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processing Times
www.agronfoodprocessing.com Vol. 14, Issue 08, January 2022 20/-

Commissioners have been PM: The govt will focus on reducing

instructed to guarantee 2% trans
fatty acid level is met
the burden of compliance
D
uring the pre-budget deliberations with the shifting focus on natural farming. He also
corporate leaders, PM Modi assured spoke about the focus of the government towards

T
he Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI) has ordered all state
Food Safety Commissioners to guarantee
compliance with trans fatty acid limitations for
food goods as per food safety standards laws,
which seek to restrict trans fatty acids to 2% from
January 1, 2022.
The food regulator has requested a report on food
industry compliance from the states by January
20.
The FSS (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales)
Regulations (2011) state that “food items
containing edible oils and fats as an ingredient
should not include industrial trans fatty acids in
excess of 2% by mass of the total oils and fats
contained in the product.”
The similar rule will go into force on January
1, 2022. The FSSAI previously said that the
2% trans fatty acid by weight restriction will
be implemented only on items made on or after
January 1, 2022, not earlier. The order also
emphasized that all the Commissioners of Food
Safety of states and central licencing authorities
are requested to carry out a 100 percent
inspection drive of all such units which are
licenced for manufacture/processing of vegetable
oils and fats under their respective jurisdictions
and check for compliance of the products being
manufactured through surveillance samples.
The judgement further stated that a report on
the incident must be provided to the FSSAI
headquarters by January 20, 2022.
The FSSAI has been pushing for a ban on trans
fatty acids in food goods, with a January 2022
deadline. Previously, trans fatty acids were
limited to 5%, and the industry eventually agreed
on a 2% limit.
Following the publication of the regulations
restricting trans fatty acids in food goods, trans
fatty acids in vegetable oil and fat products were
initially limited to 5% by January 1, 2021, and
subsequently to no more than 2% by weight
beginning January 1, 2022.
Indian companies that the government
would focus on reducing the compliance burden
while exhorting the top companies to make full
use of the production-linked incentive (PLI)
scheme.
According to the PM, the government is fully
committed to taking initiatives with the view of
giving a boost to the economic progress of the
country. Stressing on the inherent strength of
the country, displayed during the battle against
COVID-19, the PM said that India needs to see
its industries among the top five in the world in
every sector, and this is something for which we
should collectively work towards.
He thanked the industry leaders for their input
and suggestions, and exhorted them to make
full use of policies like PLI incentives. The
government has come up with the PLI scheme to
spur manufacturing in various sectors and also
promote exports. The Prime Minister said the
corporate sector should invest more in areas like
agriculture and food processing, and talked about
reducing the compliance burden and sought
suggestions on areas where undue compliance
needs to be removed.
The industry representatives gave their feedback
to the prime minister and also expressed their
commitment towards contributing to the
Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision of the PM. Heads
of corporates also spoke about steps that can be
taken to further boost the ease of doing business
in the country. They also talked about India’s
commitments at COP26 and how the industry
could contribute towards achieving the goals
outlined.
Sanjeev Puri of ITC gave suggestions to further
boost the food processing industry. This is
one of the many interactions being conducted
by the Prime Minister ahead of the budget to
receive inputs and suggestions from the private
sector. The Finance minister is due to present on
February 1 the budget for the next fiscal year that
starts on April 1, 2022.

Trade Agreement with SL

and Iran will impact export
of Indian tea
A
trade agreement between Sri Lanka and
Iran will have an impact on India’s tea
exports to the West Asian country.
To pay off its oil purchase debts, Sri Lanka will
ship orthodox tea or whole leaf teas to Iran. Iran
solely buys orthodox tea for its own consumption,
and India is one of the most important exporters
of orthodox tea to the West Asian country.
problem. “India is at a disadvantage as a result
of the Iran-Sri Lanka barter trade pact. “In 2022,
shipments to Iran may drop by another 15%,”
said Mohit Agarwal, director of Asian & Tea
Exports, which exports tea to Iran.Iran was
sanctioned by the UN a few years ago, but Iran
was permitted to import food goods such as tea,
while India was allowed to import petroleum
products.

Later, India and Iran agreed to use the Vostro

payment system, in which a portion of the
earnings from oil imports were converted to
Riyals and then to rupees. UCO Bank was given
permission to handle all rupee payments. India
gradually surpassed Sri Lanka as the major tea
supplier to Iran, displacing Sri Lanka, which
lacked a unique payment system with Iran.

When the US placed further sanctions on Iran and

Due to payment issues, India’s tea shipments
to Iran have halved in 2019 compared to the
pre-pandemic era, and are expected to fall even
more this year, since Sri Lanka has engaged into a
barter trade deal with Iran to pay off its previous
debts against oil imports.
oil shipments were halted after May 2019, the
system was seriously harmed. The Vostro account
shrunk as a result, and because payments were
significantly hampered until the end of 2019, the
Central Bank of Iran limited rupee allocations,
delaying all payments for a lengthy period.
“Unless India begins to purchase Iranian oil, the
situation is unlikely to improve. There is now no
clarification on the subject “Agarwal said.

India supplied 53 million kg of tea to Iran in According to industry officials, India’s tea exports
2019. Tea shipments to Iran plummeted to 29 declined 8.7% year on year to 157.20 million kg
million kg in 2020 and 21 million kg in the first in the first ten months of 2021, and the figure is
ten months of 2021 as a result of the payment unlikely to exceed 180 million for the full year.

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02 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
03 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
04 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022

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05 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022

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08 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
ITC will play a major role in Bihar to get food
the development of the FPI in processing university soon
AP-CM YS
T
he administration, according to Chief
Minister YS, has entirely redefined
development, since the whole rural area
of the state is seeing significant growth in the
agricultural, health, and education sectors.
He said that by creating a solid basis, notably in
the agricultural sector, they had set the state on a
development path.
On January 12th, 2022, the CM inaugurated a
five-star hotel promoted by him.
The chief minister congratulated the ITC for
partnering with the AP government in bringing
the rural development and tourist industries to
the state. ITC, he said, is a vital partner of the
state government in the establishment of food
processing plants around the state.
“Thanks to the state government’s new efforts
Lulu group to invest Rs. 500
crores to set up a food processing
plant in Greater Noida, UP
L
ulu Group, the UAE-based retail major,
is investing about Rs 500 crore to set up a
food processing plant in Greater Noida, Uttar
Pradesh. Lulu will set up a 100 per cent export-
oriented food and agri-produce processing park in
Greater Noida.
A land allotment order for 20 acres has been handed
over to Lulu Group Chairman Yusuf Ali M.A. by
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The plant is expected to generate direct employment
for 700 people and indirect employment for
about 1,500 people. The Lulu group will procure
and export about 20,000 tons of local fruits and
vegetables to its hypermarkets around the world.
The group will be directly sourcing from the
farmers of Uttar Pradesh, ensuring better revenues
for them. He also informed that the Rs. 2,000-crore
Lulu Mall, with the largest hypermarket, is in the
final stages of completion and will be inaugurated
in the first week of April 2022.
The 22 lakh square foot shopping mall at
in agriculture, food processing, health, and
education, rural Andhra Pradesh is evolving
rapidly.”
Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), one-stop
solution centres for farmers’ problems, have
become a model for the whole country, according
to the chief minister.
He said that around 10,700 RBKs had been
established in all of the villages to assist
farmers in meeting their needs, from seed
and fertiliser purchases through end-of-
produce sales.
He explained that the state administration
has focused on the development of the
agricultural sector because the state is
primarily an agriculture-based economy and
that they can only achieve a decent growth
rate by assisting the rural population in
walking along the growth corridor.
Jagan stated that primary processing facilities
have already been established at the village
level, and that large corporations such as ITC
would invest in food processing units at the
parliamentary constituency level.
He believes that the food processing industry
will be the next significant shift in the state, and
that international corporations like ITC would be
needed to help.
Amar Shaheed Path will have 220 national and
international brands, a family entertainment
centre, a 3,000 capacity food court and restaurants,
an 11-screen PVR cinema, and a total parking
capacity of 3,000, including a separate parking
building.
Once completed, the Lulu Mall in Lucknow will
employ over 5,000 directly, while another 10,000
people will get indirect employment. In India, the
Lulu group already has four operational shopping
malls in Kochi, Thrissur, Trivandrum, and
Bengaluru. The mall in Bengaluru is not owned by
the Lulu group, but it is managed and operated by
the Lulu group.
Earlier this month, the Lulu group announced an
investment of Rs 2,000 crore near Ahmedabad to
set up a modern shopping mall. The construction
is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022 and
be completed within 30 months.
Apart from a shopping mall, the Lulu Group will
also set up food processing and logistics centres
in Baroda and Surat, respectively, which will
facilitate exports. The Lulu group, headquartered
in Abu Dhabi, posted an annual turnover of USD
7.4 billion last year. The Lulu group currently
has 220 hypermarkets and shopping malls in
the Middle East, Egypt, India, Malaysia, and
Indonesia with a global workforce of over 57,000
employees.
The group’s business portfolio ranges from
hypermarket operations to shopping mall
development, manufacturing and trading of goods,
food processing plants, wholesale distribution,
hospitality assets, and real estate development.
F
ood processing industry minister Pashupati
Kumar instated the office of the Capacity
Enhancement Centre (CEC) at Patna for
training entrepreneurs from the northeastern
states interested in food processing activities. The
minister also launched the “Makhana King” under
the one district, one product (ODOP) programme,
which is part of the PM Formalization of Micro
Food Processing Enterprises (PMFMFPE).
PM Modi is actively interested in the promotion
of food processing activities in the country as well
as in Bihar. Paras also said the Centre has decided
to establish a food processing university in north
Bihar and that CM Nitish Kumar should allot the
required land for the purpose. Paras said he would
personally discuss the matter with the CM.
Paras said land was available for the opening of yet
another big campus of CEC at Hajipur. Initiatives
would be taken at his level in consultation with the
state government for its materialization. The CEC
to be opened at Hajipur would provide training in
food processing activities to entrepreneurs in north
Bihar. The CEC office at Patna was established
under the guidance of the National Institute of
MOFPI has a grievance cell to
ensure a hassle-free supply of
essential good
T
o curb the surge in COVID cases, many
state governments across India have begun
to impose various restrictions. Hence, the
Union Food Processing Ministry said it has set up a
dedicated grievance cell to maintain uninterrupted
supplies of food-related essentials.
The food ministry has stated that with the recent
surge in COVID cases across the country,
steps are being taken by state governments/
UT administrations to control the spread of the
COVID virus. The Ministry of Food Processing
Industries has a dedicated grievance cell for the
food and food-related industries to ensure hassle-
free operations and an uninterrupted supply of
Mother Dairy to step up its
organised ghee category
M
other Dairy is all set to increase its
market share in the organised ghee
segment. It is estimated to have a market
size of Rs. 40,000 crores by expanding retail chain
distribution five times over the next few years.
Presently, Mother Dairy sells ghee through 10,000
retail stores in 150 towns. The company plans to
expand its presence to 200 towns and 50,000 retail
outlets over the next few years.
According to Sanjay Sharma, Business Head-
Dairy Products, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable
Pvt Ltd, Mother Dairy has upgraded its focus on
FOOD PROCESSING NEWS
Food Technology Entrepreneurship Management
(NIFTEM) based at Kundli, Sonepat. On the
occasion, Union food processing industry joint
secretary Minhaz Alam and NIFTEM (Kundli)
vice-chancellor Dr. C. B. Devappa were present.
Elaborating on the Centre’s plan for Bihar, Paras
said a survey would be conducted to open food
processing units in every district as per the local
need. He said mega food parks were functional
in various parts of the country. The Centre has
planned to open mini food parks and, accordingly,
discussions in this regard will also be held with the
state government.
He said north Bihar had become famous for the
production of makhana, bananas, maize, and
other items based on which food processing
units could be opened in the state to help the
farmers. According to him, the work of the
union agriculture department was to take steps
to increase food grain production, and the food
processing industry worked to ensure good returns
to the farmers on their produce, besides creating
employment opportunities.
essentials for citizens. The Ministry would like
to guarantee its commitment towards all food
processing and related industries and would
provide the necessary support to ensure the
successful continuity of business of the agri-food
industry in India.
The Ministry had set up a similar grievance cell
during the first wave when the national lockdown
was imposed on the country. It had also stepped
in to address production and logistics-related
grievances of the food processing industry during
the second pandemic wave last year, as different
state governments had imposed different kinds of
restrictions depending on local conditions.
the ghee category and has plans to outperform
the industry growth rate in the next 3 years. The
strategy is to clock a growth rate of more than 20
percent, compared to the industry’s growth rate of
13 percent.
Along with its home ground of Delhi-NCR,
Mother Dairy plans to strengthen its presence
across the ghee consumption markets, including
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana. The
availability of ghee will also be enhanced across
many leading e-commerce channels.
According to the IMARC Group Report 2020,
ghee represents the most consumed
dairy product (21 per cent) in India
after liquid milk.
Like most of the other dairy categories,
the ghee market in India is largely
occupied by unorganised players.
However, the organised ghee market,
in 2019, was valued at over Rs. 400
billion and is expected to clock a
healthy CAGR of around 13 per cent
during 2020–2026.
09 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022 CHOCOLATE NEWS

Dove® Chocolate Announces New Large

W
C
Promises® In Two Flavor Variations W I N D S OR
C H O C O L A T I E R

N
ew Shareable, Silky-Smooth Innovation
to Start the Year with Better Moments and
More Smiles
NEW DELHI
the classic DOVE PROMISES messages. “With
our newest creation, we were purposeful since we
know customers demand quality, delicious sweets
to share and savour on the move,” said Leslie
Hazelnut • Pistachio • Almond • Cashew
Pure Paste • Bread Spread • Praline Paste

Mars Wrigley’s DOVE® Chocolate announced
the release of its newest innovation, DOVE®
Large PROMISES®. The treats are three-times the
size of the original DOVE PROMISES, bringing
consumers a more premium experience to share,
enjoy individually or take on the go.
DOVE Large PROMISES are packed in a set
of three and contain sumptuous filling and are
enrobed in silky-smooth chocolate to enable
DOVE devotees find more moments of pleasure.
DOVE Large PROMISES come in two decadent
flavour combinations: Milk Chocolate & Caramel
and Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter, and feature
Philipsen, Brand Director, DOVE Chocolate. “By
complimenting DOVE customers’ busy lifestyles
and allowing them to pause and enjoy a moment
of pleasure, we will create better moments and
more smiles by offering our Dark Chocolate and
Peanut Butter flavour variants, as well as our Milk
Chocolate and Caramel flavour variations in a new
format.”
DOVE BIG PROMISES Beginning in January
2022, DOVE Large PROMISES Milk Chocolate
& Caramel and DOVE Large PROMISES Dark
Chocolate & Peanut Butter will be sold in a
sharing pack (2.75 oz) at shops nationwide.

