provided through all Government of Currently 3100 rice mills have installed blending
India schemes by 2024 through public distribution units in 15 key states with cumulative monthly
system (PDS). blending capacity of around 18 LMT for production
of fortified rice. Standards have been established
The government had already approved the for fortified rice through regulatory agencies such
centrally sponsored pilot scheme ‘Fortification of as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
Rice and its Distribution under PDS’ on February (FSSAI). Similarly, the Bureau of Indian Standards
14, 2019 for a period of three years with total (BIS) has been working on to come out with a
outlay of Rs 174.64 crore. The scheme is being standard for extruder and blending machines for
implemented in 15 districts (1 district per State) fortified rice production for uniformity.
and the government had distributed 3.64 Lakh
Metric Tonnes (LMT) of fortified rice till February 11, The government is making efforts to spread
2022 under the pilot scheme. Out of the 15 states, awareness about fortified rice and its benefits.
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Even experts are of the opinion that there is a
Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, need to amplify efforts to spread awareness about
Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh have started fortified rice and its benefits so that demand is
distribution of fortified rice under the Pilot Scheme. created and acceptability for nutrient-enriched
rice is better. All stakeholders must come together
The government of India has an Action plan to create awareness campaigns using local
for Procurement of Fortified rice for distribution languages to solve the prevalence of anaemia in
under Integrated Child Development Services the country.
(ICDS)/ Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM
POSHAN) and other schemes. Under Phase I: 35 Narayan Kulkarni
LMT of Fortified rice to be distributed till March Editor

[email protected]