Cargill unveils latest vegan

chocolate series amid key global
category growth

A
ccording to Neill Barston, the worldwide
Cargill Group has confirmed the
development of a new vegan chocolate,
ExtraVeganZa, as well as coverture chocolates,
representing a period of significant sector
expansion throughout the world.
Its current introduction coincides with Veganuary,
which has seen a substantial increase in product
creation across a variety of food categories, with
confectionery increasingly in the limelight, with
launches from both large companies and smaller
artisans.
rice syrup were recognised as significant plant-
based “power” components by the company’s
chocolate engineers. Sunflower kernel powder has
a creamy, smooth texture and a flavour profile that
is well-balanced with cereal and nutty flavours.
Rice syrup imparts a nice sweetness to chocolates,
which is accentuated by notes of honey and cocoa,
while also imparting a notable “snap” to the final
texture of the chocolate. When Cargill’s organic
cocoa liquor is combined with organic rice syrup,
an organic vegan chocolate with excellent flavour
notes as well as earthy and cereal hints may be
formed.
“We are the first big supplier
to combine sunflower kernel
powder into a vegan chocolate,
a patent-pending invention,”
Cargill’s chocolate product
development manager Vanessa
Barey stated. “With these
ingredients, we can make vegan
chocolate dishes that redefine
plant-based delight.”
Contact for bulk supply & private labeling
WINDSOR CHOCOLATIER
745, Pace City II, Sector 37, Gurugram - 122001, (INDIA), Tel:+91-124-4323970, Fax:+91-124-4323999
Mob no. : +91- 8010-402-025 (Hunting Line), Whatsapp : +91- 8448-990-001
Email : windsor@windsorchocolatier.com, Website : www.windsorchocolatier.com
Mithila Palkar joins EatFit as a brand
ambassador to promote its new pizza line
not using preservatives in its meals and by utilising
only natural sauces.
The company will debut two ad films starring
Mithila, which will air during key sporting
events through the first quarter of 2022 and will
be enhanced further via OTT channels and social
media. These films, created by the company’s
creative agency Purple Mango, will kick off a
three-year partnership between the brand and
Mithila.
Gokul Kandhi, EatFit’s business leader, expressed

According to the company, its current series is
produced with carefully selected plant-based
“power” elements. The chocolates provide a
sumptuous experience, with a rich, subtle flavour
and a smooth, creamy texture.
“Vegan claims are appearing everywhere as
customer tastes move toward items that they
believe are better for them and the environment. As
a result, many of our clients in the confectionery,
bread, and dairy industries are looking at vegan
formulations “Cargill’s commercial director, Ilco
Kwast, agreed.
“As a long-term partner, we wanted to ensure that
they offer great chocolate that meets consumers’
sweet expectations while also meeting their need
for more plant-based options.”
Sunflower kernel powder, rice syrup, and organic
Cargill rigorously tested its
Chocolate ExtraVeganZa
range with both consumer
and specialist sensory panels.
Notably, the vegan chocolate
assortment routinely beat
popular market benchmarks on key likability
scores, according to the business.
Equally essential, the vegan chocolate line may
be used as a substitute for normal chocolate in all
applications, including baking, confectionery, and
dairy. Chocolate ExtraVeganZa is distinguished by
the use of nut- and gluten-free ingredients.
While quality and high standards may be found
across Cargill’s ingredient range, the Chocolate
ExtraVeganZa line receives special attention.
Cargill added new attention to its ingredient
selection and chocolate manufacturing methods to
guarantee compliance with its set vegan standards,
including devoting chocolate production lines in
Belgium and Germany to Chocolate ExtraVeganZa
and dark chocolates.
E
atFit, one of India’s major healthy food
platforms, has named Mithila Palkar as its
brand ambassador for their multigrain pizza
line. It is the country’s sole national brand that
offers this unique, healthy promise.
Curefoods’ main brand has been on a mission to
make eating healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable
while selecting exquisite flavours that appeal to the
Indian palette. Following the remarkable success
of its Kulcha Burgers, it is now considering
offering daily versions of entertainment dishes
such as burgers and pizzas. EatFit is offering a
variety of multigrain pizzas that will be offered
in over ten cities throughout India in the coming
months.
Mithila Palkar, who rose to prominence with her
extremely popular OTT work, is now a household
name. She portrays a modern yet real Indian attitude
that is honest, joyful, and friendly—something that
today’s millennials and Gen-Z enjoy and connect
to. This is in line with the brand’s character, which
is “honestly Indian” and dedicated to offering
healthy deliciousness packaged in authentic Desi
flavours in the fast-food industry. It does this by
his opinions on the collaboration, saying, “We are
delighted to welcome Ms. Mithila to the team. We
hope that this partnership will cast the brand in a
fresh light that is consistent with the brand identity
that we are attempting to establish. In 2022, we
will place a heavy emphasis on marketing and
advertising initiatives aimed at our millennial
demographic, particularly those with a strong
interest in sports. Mithila is the ideal representative
for these target audiences. Like the EatFit brand,
she exudes genuineness and is really Indian at
heart. We are delighted to work with her on other
initiatives in the future.”
Palkar stated of the brand affiliation, “I’m thrilled
to be joining EatFit as a brand ambassador
and launching these new commercial videos to
promote their new line of tasty and nutritious
multigrain pizzas. I am in awe of their efforts and
dedication to providing Indians with honest and
good cuisine. This is a fantastic chance for me to
spread the word about healthy eating among those
who follow me, and I am honoured to be a part of
spreading this wonderful message. What they’ve
developed is genuinely great, and it ought to be
shared with more people.”
10 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
The export of a range of new
agri-products adds to the diversity of
India’s export basket in FY21
A
fter the first COVID wave in March
2020, when exports went down badly, the
financial year 2021 brought some much-
needed relief to exports and was a welcome relief.
The revival signs held renewed promise for an
industry battered by the pandemic’s effects.
The good thing was that FY21 saw the export of
a host of new agri-products, adding diversity to
India’s export basket. Despite the COVID curbs
and logistic bottlenecks at play, the country saw
an upward trend in the export of agricultural and
processed food products in April-October FY21.
Estimates by the Directorate General of
Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI &
S) showed that the overall export of products under
the Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA)
increased from $10,157 million in April-October
2020 to $11,651 million in April-October 2021.
There are about a dozen debutants in the export
basket, starting from Tripura’s jackfruit and
Kanpur’s jamun to Assam’s red rice and Burmese
grapes.
Besides these, GI-certified Jalgaon bananas were
exported to Dubai in June and King Chilli from
Nagaland, also referred to as bhoot jolokia, was
exported to London via Guwahati for the first time
in July.
To promote exports, APEDA to focus on
creating infrastructure and clusters in
collab with state govts
T
he Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) is now concentrating on creating
infrastructure and clusters in collaboration with
state governments to promote outbound shipments.
Exports of agricultural and processed food
products have risen to $20.6 billion during 2020-
21 from $17.3 billion in 2011-12.
APEDA’s chairman, M. Angamuthu, stated
that they will continue to focus on creating
infrastructure for boosting exports by focusing on
clusters in collaboration with state governments
while taking into consideration the aim of the
Agriculture Export Policy, 2018. In 2020–21,
To increase exports, APEDA selects
suitable districts in U.P under the
Varanasi agri-export hub
A
PEDA, the commerce ministry’s arm, on
7th January 2022, stated that it has chosen
suitable districts in Uttar Pradesh to be
covered by the Varanasi Agri-Export Hub (VAEH)
to promote exports from that region.
According to an official announcement, the
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) has initiated
measures to enhance exports from the state’s
Purvanchal area through the development of
VAEH.
Varanasi, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Prayagraj,
Chairman M. Angamuthu says he forestalls 10-
15% growth in new agri products in the coming
year. “With this, product diversification and
demand for newer products is seen. Some of the
products were not being utilized in the optimum
way earlier. “We are expecting more demand for
millet-based products and other nutri-cereals in
the times ahead,”
he added.Parenthetically, a lot of these new
products were rich in nutrients and had immunity-
boosting properties, making them surge in
popularity during the pandemic.
In May, for instance, the first consignment of
millets grown in the Himalayas was exported
to Denmark, and this has expanded the export
opportunities to other European countries as well.
The exports would also support thousands of
farmers who are getting into organic farming.
Millets are gaining a lot of popularity globally
because of their high nutritive values and also
because they are gluten-free.
In October, APEDA facilitated exports of the first
consignment of various nutrient-rich products
derived from jackfruit, passion fruit, and nutmeg
(jaiphal) that were sourced from farmers in
Thrissur, Kerala, to Melbourne.
The statistics show a preference for organic
foods. India’s export of organic food products
rose by more than 51% to Rs 7,078 crore during
April-February (2020–21) from the corresponding
period of the previous financial year.
As a matter of fact, a larger export basket helps
in furthering the development of rural India. This
leads to a more secular development as more
farmers come into the ambit of a developed supply
chain.
non-basmati rice contributed nearly one-fourth of
total exports, followed by basmati rice and buffalo
meat.
Benin, Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal, and Togo
were the top importers of non-basmati rice. Major
export destinations for basmati rice in 2020–21
were Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and the
United Arab Emirates.
For buffalo meat exports, the top importing nations
were Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, and
Indonesia, APEDA said.
India’s share in the world agricultural exports
stood at 2.1% in 2019, up from 1.71% in 2010.
Gorakhpur, Basti, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli,
and Sant Ravidas Nagar are all part of the state’s
Purvanchal division.
It went on to say that in the previous six months,
the Purvanchal area exported 20,000 tonnes of
agricultural produce.
According to the report, around 5,000 tonnes of
fresh fruits and vegetables and 15,000 tonnes
of grains were transported to Vietnam, the Gulf
countries, Nepal, and Bangladesh via various
forms of transportation.
The Indian Embassy holds a virtual
buyer-seller conference for the sale
of maritime items to Kuwait
T
he ambassador expresses his appreciation
for the positive impact of his collaboration
with MPEDA.
According to a press release issued by the
embassy, India organised a virtual Buyer-Seller
Meet on the Export of Marine Products to Kuwait
at the diplomatic grounds in partnership with the
Marine Products Export Development Authority
(MPEDA).
The meeting was a follow-up to a buyer-seller
meeting on maritime items conducted exactly a
year earlier. HE Sibi George, India’s Ambassador
to Kuwait, welcomed the beneficial impact of the
engagement with MPEDA since last year, which
has resulted in a steady growth in India’s export of
maritime products to Kuwait.
In his remarks, MPEDA Chairman K. S. Srinivas
urged exporters and importers to tap the full
potential of India’s marine products business.
Dr. T. R. Gibinkumar, Deputy Director of the
MPEDA, gave a lecture on seafood exports to the
Middle East and Kuwait.
Mohandas Kizhakke, Managing Director of
Captain Fisher Foodstuff Co. W.L.L., discussed
Food safety activists oppose the
FSSAI’s draft regulation on GM
foods, saying it aims to allow easier
entry of transgenic foods
C
itizen groups, including food safety
activists from across the country and the
RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch
(SJM), expressed concern on January 6, 2022,
about the central regulator, FSSAI’s draft
regulation on genetically modified (GM) foods,
claiming that the move would allow for “easier
entry” of transgenic foods into the country while
failing to protect consumers’ interests and health
concerns.
The majority of them urged that the time for public
comment on the “draft” be extended beyond its
present date of January 15, noting the current rise
in COVID-19 cases that has hindered gatherings
for larger deliberations on the matter.
They also urge the FSSAI to make the “draft”
text public in vernacular languages, allowing
more residents to participate in expanding their
proposals.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) released a “draft regulation” in November
last year that proposes labelling all food products
with individual genetically engineered ingredients
of 1% or more as “Contains GMO/ingredients
derived from GMO,” which the Coalition for a
GM-Free India and others, including SJM, found
to be lacking in scope to effectively regulate
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
FSSAI NEWS
the trends and prospects for growth in the Kuwaiti
seafood business. Kuwait imports fish, prawns,
and crabs from India.
During the current fiscal year 2021–22, India
exported marine items worth 36.1 million US
dollars to Kuwait from April to December 2021.
During the fiscal years 2020–21, India exported
marine items to Kuwait worth 39.12 million
US dollars. The event was organised as part
of the Indian Embassy’s 3Ts (Trade, Tourism,
and Technology) promotional campaign, which
focuses on trade promotion in January 2022.
The meeting’s main goal was to enhance the
sourcing of marine products from India and to look
at various methods to make the export process run
more smoothly.
The experts’ remarks were followed by an
interactive session between buyers and vendors.
The exporters gave information about their items
available for export from India to Kuwait. A large
number of exporters and importers from India and
Kuwait participated virtually in the event.
The Coalition pointed out various flaws in the
proposed legislation, including the lack of a long-
term, thorough, and impartial testing framework.
Furthermore, it lacks facilities for independent
data analysis and public criticism.
“The proposed regulations, as notified in
November 2021, are about FSSAI compromising
on public interests while permitting business as
usual in the food industry.”
In reality, these regulations have been released
for public comment after industry input has been
sought. “We reject these draconian laws,” said
Kavitha Kuruganti of the Coalition for a GM-Free
India.
There is no mention of how the “Authority” will
make its judgments in the “draft regulations.”
There is no agreement on a long-term testing
regime.
“The bar for labelling is a giveaway of the
sacrifices that FSSAI has already made,” said
Rajesh Krishnan, a farmer and Coalition co-
convenor.
Meanwhile, Ashwani, the SJM’s national co-
convenor, started an online petition, urging
residents to resist such a rule that, he alleged,
sought to put GM food on Indians’ plates. Mahajan
wrote in his petition that if this FSSAI regulation
is implemented,
“We will face a situation in which a plethora of
GM foods will become a part of our consumption,
leaving us with no choice but to avoid it because
most large food importers will be able to import
their foods containing GM ingredients into India.”
11 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
“The Leader In Conveyor Belt
Technology For Food Processing “
A
shworth Bros., Inc. has revolutionized
the future of conveyor belts since 1946 by
leading the market with the most conveyor
belt patents in the food processing, can making
and material handling industries. Companies
around the world depend on Ashworth’s quality
products, reliable customer service, innovative
solutions, and experienced Factory Service team
to maximise throughput and minimise lifecycle
costs.
Their Vision & Mission
Ashworth’s mission is to be the market leader in
each of the major industries we serve. We will
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end-user customers and our channel partners with
innovative, user-safe, high-quality, cost-effective,
and environmentally responsible products and
service solutions. We will add value by providing
customer-focused marketing and sales programs
and a total commitment to customer satisfaction.
We understand the challenges you face
to ensure product safety. “At Ashworth, we”
"build-in hygiene”.
Ashworth Bros., Inc. has revolutionized the future of conveyor belts since 1946 by leading the market with the
most conveyor belt patents for industries that include commercial baking, food processing, transportation, and
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Companies around the world depend on Ashworth’s quality products, reliable customer service, and innovative
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CavinKare partners
with Jango’z to enter
the QSR market.
C
avinKare is entering the quick service
restaurant (QSR) segment under its news
brand, Jango’z. It plans to set up over 100
outlets across India by 2026. It has opened the first
Jango’z outlet in Chennai and is targeting over Rs.
150 crore in revenue in the next five years.
“Our entry into the QSR space comes in line with
our refreshed CavinKare 2.0 strategy. CavinKare
Director-Retail Manuranjith Ranganathan
said, “Retail is one of the important divisions
in CavinKare where we have made significant
investments and have major diversification plans
in the future as well.”
With the QSR segment poised to grow at a 15.4
percent CAGR, coupled with untapped potential in
tier-2 and tier-3 markets, CavinKare is confident
that Jango’z will become a (Rs) 150 crore brand
by 2026.
All the Jango’z outlets in the future will serve
freshly-made chicken in two ways--fried and
tawa-grilled; signature double-patty burgers; and
mocktails. The price range of the items on the
menu starts at Rs 59.
 12 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022 INDIA'S FOOD INDUSTRY 2022

Editor’s
Word
Dear Readers,

This time, the food industry is all geared up as the

third wave of COVID hits us. The good news is that
the prices of essentials such as rice, wheat, pulses,
and cooking oils have remained stable, unlike the
first two waves, thanks to ample supply. This time,
anxiety is not present in the third wave as people
have learnt how to handle the situation from the past
two waves.

The millers have wheat with them, which can meet

at least two months' demand. Therefore, there is no
question of a price rise. Prices for pulses are also
unlikely to rise, as new supplies are expected to enter
the market.There will be ample supply of pulses in
the market, and also the government has extended
the deadline for free imports of moong, toor, and
urad till March 31, 2022. Prices of basmati rice have
also fallen as exports are not happening due to non-
availability of containers at the port. In fact, the price
of the best quality basmati rice has come down to
₹75 per kg from ₹80 in December. Edible oil prices
have started cooling off following the cut in import
duty and other government steps like the imposition
of stock limits to curb hoarding.

Next, global food major Cargill has opened its first

innovation centre in India to develop solutions for
the food and beverage market. The first Cargill
Innovation Center at Gurugram in Haryana will
have 27 food specialists and 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 centre combines Cargill's expertise across

different industry segments, including edible oils

What to expect from In

and specialty fats; starches, sweeteners, and
texturizers; cocoa and chocolate; and tailored
blended ingredients, under one roof, bringing a
complete product innovation solution to the F&B
industry.

food industry in India in

Next on line is that ITC is launching plant-based
burger patties and nuggets, which mimic the taste of
chicken and are the two largest non-vegetarian
frozen food categories. Globally, McDonald's has a
plant-based burger called "McPlant," co-developed
with Beyond Meat. ITC will initially sell these
products through e-commerce and large retail chains
in the top eight cities and to institutional customers
such as hotels and restaurants. There’s no doubt that the pandemic has upended our lives in many ways, compelling us
to move from “life as we knew it” to “life as we make of it.” And nowhere is this change
Mother Dairy is focusing on increasing its market
share in the organised ghee segment, which has an more intensely felt than in the way we eat. In fact, the pandemic has re-fashioned our food
estimated market size of Rs 40,000 crore, by
expanding retail chain distribution five times over
choices for resource-conscious times, taken us back to our food heritage and limited our
the next few years. At present, Mother Dairy sells portion sizes from the happy side of indulgence to mindful eating.
ghee through 10,000 retail stores in 150 towns. The
company has plans to strengthen its presence across
the ghee consumption markets, including Uttar

Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana, along with its
home turf, Delhi-NCR.
With the coronavirus pandemic having forced
nearly 30% of restaurants to shut down permanently,
restaurants are looking for simplification in taxes,
tax holidays, or reductions in fees given to excise
departments, among other things, from the
government as they struggle with the pandemic.
NRAI, the representative body of restaurants, said
the industry has seen its business halved to ₹2.0
trillion in FY21 from ₹4.23 trillion in FY20.
Stay safe and let’s mask up to save businesses and
traders amid the pandemic. Till next time!
Firoz H. Naqvi
Group Editor
W
ith 2022 here, many companies are
releasing their year-ender wraps, and
food delivery giant Swiggy was one
of them. The platform released its yearly stats on
consumer habits, giving us fair data on food items,
snacks, and drinks that topped the order chart this
year.
So, can you guess which food dish was ordered the
most in 2021, a year where we slowly started to
step out and embrace the new normal as the world
opened up in pieces? Brownie points for you if
your answer was Biryani!
According to Swiggy’s 2021 stats, chicken biryani
continues to be a consumer favourite in India for
the sixth year in a row as it became the most-
ordered food item on the delivery app, with pav
bhaji gulab jamun taking the second spot on the
list. The StatEATstics report found biryani to be
the undisputed dish in India, with 115 biryanis
being ordered per minute! Interestingly, over
4.25 lakh new users made their Swiggy debut by
ordering a chicken biryani dish.
When it came to binge time, Indians preferred the
crunchy and yummy samosas over other options
for snacking. The humble food item is the “most
binged snack” of 2021, with almost 50 lakh orders
made on Swiggy, topping the list of the most
ordered foods during the year. The love for “desi
samosa” was so overwhelming that it was ordered
“six times more than chicken wings”.
Indian food is not about a few culinary delights
but about a vast assortment of dishes that make
it truly amazing, and the cooking style varies
from region to region. Indian cuisine is known
for its art of using the right spices in every dish,
not just for its flavour but for its nutritional and
medicinal value also. The art of cooking is passed
down through generations, which reflects a blend
of many cultures and civilizations. We have very
long summer days at most times of the year, so
four meals a day are cooked. From breakfast,
which is slightly lighter, to heavy meals (including
desserts) for lunch and dinner, interspersed with
high tea in the evening, which also has a helping
of snacks and sweetmeats to go with it?
But can we actually redefine our Indian dishes
according to the global palate, thereby going
beyond the ubiquitous samosa, biryani, and curry?
Will India get its identifiable food internationally?
Our food diversity has not been explored properly
as yet, though we live in a marketable world that’s
looking for a hero and virility and trying to make
that one superfood happen. For example, look at
our Kerala cuisine. It can actually compete with
Thai and Malaysian food because of its sheer
variety beyond the common coconut. It uses less
milk and will appeal to vegans and pescatarians
alike. Also, like dosa, it is performing well on
breakfast menus around the world as it has a
similarity to crepes.
 13 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
ndia’s
n 2022
Also, the humble turmeric from India, which
was popularised as an immunity booster, is now
featured around the world in cereal mixes, in
meals and rice, smoothies and even in tea and
coffee.
Culinary tourism is one new trend that can
certainly globalise Indian food. This will be
experiential and educative with local artisans,
woven with a story of our culture. There will
certainly be more structure and detail to food
tours.
The tourism potential of India lies not only
in its rich culture and heritage but also in its
gastronomy, which is a mélange of spices and
flavours. Culinary or food tourism, a concept that
was not often connected with India until recently,
is becoming increasingly popular among
international tourists.
Food tourism will certainly get out of the hotel
chains and won’t be about just savouring a thali,
biryani, or samosa.
The unmatched variety of traditional Indian
cuisines, with their flavours, spices, and curries,
is becoming increasingly popular among
international tourists, giving the country a chance
to capitalise on its ancient culinary traditions.
On our plates
Time has changed, and consequently, the food
industry has to sculpt its way according to the
present situation. It has seen a lot in the past
2 years, where staying at home created new
foodpreneurs, the need for healthy food grew
immensely, and immunity-boosting foods took
a front seat. Restaurants also needed a revamp,
with streamlined menus and cloud kitchens
making their way to the top. Also, the need to
elevate Indian regional food is a trend that this
year will witness. And why not? Millets are as
healthy as quinoa. Also, sea plants and upcycling
are concepts that are taking on the food industry
very fast. As the world is faced with the pandemic
and scarcity of food, restaurants and people have
become conscious about not wasting food and
choosing what to eat.
Hence, “Beverage & Food Processing Times”
explores the food trends that will happen in
2022, what will be new in the food and beverage
industry, and what changes the consumer expects
after the pandemic detonation.
Culmination of cooking at home
With lockdown, all and sundry have learnt to cook,
and this has raised the level of food awareness and
curiosity about ingredients and techniques among
Indians. When you eat food, you perceive it in a
certain way. But when you cook it, you look at it
differently and understand it better. It develops the
scope of innovation and appreciation.
This has led to a diversified market for meal kits,
semi-cooked and ready-to-cook food pouches,
and other products that take away the boredom
of preparation and encourage you to try out
specialties.
Staying at home in the last two years has made
“participatory cooking” a key ingredient of
socialisation and entertainment, and more and
more potlucks have been seen. The increased
awareness has also generated a new interest
in food history, origins, and knowledge. More
Indians learnt to bake sourdough this past year and
savour it as a breakfast staple as well.
Smaller restaurants with streamlined menus
After being hugely affected by the pandemic, the
restaurant industry is now planning to scale down
operations, improve supply chain management,
and rationalize costs. With speciality food now
a possibility in the kitchen, it is expected that
restaurants become smaller with a signature
menu that’s popular and take in a lower number
of people. Owners are learning how to work with
fewer ingredients, develop innovative techniques,
and use fresher ingredients. A deconstruction of
menus is on the way with cloud kitchens, breaking
them into one for salads, another for the main
course, and an exclusive array of desserts.
Branded cloud kitchens, off-premise dining,
and takeaways
A pandemic forced the closure of restaurants;
this led to the growth of cloud kitchens as they
could do without the service staff, cut down
on real estate costs, and channelize takeaways
through food aggregators. That leaves them with
the job of focusing on their speciality foods and,
most importantly, building an identity around the
flavour and quality of their dishes.
A cloud kitchen means you can offer a bouquet
of choices, products, and sub-brands from a single
location without increasing costs and keep chefs
creatively committed. The branding of each cloud
kitchen would depend on the specialties it had on
offer.
The success of these models purely depends on
the quality of food and the speed of delivery.
Understanding the unit economics of the
partnership with the delivery apps and the cost
of procurement of menu items is critical for the
success of a cloud kitchen business. Restaurant
operators need to be aware of what customers like
and dislike and anticipate what they are likely to
order at different times and days.
Ordering in is here to stay, so they better get on
board the bandwagon. Delivery will become a part
of the design architecture of any restaurant going
forward. Of course, the specialised packaged
experience will be customised and cannot be done
through assembly line deliveries.
Also, brands today need a gateway to new revenue
streams by continuously focusing on menu
improvements and offering customised service
through drive-thrus, delivery, pick-up, meal kits,
and more. The investment in off-premises dining
will continue to be one of the driving forces in
restaurant design and operations in the coming
year.
CRM and automation
Marketing automation and customer relationship
management (CRM) will be an indispensable part
INDIA'S FOOD INDUSTRY 2022
of running a restaurant. Managing your customer
information begins at the back end with gathering
information on consumers’ interests, habits,
lifestyle preferences, etc. Restaurants today
need a seamless mechanism to gather feedback
from multiple sources, such as food reviews,
aggregators, social media, and other authorities
under a single dashboard. Such intelligence can
help brands understand their customers better
and improve service, which will eventually lead
to increased guest delight. Building effective
communication across channels can help you
nurture your guest relationships; restaurants can
use CRM tools to analyse their diners’ data and
create compelling communication touch points
with them to create a personalised experience.
Voice-enabled ordering to ease user experience
Virtual assistance has entered the restaurant
industry. Global chains like KFC and Pizza Hut
have enabled voice-activated ordering to provide
a seamless experience for their customers. In-
app voice assistance or integration with virtual
assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant delivers
easy navigation to customers for placing orders
using voice commands. Voice assistance is one of
the most promising technological trends and will
influence the future of the restaurant industry.
Entrepreneurs in the food industry
The pandemic drove the need for home food,
encouraging some of these home cooks to
launch their own tiffin services. Home
cooks are swiftly turning into chefs
with specialties and distinctive
menus cooked home style
and are monetizing their
skills. Professional
chefs will become
food entrepreneurs
themselves, running many cloud kitchens
and making money on their own rather than getting
a salary. Some chefs are also offering premium
and artisanal experiences of a five-course meal
for a smaller, boutique gathering, thereby keeping
exclusivity scalable. Such a format allows you to
recover costs since the meal is pre-booked.
Water-efficient fruits and vegetables
2022 may definitely be the year for sustainability
in the food business, as hydroponic farming will be
all the rage, even entering individual homes. This
soil-less, water-based farming can even be done in
a tiny space like a balcony, where all you need to
do is feed the plant with nutrient-rich water, just
enough for it to grow. Apartment gardens, where
you can at least grow all your herbs atop a kitchen
sink or window, will become a permanent feature
in every home.
In the meantime, there is a revival of old strains
of rice and wheat that use less water. Water tables
have been dropping in Punjab, affecting output. It
will be seen that consumption of foods that require
little or no refrigeration will increase. Indians are
increasingly turning to millets in arid and semi-
arid conditions. Ragi is back in a big way, and
there will be a popularity of jhangora from the
Himalayas and foxtail, which are basically millets
that cook easily.
The choice has been forced upon us by our own
actions. So we need to eat local and seasonal,
replace exotic ingredients with home-grown
alternatives, and reduce our carbon footprint. The
more we delve into our “eat off the soil” recipes,
the easier it will be to broaden the scope and
depth of vegetarian food and manage portion sizes
of animal food in the coming years, given that
livestock supply and fish population will deplete
faster than we can consume them.
In the future, it can be expected that sustainable
food regulations and business practises will come
into play soon for the food industry in India.
No waste and upcycled foods
Stunningly, the carbon footprint of food waste is
greater than that of the airline industry. Expect to
see more companies making commitments to fight
14 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
food waste, including the promotion of “ugly”
produce and products that use all parts of a plant or
upcycled ingredients—a growing category of food
products made from would-be wasted ingredients.
The trend will be especially big with snacks, such
as Rind Snacks, that use the peel and rind of fruits
to save them from going to landfills, and Dirt
Kitchen snacks, which are made from produce that
otherwise would be left on the farm due to bruising
or over-ripeness.
Seconds crackers are made from upcycled carrot
peels and pulp collected from juice and carrot
stick manufacturers, and Pulp Pantry rescues
pulp from cold-pressed juices. Cacao has become
a focused target of upcycling, including CaPao,
which rescues and uses parts of the cacao fruit that
would otherwise be considered a waste product of
cocoa production, and Blue Stripes, which uses
the whole cacao fruit—shell, fruit, and bean—in
a range of products from cacao water to bars and
granola.
The concept of upcycling food is already trending
in India, because food waste is an alarming
concern related to both the food system and the
climate. Chefs are coming up with delicious dishes
and ways to cook with food scraps, so one would
never know what food waste they are eating! Soon,
upcycled food will be on super market shelves too.
Sea farms and sea plants
Plants from the sea are being hailed as a sustainable,
nutrient-rich food source and are showing up in
a lot more foods beyond the nori sheets used to
wrap sushi. Now you can find seaweed, dulce,
and kelp in salads, snacks, condiments, and
cubes for adding to smoothies, soups, sauces,
and dressings. Microalgae protein is also being
used as a plant-based meat and dairy alternative.
Sea plants are featured more often on restaurant
menus, including zoster marina, a sea grass that’s
being used as a grain. It’s known as the “rice of
the sea” and is lauded as the next superfood. Poke
bowls featuring seaweed salad will continue to be
a popular offering at restaurants. Thanks to their
health benefits, these underwater plants are now
gaining the reputation of ‘wonder food’ in India as
well. Seaweeds are invaluable marine herbs.
These are considered a prolific source of bioactive
compounds that have extraordinary medicinal
properties. Studies also claim that farming
seaweed could help counter the threats of global
warming.
Regional food as an identity
Finally, the time has come to explore our own
diverse cuisine. Regional food is expected to make
a stronger comeback in 2022, with Goan food
topping preferences. Indians are falling in love
with their own food all over again, and regional
cuisine needs to slowly come out of the closet.
The millennials and post-millennials are a secure
generation who are proud of their roots and are
not looking west. They will have quinoa without
a sense of awe and aura and be as accepting of our
millets. In fact, Indians will go deeper into micro-
cuisines.
Smaller regions like Mangalore and Mysuru still
haven’t gotten their due.
Then there’s the fermented foods of the Northeast.
The greater exploration of micro and tribal
cuisines will also help us inculcate a zero-waste
discipline, as our pickling traditions and cooked
vegetable peels show.
By 2030, agritech and allied segments
will generate revenue & jobs too
A
ccording to a report titled “Investing
for Impact: Food, Agri, and Agritech”
by Aspire Impact, with an investment
of about USD 272 billion in agritech and allied
segments by 2030, India can generate USD 813
billion in revenue, creating 152 million jobs,
making it the largest private sector industry in
India.
Investment in agritech and related sectors has the
potential to change the face of Indian agriculture,
with far-reaching implications for food security
and sustainable farming solutions.
In the last 10 years, India has attracted about USD
9 billion in FDI investments in the agriculture
sector.
This decade brings an opportunity for India Inc. to
take advantage of the massive untapped potential
this sector holds and transform it to be sustainable
and future-ready.
The report has been authored by leading agritech
experts, industry leaders, academics, and thinkers.
The report further said India has its share of
challenges when it comes to agricultural practices,
including mechanization levels, which are at 40-45
Suguna Foods announces the launch of
its first click and mortar brand, Delfrez
I
n the next four to five years, poultry major
Suguna Foods is looking to increase the
percentage of revenue from processed foods
from the current 5% to at least 20%. This comes
as the Rs 9,000 crore company announced the
launch of its first click and mortar brand, Delfrez,
which is a part of the company’s strategic brand
restructuring at a group level.
Vignesh Soundararajan, Executive Director of the
company said “We are able to see the accelerated
growth in the processed segment and our plan is
to start focusing on the processed food segment
while at the same time trying to drive efficiencies
in the commodity business. The live chicken
business is a commodity business where both the
raw material and the end product, live chicken, are
commodities, and the price is not in our hands. We
want to keep our costs down and want to drive
Tata Starbucks enters six new cities
in India, benchmarking 250 stores
T
ata Starbucks has entered six new markets
as part of its expansion into smaller cities
in India. With these new additions, the
company now operates 252 Starbucks stores in 26
cities.
Starbucks is now operating in Siliguri, Nashik,
Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, Goa, and
Bhubaneswar--and with a growing base of coffee
enthusiasts across the country, the brand makes its
first appearance in the states of Assam, Goa, and
Odisha.
NEWS
percent, compared to 90 percent in the developed
economies. The country has been projected to be
at the biggest production risk, with 68 percent of
the cultivation area being directly dependent upon
the monsoon, accounting for 40–45 percent of
total agriculture production, it noted.
With a gap of 3.2 million tons in cold storage,
the food processing industry incurred a loss
worth USD 14 billion in 2018. At the same time,
the report stated that 55 percent of the country’s
forests are prone to fire, with 70 percent having
no natural regeneration. The demand for key food
grains is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3
percent, against the projected population growth
of 2 percent, further underlining the challenge that
the country faces today.
To meet its dairy needs, India would require
around 600 million tons of milk per year in 2060
and onwards, it said, adding that significant
investments in the sector along with a policy push
are needed to ensure transformation in agriculture
practices and the ecosystem. With agritech start-
ups and innovative models speculated to dominate
the sector, India Inc. has already started paving
this path to change, it said.
efficiencies, but the processed food segment’s
share has to increase on the overall top line.
Suguna Foods operates four business verticals:
Suguna Chicken, which is the live chicken
business; Suguna Feeds, where it supplies poultry
and dairy feed to the farmers; Mother’s Delight,
which supplies refined soybean oil to the market;
and now the fourth vertical, the
processed foods vertical.
Earlier, both the live chicken and
processed food verticals were
clubbed together under the Suguna
brand, but now the processed food
portion will operate under the
Delfrez brand, which will be in both
the online and offline retail format
and will house diverse poultry
products. Suguna Foods has invested
over Rs 100 crores in the new brand
and plans to launch over 1000 outlets by 2025.
The company did face some logistical challenges,
but soon after the issues were resolved. However,
he said raw material shortages continue to persist.
Soundararajan said that while during COVID
the company has not grown significantly, it has
managed to stay stable throughout. However, he
said, there is a gradual but undeniable shift to the
brand markets.
Tata Starbucks CEO Sushant Dash said, “Tata
Starbucks is stuck in growing with its partners
and customers together, and thus, expanding our
footprint in India is a matter of great pride for
us. Tata Starbucks, a 50:50 joint venture between
Tata Consumer and Starbucks Corporation, is the
largest store expansion in a year.
The stores are a fusion of the signature Starbucks’
warm and welcoming design and the city’s local
culture and craftsmanship, serving as an extension
of the neighbourhood they serve.
15 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
Nestlé cuts sugar & adopts sustainable
packaging for Carnation Breakfast Essentials
N
estlé Health Science is reducing the added
sugar in its ready-to-drink and powdered
Carnation Breakfast Essentials brand by
25%. The drink product also now comes in Tetra
Pak cartons, said to be made with responsibly
sourced paper, and the packaging has been
overhauled with a new look.
The updated Carnation Breakfast Essentials is the
latest product overhaul by Nestlé and other food
makers to reduce ingredients like sugar and salt
while shifting the packaging to a more modern,
consumer-friendly look and material.
Despite being on the market for more than half
a century, Nestlé is making sure its Carnation
Breakfast Essentials line doesn’t show its age. By
cutting the amount of added sugar, incorporating
a modern packaging design and improving its
sustainability profile, Nestlé is hitting on a trifecta
of issues that are important for shoppers when
Are Your Food Grains Mixed with
Dhatura? Take a Test to Find Out
F
ood adulteration has increasingly become
a matter of concern. The Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has
taken the initiative to inform the public about it
and to conduct simple home tests to check for food
adulteration.
Over the years, food adulteration has increasingly
become a matter of concern. Whether it’s our
everyday vegetables that might be sprayed with
colour, milk mixed with water, or the packed foods
combined with extraneous matter, these things
often make us question what we consume on an
everyday basis.
As this concern rises, the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken
the initiative to inform the public about it and do
simple tests at home to check for food adulteration.
Recently, they took to Instagram to show how you
can test if your food grains are adulterated with
“Dhatura.”
Dhatura, also known as jimson weed by the
uninitiated, are poisonous flowering plants. As
per a research published in the ‘Asian Pacific
Journal of Tropical Biomedicine,’ “Dathura’s
AP, T’gana chilli farmers face threats from
invasive pests, demand appropriate tech
T
he Rashtriya Kisan Progressive Association
(RKPA) has asked the chilli growers of
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to unite and
jointly fight regulators that are blocking quality
agri-input and advocate the usage of modern
agri-tech practises to tackle invasive pests like
“Thripsparvispinus”.
The RKPA has also appealed to the Chief Ministers
and administrators of the two Telugu states to set
up a committee and a quick response team to save
farmers even as the association itself launches
a mass campaign to educate and engage public
representatives and anti-technology and anti-
development forces.
The new invasive pest, ‘Thripsparvispinus’, has
severely impacted the red chilli crop in certain
districts of the two states by affecting the plants
at the flowering stage and stunting their growth.
Heavy rains in recent months have further
compounded the problem.
With farmers worried that the crop yield might
take a hit due to the pest, RKPA, a consortium
of national progressive farmers’ organisations
with a reach across 16 states and 1.37 lakh farmer
members, said: “Solution lies in the use of the right
agri-inputs like seeds, fertilizer, and appropriate
pesticides in suitable quantities.”
they decide what to buy—many of whom grew up
with the drink and now are feeding it to their own
kids and teens. Carnation Breakfast Essentials
has long touted its powder and drinks loaded
with protein, vitamins C and D, and calcium,
among other nutrients needed for growing young
consumers. The reformulation and new packaging
by the Switzerland-based company takes that a
step further to increase the brand’s recognition
among consumers overwhelmed with choice on
supermarket shelves.
For example, Nestlé is moving at least some
of its Carnation Breakfast Essentials offerings
from plastic bottles to Tetra Pak cartons made
with paper it claims is responsibly sourced. The
company has announced a goal of making 100%
of its packaging fully recyclable or reusable by
2025.
ingestion induces characteristic symptoms. The
mouth becomes dry, an intense thirst develops,
the vision gets blurred with prominent mydriasis,
and the heart rate increases. This is followed
by hallucinations, delirium, and loss of motor
coordination, which may lead to command,
ultimately to death by respiratory failure. “
So, how to check if your food grains are adulterated
with dhatura? Check out the simple test by FSSAI.
Here’s how to check if your food grains are
adulterated with Dhatura
All you need to do is take a small flat plate and
pour in the food grains. Now, you need to look for
any blacking-brown flat seeds. If you find any of
them, those seeds are called dhatura. If you don’t
see any, then your grains are not adulterated.
Earlier, FSSAI had posted a video on how to check
if your cloves are mixed with exhausted cloves.
Fill a glass with water and a few cloves for the
same effect. The unadulterated cloves will sink to
the bottom of the glass, while the others will float
on the water’s surface.
Farmers are facing twin problems of spurious
pesticides and a lack of awareness regarding
proper usage of agrochemicals.
“Besides the quality and the right quantity, the
timing of applying pesticide is also key for proper
growth of the crop and tackling Thrips parvispinus.
Use of modern technologies, including drones,
robotics, and AI, will help in uniform spraying of
pesticides, “said the RKPA.
According to RKPA estimates, Andhra Pradesh
(43.5 per cent) and Telangana (23.5 per cent)
account for over 67 per cent of the country’s chilli
production. The problem of the new pest was
first noticed in early 2020 and has flared up since
October 2021, with both adults and young ones
feeding on the ovaries of the flowers, making them
unfit for fruiting and causing heavy flower drop
and losses.
Due to these concerns, the chilli prices in the past
two to three weeks have soared by over 30 percent
across various markets in Telangana and Guntur,
the RKPA said, adding: “There is a strong need to
control Thrips, which feed on the lower surface of
leaves of red chilies and are mainly responsible for
leaf curl disease. These pests, if not controlled, can
reduce the yield by 30 to 50 percent, resulting in a
great loss to growers. “
FSSAI found 24% of edible oil
samples adulterated, failed to meet
quality metrics
T
he Food Safety and Requirements Authority
of India, or FSSAI, said that 2.42 percent of
the 4,461 cooking oil samples it tested were
non-compliant due to safety standards, while 24.2
percent failed to meet quality metrics, indicating
likely adulteration of cooking oils in the market.
From August 25–27, 2020, the FSSAI performed
a countrywide study on edible oils to analyse oil
safety, quality, and misbranding in cooking oils
available on the market. The survey’s goal was to
analyse the “ground realities” of oil safety, quality,
and misbranding, according to the food safety
regulator’s results, which were shared with the
media.
Following the poll, the regulator recommended
that states and union territories step up enforcement
efforts to avoid edible oil adulteration.
2.42 percent of the 4,461 samples tested, including
branded and loose oils, were non-compliant owing
to safety factors such as the presence of aflatoxins,
pesticide residues, and heavy metals at levels
greater than those authorised by the Food Safety
and Standards Regulations (FSSR). Meanwhile,
24.2 percent of the samples, or 1,080, did not meet
key quality standards.
The presence of hydrocyanic acid was detected
in the samples, as well as a failure to achieve
the necessary limits of refractive index, butyro
refractometer, or BR reading—which analyses
the purity of foods such as oils and fats, fatty acid
profile, iodine value, and so on.
“Noncompliance with quality parameters shows
that the oil has been adulterated or blended
with other oils or components.” Other quality
non-compliances discovered were failures to
Turmeric is a 5% taxable spice, not
an agricultural product: GST-AAR.
T
he GST-Authority for Advance Rulings
(AAR) Maharashtra panel has ruled that
turmeric is a “spice” that is taxed at 5%.
Turmeric was recently brought before the bench
to see if it might be exempted as a ‘agricultural
produce.
’ The GST-AAR panel, on the other hand, ruled
that the whole turmeric had been cleaned by
boiling and then dried and polished by farmers
before being sold.
This is in direct contradiction to a Gujarat court
order. On the other hand, the Karnataka bench
recently ruled that eggs (in their uncooked form)
are an agricultural commodity and so GST-free.
Nitin Bapusaheb Patil, the applicant in this case,
was a commission agent, as defined under the
state’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee
(APMC) laws. In the presence of farmers and
traders, he was to conduct an auction under the
supervision of an APMC inspector.
If the farmer accepted the auction price, he
continued to operate as an intermediary,
facilitating the delivery of the dried and polished
whole turmeric.
According to the APMC guidelines, he received
a predetermined commission of 3% from the
merchants for such services. He also wanted
to know if his auxiliary services would be
excluded from GST in his application to the
AAR. “Agricultural production” is defined as any
product obtained from the cultivation of plants and
the rearing of all living forms (excluding horses)
NEWS
fulfil shelf-life criteria (acid value, presence
of moisture content, rancidity, peroxide value,
etc.) and prescribed additive standards—
dimethylpolysiloxane as well as tertiary
butylhydroquinone, for example, “it said.
In the category of label misbranding, 572 samples,
or 12.8 percent, were found to be non-compliant
with fortification claims such as the presence of
Vitamin A and Vitamin D. Some oil samples did
not meet FSSAI labelling criteria.
Mustard oil, coconut oil, palm oil, blended
oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil,
safflower oil, groundnut oil, canola oil, rice bran
oil, sesame oil, maize oil, flaxseed oil, and any
other non-listed oils were among the cooking oil
samples.
Food safety officers from various states and union
territories gathered these from 587 districts across
the country and four metros. These samples were
then forwarded to several FSSAI-accredited labs
to be examined for safety, quality, and misbranding
characteristics in accordance with the current
FSSR.
According to FSSAI, a conference with
stakeholders has been scheduled for September
9, 2021, to discuss the survey’s important
results. According to the report, all states and
union territories have been urged to step up their
enforcement efforts to avoid oil adulteration.
It said that “it is being recommended that good
agricultural practices and safe handling or
processing methods be integrated into their efforts
to eradicate the problem of pollutants through the
implementation of good agricultural practices and
safe handling or processing procedures.”
for food, fibre, fuel, raw material, or other similar
items, according to notice No. 12/2017 dated June
28, 2017.
The notification further states that no additional
processing should be done on such goods, or that
any processing done by the farmer or producer
should not affect the produce’s core features while
making it more marketable for the primary market.
Several court and quasi-judicial precedents were
cited by the petitioner.
He cited the Supreme Court, which had ruled
in two cases that certain agricultural products
require some cutting or processing in order to
be marketable. The product would remain an
agricultural product if it is modest and does not
result in product change.
The GST-AAR panel, on the other hand, found that
the applicant had failed to show that the farmers
carried out the specialised process of boiling,
drying, and polishing, which required the use of
machinery, on their own property.
It wasn’t “fresh” turmeric, so it would be taxed at
5%. As a result, the commission agent’s services
would be taxable as well.
16 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
Thermax’s ZeroWeGo-Restoring the NITI Aayog and United Nations
environment through reduced emissions WFP join hands to include millets
in the food basket
S
ustainability in industries has come a
long way. From the establishment of
environmental regulations in the 1970s to
the modern environmental movement, the market
forces are driven by these strategic concerns. At
Thermax, we are determined to rethink processes,
transform, and focus our efforts on net zero
emissions for a greener and better world. As zero
emissions have become the need-of-the-hour,
Thermax has launched ZeroWeGo, a campaign to
encourage a decarbonised world and highlight the
focus on the next phase of business sustainability.
Over the last three decades, through our absorption
chillers, together with our customers, we have
saved millions of tonnes of carbon emissions.
This campaign aims to inspire industries to opt for
greener and cleaner solutions to make net zero a
reality.
Thermax’s absorption cooling journey started as a
part of the waste heat recovery division in 1984,
selling chillers made by Sanyo, Japan. In 1989,
we developed the first steam-driven chillers in
technical collaboration with Sanyo. This was
followed by the launch of the B4K series in 2003,
a complete waste heat recovery based series.
In 2005, they launched the first ever glycol-free
absorption chiller.
In 2010, we developed the chiller-heater, which
recovers excess heat from the cooling cycle.
Carrying our legacy forward, we developed the
most innovative ultra-low pressure absorption
chiller that offers 100% carbon savings in 2014.
In 2019, we inaugurated the IGBC-certified,
platinum-rated smart “Green Factory” for VAM
(Vapour Absorption Machine) manufacturing in
World Trail announces new
range of Stuffed Garlic breads
W
orld Trail is set to introduce their
brand new range of epic stuffed
garlic breads to tingle your taste
buds and add freshness to the palate. The served
variety of Garlic Breads will prove to be the
perfect complement to your favourite pizza.
World Trail, is a passionate home grown brand
committed to raise the bar of the fast food
industry by reinventing the idea of fast food
and assimilating the exotic dishes from around
the globe.World Trail has been conceptualized
to create a unique dining experience to all those
who love to explore new tastes and incorporate
flavour, taste and freshness into their lives.
This latest menu addition is the variation of
already popular Classic Stuffed Garlic bread
which has a creamy layer of mozzarella cheese
mixed with golden corn and tangy jalapenos,
stuffed inside the bread.
These newly introduced soft garlic breads are
similarly covered with garlic, butter and stuffed
parmesan cheese, only with many more types of
fillings to choose from along with melty cheese
inside. World Trail provides you with both
Sri City, India. We have incorporated sustainability
into our DNA; it’s a part of who we are as Thermax.
Our passion for sustainability begins right here at
home! Our manufacturing facility, a state-of-the-
art unit, has been declared a “Green Factory” by
the IGBC. We not only have a green product line
but a green factory too.
The facility has a Platinum Certificate for its
sustainability efforts and energy savings. With
over 90% of materials locally sourced and
over 34% of materials recyclable, the Sri City
manufacturing unit is building better with less!
The factory collects and stores 90% of the surface
run-off water in the RWH pond, saving over 1911
kL in a month. 95% of the lighting needs are met
with daylight.
This, along with solar PV roofed parking lots,
enables the factory to save over 34300kWh units
of electricity in a month. With ZeroWeGo, we
have not only embedded sustainability in our
performance matrix but also set a bar to commit to
our net zero goals internally as well as externally.
With over 6300+ installations across 90+ countries,
Thermax cooling has become a thought leader in
the energy and environmental industry. Over 1000
installations are based on trigeneration, which are
100% waste-heat-recovery-based solutions. Waste
heat recovery has now become the need of the
hour! Thermax’s vapour absorption chillers use
exhaust gases, steam, vapour from the fryer, hot
water, etc. to provide you with 100% electricity-
free cooling, thus contributing to zero emissions.
With a strong emphasis on energy recovery
and reuse, our diverse range of energy-efficient
solutions becomes critical to reducing energy
expenditure and emissions.With every machine
commissioned at our customers’ facilities, we are
getting a little closer to a greener and better world.
With the future of our planet in our hands,
industries and commercial complexes, too, can do
their part in ensuring fewer emissions. Together,
we can make zero emissions a reality by making
conscious choices to recycle waste, recover heat,
repurpose, and optimise the use of resources. Join
us, as ZeroWeGo, for the planet. At Thermax,
we reaffirm our passion and commitment to the
environment and a sustainable tomorrow.
Rs.
vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to decide
from. In the vegetarian section, one has Classic
Stuffed Garlic Bread priced at Rs.149, Veggie
Delite Stuffed Garlic Bread with the delicious
stuffing of various vegetables, priced at Rs.169
and the fan-favourite, combining the Indian taste
palate with Italian recipe, Paneer Tikka Stuffed
Garlic Bread priced at Rs. 199. Apart from this,
the non-vegetarian section has a wide variety,
which includes Keema Stuffed Garlic Bread prices
at Rs.199, Pepperoni Stuffed Garlic Bread priced
at Rs.229, Chicken Tikka Stuffed Garlic Bread
priced at Rs.219 and Bacon Stuffed Garlic Bread
priced at Rs.299.
These different innovations and variations in
a single section of Garlic Bread, is a reflection
of the company’s focus on bringing craveable
products to customers made with quality
ingredients. Moreover, even the dough used in
the making of Garlic Bread is made in-store each
day from scratch. Like so, the brand continues its
commitment to menu innovation with the best
quality.You can have a taste of these delicious
Garlic Breads from World Trail’s restaurant outlets
at Faridabad, Haryana; Mohali, Punjab and Noida,
Uttar Pradesh.
N
ITI Aayog has joined hands with the
United Nations World Food Program
(WFP) to address issues related to the
inclusion of millets in government programmes.
Its aim is to have a more diversified food basket
under its free food distribution programme with a
focus on coarse grains and millets.
Under the statement of intent signed between the
Aayog and the United Nations World Food Program
(WFP), the focus will be on mainstreaming millets
and strengthening climate-resilient agriculture for
enhanced food and nutrition security in India.
Several steps have been taken to promote millets,
including the establishment of a centre for
excellence, the inclusion of Nutri-cereals in the
National Food Security Act, and the formation of
Millet Missions in multiple states.
The joint venture wants that under the distribution
system, focus be shifted to food distribution
programmes from ‘calories fundamentalism’
to providing a more diversified food basket,
including coarse grains and millets, to improve the
nutritional status of preschool children and women
of reproductive age.
BigBasket experiments with
community buying in tier IV India
A
mid rising competition in the e-grocery
category, Tata Group-owned e-tailer
BigBasket has started testing a group
buying model for delivering groceries in Tier
IV towns. BigBasket’s move to experiment with
community buying—or what’s loosely called
“social commerce”—comes at a time when
companies are trying different ways to ramp up
their grocery and essentials verticals amid an
increase in demand for these categories online.
With this, the Bengaluru-based online grocer
will join a growing list of ecommerce firms—
including Walmart-owned Flipkart, SoftBank-
backed Meesho, DealShare, and Udaan—which
have been making aggressive moves in this space
to widen their customer base and serve value-
conscious users.
BigBasket has started testing the group buying
model in areas that are often called “Bharat”—
beyond Tier II and III towns—starting with
Karnataka.
Amul to set up largest plant in Telangana
with an investment of Rs. 500; create
employment for 500
D
airy giant Amul is going to invest Rs
500 crore in Telangana by setting up its
largest plant in the south Indian state,
providing direct employment to over 500 people
and opportunities for several ancillary industries.
Babubhai M Patel, MD of Sabarkantha District
Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd.—Sabar
Dairy, Amul’s largest milk cooperative, and
Principal Secretary (Industries) Jayesh Ranjan
signed an MOU.
The new plant, to be set up at a special food
processing zone in Telangana, will witness an
investment of about Rs 300 crores in Phase 1
and another Rs 200 crores in Phase 2. Amul has
informed the state government that its plant
will have a capacity to process 5 lakh litres per
day (LLPD) of milk, expandable to 10 LLPD to
manufacture packed milk and value-added dairy
products such as curd, buttermilk, lassi, yogurt,
paneer, sweets, etc. Amul will strive to procure
NEWS
In fact, Aayog and WFP intend to identify and
address these challenges in a systematic and
effective manner. The government had observed
2018 as a year of millets to encourage and promote
millet production in India and declared 2023 as
the International Year of Millets, in line with the
United Nations General Assembly resolution.
The partnership focuses on mainstreaming millets
and supporting India in taking the lead globally in
knowledge exchange. Furthermore, the partnership
will aim to build resilient livelihoods for small-
holder farmers and adapt to climate change by
transforming food systems.
The main plan is that the two parties will work in
four phases, including the development of a best
practice compendium around millet mainstreaming
and a scale-up strategy in the first phase. In the
second phase, they will support the scale-up of
millet mainstreaming through knowledge sharing
and intense engagement with select states, while
they will leverage India’s expertise to support
developing countries for millet mainstreaming in
the third phase and work on building capacities for
climate resilient and adaptive livelihood practices
in the fourth phase.
With group buying for Tier III and IV towns,
BigBasket is looking to widen its user base beyond
the metros. The company currently operates in
around 30 cities across India. All its big rivals
have launched services to tap users beyond the top
cities.
Flipkart recently added groceries to its social
commerce app Shopsy, while Meesho will double
down on the category through Farmiso. Other
leading e-commerce startups experimenting with
group buying of groceries and other necessities
outside of metros include DealShare and Udaan
(via Price Company).
the required milk and other raw materials from
Telangana farmers and the various cooperatives
and FPOs operating in the state. The dairy giant
will also set up its bakery production division in
Telangana with a range of products such as bread,
biscuits, traditional sweets, and baked snacks.
Amul decided to set up their plant in Telangana
after seeing the state’s industry-friendly policy and
investment ecosystem and will soon deliver ‘Made
in Telangana’ milk products.
17 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
Verlinvest invests $15 million
in the beverage brand Lahori.
T R
he funding will be used by Lahori, a
Punjab-based beverage company, to double
focus on its brand’s growth through offline
and online expansion, as well as to strengthen the
brand’s national presence in retail chains.
Lahori, a direct-to-consumer beverage producer,
has acquired a $15 million investment from
Verlinvest, a consumer-focused investor located
in Belgium, in return for a minority ownership,
according to a press statement. It was not stated
how much of a share Verlinvest had purchased.
The Series A funding will be used by the Punjab-
based firm to double down on its brand’s growth
through offline and online expansion, as well as to
strengthen the brand’s national presence in retail
chains. According to the press release, “The new
fund will also be used for the development and
marketing of new category-creating items”.
Verlinvest is a multinational, family-owned
evergreen investment firm that manages
multibillion-dollar assets. It has made investments
George Kovoor has been appointed
Senior Vice President-Beverages
at PepsiCo India
K
ovoor most recently served as SVP
International (away from home) at
PepsiCo’s global headquarters in New
York.
George Kovoor has been named Senior Vice
President-Beverages by PepsiCo India, beginning
January 1, 2022. Kovoor will be the beverage
business’s general manager, as well as the person in
charge of developing the long-term sustainability
plan for both the food and beverage categories.
Kovoor has been with PepsiCo for 28 years, serving
in different operational roles in India, APAC, and
China, most recently as SVP International (away
PepsiCo unveils limited-edition
festive packs of 7Up for TN market
W KFC to launch Beyond
ith the harvest festival of Pongal
coming, PepsiCo has revealed
specifically curated limited-edition
packs of its popular soft drink ‘7Up’ for the Tamil
Nadu market.
7Up has been launched in an all-new
limited edition festive pack
featuring the mascot
‘Fido Dido’ marking
the celebrations
of the auspicious
Pongal festival.
PepsiCo India senior
marketing director
(Flavours), Naseeb Puri, said
that 7Up is privileged to have been part of the rich
Tamil Nadu culture, and this time the company
in various firms in India, including Sula, Veeba,
Epigamia, Byju’s, Purplle, and Wakefit.
Lahori intends to grow its footprint across India
in the next three years, capitalising on its unique
position as a provider of desi beverages. “We
aim to provide Indian customers with beverage
alternatives that appeal to their taste pallet,” said
Lahori cofounder Saurabh Munjal. “We see that
the ethnic drinks market in India is neglected, and
we have the ambition to become a major influence
in this field.”
According to the release, India’s non-alcoholic
beverage market is expanding at a breakneck pace
and is predicted to top $18 billion by 2026.
Given that the bulk of the population lives in Tier-
II and Tier-III cities, price points have been an
important factor in entering markets and creating
a brand with client loyalty. The Indian market
remains underserved, with per capita consumption
at around 5.5 litres per year, despite the population
size, as compared to per capita consumption in
certain other countries, such as the United States,
which is believed to be at least 20 times greater.
“Beverages are a primary priority area for us given
the history of our Belgian family shareholders,”
said Shagun Tiwary Shah, investor of Verlinvest.
Lahori has become a dominating player in the
industry in a relatively short period, delivering
a product that the public like. Among all the
beverage companies we have seen so far in India,
Lahori stood out for its taste, product innovation,
and customer pull. “
from home) at PepsiCo’s global headquarters in
New York. Kovoor will return to India after an
18-year. According to the corporation, George is
recognised for his hands-on grasp of the industry
and dedication to developing people and creating
strong stakeholder connections.
really wanted to celebrate Pongal in a special way.
The limited-edition packs are an attempt to bring
alive the festive spirit.
The limited-edition packs are a tribute to the spirit
of Pongal and take inspiration from the various
elements that define the harvest festival.
Right from the intricate art of kolam (rangoli)
to the use of sugarcane and pots to cook the
delicacies, the packs are a representation of the
Pongal festival.
The new 7Up packs would be available in 600 ml,
one litre, and 2.25 litre packs, and the company
has planned to showcase hoardings and posters
across public spots in select cities.
Roastea, strengthening its
presence across India
oastea started its first vertical, “The
Corporate Coffee and Tea Vending
Machine,” in 2019, catering to corporates,
offices, hospitals, and the like. From dishing out
500 cups a day in 2019 to a staggering 30,000
cups every day, Roastea has been expanding its
footprints across Indian corporates, hospitals,
government entities, and industrial sectors,
amongst others.
The rapidly-growing footprint of Roastea began
with coffee and tea vending machines and has
grown to over 300 vending machines on the
ground and under construction in 2021. Indian
startups have been in focus for quite a while.
Young entrepreneurs with a thirst for innovation
are reaching the zenith of success by adding value
to the overall startup ecosystem.
Roastea is the result of the brother duo’s
innovative minds and unprecedented thought to
serve beverage-lovers with 25 plus varieties from
a single vending machine. From serving 30,000
customers a day to doubling the target in the
coming days, Roastea is carving out a niche in the
Indian beverage market with its enriching taste,
a never-seen-before product portfolio, quality
commitment, customer satisfaction, and hassle-
free services.
Roastea is now on the path to great success. What
started as an idea at a law firm back in 2019, has
transformed into a “complete beverage company”
today. The lawyers-turned-entrepreneurs duo of
Chaitanya and Anurag established Roastea with
a vision to provide good quality products whilst
catering to all kinds of palates.
Anurag Bhamidipaty, Founder of Roastea, said,
“Our Fresh-Milk based vending machines are the
perfect “Pantry Replacement” that an office has
been looking for. We use our own coffee and tea
blends with specially curated green tea to satisfy
Dabur India expands into the health
food and beverage market
O
n the e-commerce platform, the FMCG
firm has teamed with Flipkart to introduce
an Ayurvedic health drink. Vita is Dabur
India’s first entrance into the health food and drink
market, as part of the company’s Ayurveda-backed
health product range.
The FMCG major announced a partnership with
Flipkart for the e-commerce launch of Dabur
Vita, a children’s product manufactured with a
combination of over 30 herbs.
It comes in a chocolate flavour and may be mixed
with milk or water. It comes in seven stock-keeping
units (SKUs), starting at Rs.10 for a 15gm pouch.
“On e-commerce, we’re seeing a huge growth
Meat fried ‘chicken’
F
or a limited time, Yum Brand’s KFC
restaurants will start selling plant-based fried
“chicken” from Beyond Meat in the United
States on Jan. 10. Beyond shares rose more than
7% in after-market trading. KFC started testing
Beyond’s plant-based chicken in August 2019 in
Atlanta and expanded to more areas the following
year. In February 2021,
Yum and Beyond announced a global partnership
to create plant-based menu items for Yum’s KFC,
Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut over “the next several
years.” Major fast-food chains have been vying
for partnerships with faux meat makers as they
BEVERAGES NEWS
the customers’ palates. Our dedicated in-house
tech team and house customer service team are
always available for instant support. We are
competitive and are far better priced as compared
to our competitors.
While the partner and founder of Roastea,
Chaitanya Bhamidipaty, added, “With a keen focus
on homemade chais, people just love to relish
our masala chais.” We have received multiple
inquiries for our vending machines to be placed
in their households. With our vending machines,
we will, believe it or not, revolutionize the much-
loved Indian beverages while saving them time
and energy.
Presently, Roastea holds pan-India contracts with
several corporate companies. Within one year of
starting our business and just 17-18 operational
months during a pandemic-hit market, we’ve
scaled new heights. So far, we are present in Delhi-
NCR, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. “With
a focus on pan-India expansion, we’re improving,
excelling, and going above and beyond to establish
ourselves as a beverage connoisseur brand across
the country,” Anurag Bhamidipaty said.
The current revenue rate is a whopping Rs. 6
crores. Roastea has a wide portfolio ranging from
filter coffees to western-style coffees (Cappuccino,
Latte, Americano), Indian Masala Chais (Elaichi,
Ginger, Masala, Tulsi, and Lemongrass) to
artisanal green teas (Detox Kahwa, Kashmiri
Kesar Kahwa, Lemon Ginger, and Honey Lemon).
The product basket also includes haldi-milk and
kaadha as immunity boosters. Roastea leverages
IoT technology in its vending machines to analyse
consumer behavior, track customer preferences
and record a consumption matrix. Touch-less
dispensing (through a QR code facility) and
Inventory Management empower Roastea vending
machines to be smart, safe, and quick in the post-
Covid era.
in search volumes for immunity-boosting milk
drinks, and with Dabur Vita, we’ll be able to meet
this current demand of customers.” Dabur India
is pleased to announce the debut of this product
in conjunction with Flipkart, an e-commerce
platform. “Dabur Vita expands our total portfolio
in the health sector, providing a varied choice
of options for our valued clients,” said Smerth
Khanna, Business Head – E-commerce, Dabur
India.
“Dabur Vita is a unique formulation because it
combines the advantages of Ayurveda with a
delightful chocolatey drink that our consumers
love,” says Prashant Agarwal, Marketing Head -
Health Supplements, Dabur India.
add vegan and vegetarian menu options. Beyond
rival Impossible Foods Inc, Burger King, a
division of Restaurant Brands International Inc, is
collaborating.
18 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
The Specialist in
Manufacturing Conveyors
especially for the Food Industry
Gijs Blankestijn
Account Manager
Jonge Poerink Conveyors B.V.
J
onge Poerink Conveyors (JPC) is known
worldwide as the premium manufacturer
of conveyors. For 90 years, JPC’s expertise
features custom conveyors in addition to standard
curves, spiral, and transfer conveyors. Our
conveyors are designed in accordance with the
latest hygienic standards for the food processing
industry. For non-food products specifically within
the logistical and bag handling industry, JPC’s
robust curve belt design is known for its durability,
low maintenance and long lifecycle. JPC is
globally recognized for its reliable and robust
JP FD Curve -
JP FD Conveyor is especially designed for the
food industry and very suitable for cooling and
freezing applications
Racer -
Smooth and accurate fabric belt conveyor for
your delicate products. The Racer fabric belt
conveyor is specifically designed for carefully
and accurately transporting food products.
Top UAE companies like Lulu to drive Interested in agri market, Australia offers
growth in India’s Jammu and Kashmir tariff sops on 99% of Indian imports
T A
op UAE companies such as Emaar, Noon,
Lulu Group, and DP World will drive
growth in India’s Jammu and Kashmir (J
& K) region. This comes after J & K signed a
memorandum of understanding with Dubai for the
development of real estate, industrial parks, and
other projects in October.
conveyors, conveying your precious products -
anytime, anywhere.
What’s Important For The Food Industry!
As a producer in the food industry, you want
to achieve the highest quality and efficiency.
Jonge Poerink Conveyors is specialized in
manufacturing conveyors especially designed for
the food industry. Our conveyors are durable and
of high quality. We designed our conveyors so
minimum maintenance and maximum cleanability
is guaranteed.
Conveying Solutions
Jonge Poerink Conveyors offers conveyor
solutions for a wide range of industries. From
curved conveyors for the baking industry to spiral
conveyors used for silent vertical transport of
boxes and crates.
Sani Curve– Jonge Poerink Conveyors has
developed a revolutionary alternative for the wire
mesh curve. A very robust belt that, if necessary, is
easy to repair – in contrast to existing wire mesh
belts.
JP HD XL Spiral -
This new spiral conveyor intended for vertical
transport is available in 400mm and 600mm belt
widths. Both have a centre radius of 800mm,
with the 400mm belt having a 1000mm outer
radius and the 600mm belt having a 1100mm
outer radius.
DP World plans to develop logistics infrastructure
in J & K, while local retail giant Lulu Group was
an early mover and announced the setting up of a
modern food processing and logistics centre in the
Indian state in late 2020.
Given the opportunities in the region, it is crucial
to establish J&K as a modern, developed place that
takes care of its economy and employment.
Among the target sectors, tourism is one of the
most crucial sectors where we are aiming for
growth.
“Kashmir valley will be a key destination for the
development of hotels, hospitals, handlooms, and
horticulture, while Jammu will focus on growing
sectors such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals,
inland container depots, and real estate.”
COMPANY ARTICLE / INGREDIENT NEWS
Titanium dioxide ban
comes into force; companies
have six months to adjust
T
he European Food Safety Authority
considered titanium dioxide (TiO2) to be
“not safe” as a food ingredient, and it was
banned across the EU last month (EFSA).
The European Parliament and the Council of the
EU did not protest to the EFSA’s decision last
year, according to Dr. Nina McGrath, area lead
for content development at the European Food
Information Council (EUFIC).
As a result, “producers will face a six-month
phase-out period, during which firms will need to
work on reformulating their goods in order to keep
them on the market.”
“After this period, there will be a complete
prohibition on selling goods using titanium dioxide
as an addition throughout the EU,” she says.
In the food and nutrition sectors, the additive is
utilized as a colouring agent.
Implementing the ban
Regulations, according to McGrath, do not
provide member states any leeway in executing
EU legislation because they are legally obligatory.
“It is the obligation of each member state to
guarantee that the regulation is implemented and
enforced in their nation.”
France prohibited the ingredient in 2020,
prompting businesses like Lonza to introduce
Vcaps Plus White Opal, the company’s first
commercially available titanium dioxide-free
semi-opaque capsule for dietary supplements.
Several lobbying organizations had urged the
European Commission to outlaw TiO2.
Last year, the French Agency for Food,
Environmental, and Occupational Health and
Safety asked for a standardized approach to
screening nanoparticles such as TiO2. Specific
changes to regulatory definitions, particle size
measurements, dissolving characteristics, and
hazard identification were recommended by the
technique.
Wide-ranging use of TiO2
TiO2, also known as E171, is a colour utilized in
the nutrition business, especially as an opacifier
in capsules. According to EUFIC, it is used in
soups, sauces, sandwich spreads, and processed
nut goods, among other things. It is also found in
confectionery, chewing gum, cake frosting, and
white sauces. Titanium dioxide is also utilized as a
pigment, a thickening, and a sunscreen component
in cosmetic and skincare products.
ustralia is keen to export dairy products,
grains, oilseeds and processed food
to India and has offered to give tariff
concessions to 99% of its traded goods with India
under the proposed bilateral free trade agreement
in lieu of opening up India’s dairy and agriculture
sectors through low or zero tariffs.
The two sides intend to complete the talks for
an interim deal, called “early harvest” in trade
parlance, by the end of this month.
In FY21, India exported to Australia-comprising
refined petroleum, medicaments, railway
vehicles including hover-trains, pearls and gems,
jewellery, and made-up textile articles-for $4.04
billion, while imports were $8.24 billion. Imports
included coal, copper ores and concentrates, gold,
vegetables, wool, fruits, nuts, and lentils. Dairy
and agriculture are sticking points in the trade, and
Notably, the substance is also utilized in
pharmaceutical goods for both people and animals
in the EU, according to McGrath.
For the time being, these goods will continue to
be used in order to avoid shortages that might
jeopardize public and animal health. However,
the new rule prohibiting the use of TiO2 as a food
additive includes a review provision that requires
the Commission to re-evaluate the situation
regarding the use of TiO2 in medical goods within
three years of the legislation’s implementation.
Companies have six months to find alternate
solutions.
Buildup to the ban
The item was banned as a consequence of an EFSA
review. The agency is in charge of re-evaluating
food additives that have previously been approved
for use.
“The main concern raised during the re-evaluation
was about titanium dioxide’s potential genotoxicity
(e.g., its ability to damage genetic material in our
cells).”
While this updated assessment could not confirm
a definite genotoxic effect, the EFSA panel
concluded that they did not have enough evidence
to rule out concerns about potential genotoxicity,”
highlights EUFIC.
“The review panel also stated that there was
insufficient data to establish a safe daily
consumption dose of TiO2 and moved to prohibit
use.
Industry adapts
The industry was not surprised by the decision
to prohibit TiO2, since the item has been under
worldwide assessment for a “long period,”
according to Döhler. As corporations work on
reformulations, this has long spurred a need for
alternatives.
As a result, the food industry has been transitioning
away from artificial colours and toward plant-
based meals. Blue spirulina, yellow turmeric
extract, and red elderberry extract have all been
highlighted for their potential benefits.
The shift to more natural things reflects Innova
Market Insights’ Top Ten Trend, Number Two:
“Plant-Based: The Canvas for Innovation,”
as consumers believe plant-based options are
healthier and better for the environment.
the interim package can include products where
there is mutual consensus, while the contentious
issues can be taken up later.
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal
on Monday said that the interim agreement with
Australia will cover “large areas of interest”,
particularly our labour-oriented sectors like
textiles, pharma, footwear, leather products,
and agricultural products. The two sides have
agreed to conclude a long-pending FTA called a
comprehensive economic cooperation agreement
by the end of 2022.
However, industry experts cautioned about opening
sensitive sectors like dairy and agriculture, as they
are huge employers. Once sensitive sectors like
dairy and agriculture
19 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022 INGREDIENT NEWS

IFF introduces Yo-Mix Prime cultures for Properties that increase sweetness
The new Yo-Mix Prime solutions are also

frozen and freeze-dried dairy promoted as essential to the health and affordability
credentials of the goods due to the cultures’
capacity to boost sweetness perception, allowing

I
nternational Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF)
has launched four new cultures in its Yo-Mix
Prime line for yoghurt makers throughout the
world. The new cultures, which join the previously
launched Yo-Mix Prime 800 and 900, will assist
dairy makers in addressing a variety of important
production difficulties in frozen and freeze-dried
applications.
Yo-Mix Prime cultures contribute to minimize
formulation costs by lowering the amount of
skimmed milk powder required to increase yoghurt
texture. This enables less sugar to be applied while
maintaining the same sweetness perception.
The cultures also offer full pH control, which
provides for greater process flexibility because
the acidity is regulated prior to chilling and
packing. This opens us the possibility of increasing
manufacturing output while reducing yoghurt
waste.
“Following the successful launch of Yo-Mix Prime
800 and 900, we knew we wanted to provide even
more freedom for manufacturers to give a broad
variety of texture sensations to customers,” says
Charlotte Debare, Yo-worldwide Mix’s product
line manager.
IFF created the first Yo-Mix Prime line to provide
complete acidity control, resulting in goods with a
premium texture, stable pH, and consistent quality
throughout the shelf life. They are included in the
company’s texture modulation toolkit.
“These new cultures provide the same benefits as
the original series,” Debare continues. “However,
the new texture modification toolbox will provide
producers with a flexible and easy approach to
experiment with different textures based on what
their clients desire.”
Cultures that are functionally frozen and freeze-
dried
The new Yo-Mix Prime 801 and 802 freeze-dried
cultures, as well as the Yo-Mix Prime 830 and 840
frozen cultures, are touted as helping to bring out
the “ultimate mild flavour sensation” in dairy.
According to Innova Market Insights, freeze-
drying is a growingly popular method of keeping
yoghurt shelf-stable. Because they do not utilize
heat, the cultures remain alive and active, as long
as the product does not suffer any other physical
harm.
Freeze-drying creates melt-in-your-mouth yoghurt
treats for toddlers. There are also freeze-dried
yoghurt pellets and crisps that may be included in
everything from nutrition bars to ice cream sundaes.
To preserve culture viability, the components must
be introduced after heat processing.
Consumers throughout the world are becoming
more aware of the multiple health advantages of
goods containing probiotics and live cultures.
Other ambient yogurt-containing goods often
feature a warning stating that the yoghurt has been
heat-treated after culturing, which indicates the
cultures are no longer viable. Gerber Yogurt Blend
Snacks, for example, are ambient yoghurt and fruit
snack cups that are pasteurized after culturing.
With the introduction of Outshine Fruit and Yogurt
Smoothie, Nestlé’s Outshine frozen dessert brand
can now be available in the ambient pouch snack
aisle. The shelf-stable product is characterized
as “produced using non-fat yoghurt that is heat-
treated after culture” and is available in four
no-added-sugar varieties: blueberry pear, peach
raspberry, pear vanilla, and strawberry coconut.
producers to make yoghurts with less added sugar.
Supplier Chr. Hansen, which debuted its own
next-generation culture, Sweety, last year, has also
investigated the sweetness-enhancing properties
of cultures. Using fermentation, the approach
allows manufacturers to retain a suitable degree of
sweetness while lowering added sugar by up to 1 g
per 100 g of yoghurt.
New culture discovery pipeline
Consumers all around the globe are becoming
more aware that probiotics and living cultures
offer significant health advantages, notably for gut
health and digestibility.
IFF released YO-MIX ViV last June after a merger
with Du-Pont Nutrition & Biosciences in February
2021. The “very robust” lactic acid bacteria
culture is intended for use in ambient yoghurt and
other fermented beverages. The introduction was
primarily aimed towards the Asia-Pacific area,
with a particular emphasis on China.
For the first time, YO-MIX ViV is being sold as
a one-of-a-kind culture that enables manufacturers
to deliver ambient yoghurt and other fermented
drinks with very stable living cultures throughout
their shelf life.

Avid Nutrilabs set to exports coffee Cargill opens its first state-of-the-
having Kerry’s Wellmune ingredient art Innovation Center in Gurugram

F I
unctional instant coffee products called
JOMO are used to target immunity and
stress concerns. It was first launched in India
in April and its sales reached 2,000 boxes (24,000
sachets) within six months. With coffee being the
most popular drink worldwide, with two billion
cups are consumed daily, the firm is hoping to
launch JOMO into Singapore, US and UAE next
year, after receiving positive feedback from a pilot
launch in these markets.
The firm was founded in 2020 and now has
three brands: Fitletic (sports drinks), Yosvita (a
nutritional shake for children and adults) and
JOMO.
The firm was motivated to launch a functional
coffee brand due to limited innovation in this
category. Combining domestic and export sales,
Avid Nutrilabs’ chief scientific officer, Akshay T.
Mutt, is optimistic that sales will increase by 10
times next year.
“In India, there are many products coming up
with immune health claims from supplements,
beverages and tea, but there were not many
developments around a better-for-you, convenient
coffee that can increase immunity.”
Although India is historically a tea-drinking
country, consumers are increasingly attracted to
coffee for its convenience and health benefits.
“The quick and easy preparation in a short span of
time is the crucial aspect of the rise in the market
of instant coffee as well as its rich in antioxidant
content.
immune system, and relieve stress and anxiety.
For the Yosvita brand, its nutritional shakes also
incorporate Wellmune. Mutt said: “It’s easy to
incorporate it (Wellmune) in food and beverages
because of its clean taste.”
According to Wellmune’s producer, Kerry, they
are working on formulating Wellmune into bullet
proof coffee powder in Malaysia. He highlighted
how consumers’ awareness for immunity-related
products is growing, but most people still tend
to look for popular ingredients like vitamin C,
D, propolis or zinc.The coffee is sourced from
the Arakku Valley in India, a region known for
its sustainably grown coffee. Mutt said there are
plans to plan the functional coffee range, as well
as explore the RTD coffee market, a nascent but
promising market in India. “We also hope to go into
RTD beverages, creating products antioxidants
claims, and no sugar. People are generally aware
of antioxidants, and associate them with immune
and skin health so it is a good area to explore.”
In India, JOMO’s products are available on its
e-commerce store, Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket,
1mg, Swiggy and it hopes to expand into online
health stores.Immune support is now the most
important reason for buying healthy lifestyle
products in India. According to Kerry’s Global
2021 Consumer Research, 50% Indian consumers
say they would purchase products that have health
benefits explained on the packaging and 43%
refer to science backed claims on the product.
This shows that using science backed ingredients
and transparency encourages purchase of healthy
lifestyle products.
n order to develop innovative solutions help develop healthy and nutritious products that
that address food and beverage (F & B) mirror market trends.
market trends, Cargill has opened the Cargill
Innovation Center in Gurugram, Haryana. The The Innovation Center will be equipped with
plan is that this giant company will partner with the most advanced applications and analytical
its F & B customers in India to identify consumer capabilities, such as an Ultra High Temperature
demands, translate global industry trends into Processing (UHT) pilot plant and a chocolate
local application and accelerate customer product processing line, to develop market-driven
innovation pipelines by co-developing healthy, solutions.
nutritious food options for consumers.
This first state-of-the-art Innovation
Center in India, spread over almost
17,000 square feet, includes a sensory
lab and a demonstration kitchen,
with capabilities to serve the dairy,
beverage, bakery, and convenience
food industries, as well as other
specialised culinary applications.
The Innovation Center cartels Cargill’s
expertise across different industry
segments, comprising edible oils and
specialty fats; starches, sweeteners,
and texturizers; cocoa and chocolate;
and tailored blended ingredients,
under one roof, bringing a complete
product innovation solution to the F &
B industry.
To promote a healthy and nutritious
diet in line with the progressive food
standards in India, the centre will help
customers reformulate products that
are lower in fat, salt, and sugar while
maintaining taste and texture.

JOMO caters to the urban population where these
consumers strive to live healthier lifestyles and
demand healthier options. With people confined to
their homes and spending most parts of the day
in front of their computers, they prefer instant and
convenient coffee.JOMO’s coffee is formulated
with low fat milk, low GI herbal sugar, stevia,
various vitamins, and functional ingredients like
Wellmune yeast beta-glucan for the immunity
function and KSM-66 ashwagandha for the anti-
stress function. These functional ingredients
have been clinically proven to strengthen
Beverages and snacks are the most frequently
purchased categories during grocery shopping
and present an opportunity for manufacturers
to introduce health enhancing ingredients such
as vitamins, minerals, and probiotics as well as
familiar kitchen ingredients like honey, ginger,
and turmeric, which have a strong association
with immune health benefits. Pairing these with
science-backed ingredients in beverages and
snacks offers the most potential in the immune
space in India.
Simon George, President – Cargill
India, said, “Consumer choices are rapidly evolving
towards healthy food without compromising taste,
and this calls for product innovation.” We are
making this Innovation Center our focal point in
co-creating innovative solutions for discerning,
health-conscious consumers in India.
This facility combines our global food science
knowledge with the size and scale of Cargill’s
businesses to bring together unique R&D and food
value chain capabilities all under one roof. We will
It will combine the strength of global know-how
with local capabilities to help ensure faster delivery
of solutions to our customers. The centre will use
Augmented Reality (AR) to live-stream practical
demonstrations remotely to our customers. The
opening of this innovation centre marks another
milestone in Cargill’s three-decade-long journey
in India and its commitment to contribute to
India’s development. “
20 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
Vegan and naturally flavoured
Beetee’s Melt Chocolates
T
his is the drink of God, and it has been
around for 4,000 years. The humble
cocoa bean was used as medicine by the
Mesopotamians, as a drink of the Gods by the
Mayans, and as a form of coinage by the Aztecs,
so it is far from modest. It has been one of the most
sought culinary products across civilisations and
centuries. It is also a fantastic source of comfort
and enjoyment.
Previously, chocolates in India were largely
mass-produced milk chocolate made by huge
multinational corporations. They were always
a touch sugary, unlike the chocolates available
outside. As a result, it has been customary for
anybody travelling outside of the nation to return
with a bucket full of chocolates. India’s chocolates
were never of high quality.Recognizing the gap
between demand and supply, India has seen a
surge of artisanal chocolatiers over the years.
These small-scale, handcrafted, boutique artisanal
chocolatiers are breaking ranks with chocolates
created from the best quality cocoa beans and
goods, as well as taste profiles that are rare and
distinctive. They are not only tapping into the
market of luxury chocolate aficionados, but they
are also challenging the companies of others in the
sector who have been mass-producing chocolates
and importing the beans for a long time.
BeeTee’s Melt Chocolates is one of the
chocolatiers who are altering the landscape.
They are not only bean-to-bar producers, but
they are also free of the artificial ingredients that
are common in mass-produced chocolates. What
makes this brand unique is that they provide
vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-
free chocolates!A business founded with the goal
of allowing people to enjoy authentic chocolate,
free of any artificial ingredients or preservatives!
Their health is the most essential thing to them.
They wish to return to Mesopotamian days, when
chocolate was simply delicious and not sinful.
The BeeTee’s Melt method to Bean to Bar
implies that they source raw cacao beans directly
from the source, roast them with cracking, go
Delhi’s chocolatiers provide a variety of
flavours to satisfy sweet cravings
C
hocolate, made from cocoa beans and
soaked in memories, provides individuals
with both consolation and pleasure.
Many of us may have fantasized about being
surrounded by excessive amounts of this delectable
delicacy since Roald Dahl introduced us to Willy
Wonka’s chocolate factory. Chocolate, made from
cocoa beans and soaked in memories, provides
individuals with both consolation and pleasure.
We spoke with a few artisanal chocolatiers in
Delhi-NCR that provide a variety of flavours that
should be on the radar of any chocoholic.
Nothing less than art
Chocolate has always piqued my interest.
Something about it is distinct from other sweets,
“Neha Singh, a resident of Gurugram, agrees.Her
home-based business, Bijoux Chocolates, which
she founded in 2017, aims to lend an artistic touch
to everyday chocolates. True to their name (bijoux,
through additional processes like as winnowing
and grinding the beans at the ideal temperature,
and ultimately temper and mould the artisanal
chocolate bar.
Bean to Bar is the most genuine method of creating
chocolate since it produces a high-quality bar
with few components such as cacao, cacao butter,
and sugar. This boosts the nutritional quotient of
Bean-to-Bar chocolates, making them healthier
and more chocolate-like than those containing
artificial flavours or preservatives.
This is a limited-edition, all-natural-ingredient-
made product that not only satisfies all chocolate
desires, but also assures that chocolate fans with
particular dietary needs have their demands met.
They now offer 54% Coconut Milk Chocolate
and 48% Milk Chocolate. Their 72 percent Dark
Chocolate, on the other hand, is their biggest seller.
Because of the strong demand and good reaction,
BeeTee’s Melt is developing and releasing more
flavours.
They just do not produce chocolate. All-natural
nut butters are available in the BeeTee’s Melt,
including Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate
Almond Butter, Almond Butter, Peanut Butter,
Hazelnut Butter, and Pistachio Spread. They don’t
utilise hydrogenated oils, artificial flavours, or
fillers to bulk out their nut butters.The packaging
is what we like best about them. Their chocolate
package includes a little graphic depiction of the
raw materials utilised in the manufacturing of
particular bar. They make their moulds smaller in
order to facilitate chocolate consumption. It also
aids in the control of consumption.
While the reaction has been wonderful, they are
also experiencing a number of issues with the
shipping of their online chocolate sales. Due to
temperature changes during transportation, the
chocolate may melt or lose form while being
transported. To address this issue, they began
covering and packaging their chocolates in two
layers, with the outer layer protected by thermally
insulated wrapping and the use of reusable ice
packs.
BeeTee’s Melt Chocolate has seen a significant
increase in sales volume since COVID-19. The
epidemic raised youth and middle-class Indians’
conscience and health awareness. It also aided
in the development of the supply chain. This
contributed to a massive shift in the chocolate
business.
meaning jewels or trinkets in French), Singh’s
chocolates are attractive not just to the taste buds
but also to the eyes due to the jewel-toned coating
that Singh hand-paints on them. Cherry blossom,
matcha, raspberry-lychee, passionfruit, and other
unusual flavours are available, all of which are
prepared from naturally derived ingredients. I
make use of dried flower petals. The objective is
to infuse the chocolate with the actual flavour of
the blossom, “she continues.
A sight to behold
Mandakini Gupta’s career as a chocolatier began
with the American artisanal firm Mast Brothers,
who recognized her passion for chocolate. Gupta
says that Mast Brothers’ chocolates had incredibly
intriguing packaging that always piqued her
curiosity. Gupta used this drive to launch Smitten
Bakery and Patisserie in 2014, which she runs
from her home in Asian Games Village and offers
a variety of pastries and handcrafted chocolates.
Presentation is important to Gupta, and she wraps
The Bonn Group expands its product
portfolio with the introduction of
Special Americana Bourbon Biscuits.
B
onn Group, an Indian bread and bakery
product maker, has introduced special
Americana Bourbon biscuits as another
another offering from a healthy and delightful
bakery.
The bourbon biscuits are made with the best
chocolates, have the deliciousness of caramel and
cocoa, and are topped with sugar crystals. The rich
chocolate flavour of the biscuits is indulgent. The
family pack of the new cookie is priced at Rs 30
and comes in an appealing 150 gramme container.
It is worth noting that Bonn releases exclusive and
premium items under the Americana brand.
“The demand for bourbon biscuits is expanding
day by day, and we know people love to have
bourbons dipped in hot cups of tea or coffee,”
said Amrinder Singh, Director of Bonn Group
of Industries. Our new product is produced with
high-quality ingredients and features a delightful,
thick layer of chocolate in the centre.
These cookies are not only delicious, but they also
give rapid energy for working or studying. We
want to initially offer this product in the markets of
Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi NCR. The chocolate
delight will also appeal to teens, Gen-Z, and
Millennials, who enjoy it on a regular basis. The
popularity of bourbon sandwich biscuits has lately
soared. Bonn will offer the Americana Bourbon
biscuit in real shops as well as online, taking in
Mondelez India Foods and Procter & Gamble
reported a two-time surge in net profit
T
he Indian arm of two leading US based
consumer goods makers, Mondelez India
Foods and Procter & Gamble Home
Products reported over two times surge in net
profit in the pandemic year, 2020-21.
As per the latest regulatory disclosures to the
Registrar of Companies (RoC), Mondelez India
Foods’ revenue surged by 10% to Rs. 8038 crores
in 2020–21, while net profit jumped by 297% to
Rs. 1,001 crores in the year under review.
Procter & Gamble Home Products reported a
7% jump in revenue at Rs. 6,314 crores, while
net profit surged by 217% at Rs. 483 crores.
According to the RoC data accessed through
her chocolates in a unique way by utilizing origami
designs. Gupta’s twist on the Cadbury Crackle
offers a red-rice crackle chocolate, Gupta’s twist
on the Cadbury Crackle.
Exotic flavour combinations
Pragati Sawhney of Gurugram founded Coc-kriti
in 2011 with the intention of countering India’s
shortage of diverse flavours and high-quality
chocolates. Sawhney’s chocolate bars are prepared
by mixing natural teas, flowers, spices, and herbs
with pure cacao and are made at her home—she
had a studio, which is currently closed due to the
epidemic. Cockriti’s signature flavours include
African Rooibos tea, Lavender, Mogra, Turkish
Coffee, Matcha, and chocolates with goat cheese
and Rooh Afza.
Keeping Authenticity
Rosarté’s chocolate studio, situated in GK-1, was
founded in 2015 by Radhika and Simar Gulati.
It is a cloud kitchen that distributes handcrafted
SNACKS NEWS
mind the limits or lockdown possibilities that may
emerge if additional COVID-19 variations emerge.
During the first and second waves of the pandemic,
the company was able to successfully manage
its operations through e-commerce. During
the holiday season last year, the brand’s sales
and total revenue reached pre-pandemic levels.
Bonn’s Basket’s latest product offering comes
after the company recently unveiled a unique
gift box selection of biscuits and sweets for the
Diwali festive season. The FMCG giant has great
ambitions for the New Year, including expanding
distribution networks across the country and
developing novel goods with the use of technology
and innovation.
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market
is undergoing significant change, and retailers
are planning to implement an omnichannel
strategy this year as well. According to Nielsen,
e-commerce for FMCG will reach $400 billion by
2022, accounting for between 10% and 12% of the
worldwide market for such items. Because biscuits
dominate the baking sector in India, demand for
luxury biscuits like as bourbon is expected to rise
this year.
business intelligence platform Tofler, Mondelez’s
total expenses for FY21 were Rs. 6,771 crores,
while those of Procter & Gamble Home Products
were Rs. 5,648 crores.
In its RoC filings, Mondelez did not share any
details on business performance or the surge in
profit during FY21.
Industry executives said both the companies’
revenue grew due to pandemic related pantry
stocking and consumers preferring to buy snacks
at home with restricted mobility, while net profit
surged as they controlled their expenses including
distribution cost and focus on e-commerce sales.
Belgian chocolates across Delhi and NCR. “Our
plan was to bring Belgian Couverture chocolates
to the country,” Radhika explains. You’ll discover
truffles, bonbons, and chocolate bars, as well
as their signature Chip and Dale chocolate
bar, which was inspired by the namesake Walt
Disney characters. Rosarté also sells single-origin
chocolates, which have a flavour that is unique
to the nation where the cacao bean is grown
(Venezuela, Java, and Madagascar, to name a few).
In honour of the Indian Cocoa
Darkins was commercially introduced in 2019
by Richa Chaudhary and Prajnay Garg. From
their studio in Sainik Farms, Darkins provides a
variety of chocolate products created from locally
sourced cacao beans from three farms in Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It aims to
emphasize the many flavour qualities that Indian
chocolate has to offer. “We hope that people will
take our chocolates to other nations and spread the
word about the Indian cacao bean,” adds Garg.
Darkins’ specialties include chocolates imbued
with Indian flavours, which she creates with a
staff of ten women. The Banarasi paan-flavoured
chocolate is one of their most intriguing fusions.
21 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
Demand increases in home-cooked
category-”Symega Food Ingredients”
I
n the ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook sections,
we have a variety of sauces, gravies, marinades,
chutneys, and spreads. The growing desire
for home eating in the post-COVID era has
prompted Symega Food Ingredients, a subsidiary
of Kochi-based Synthite Group, to develop its
culinary segment. According to Santhosh Stephen,
Managing Director of Symega Food Ingredients
Ltd., “The firm is quickly growing its culinary
product capabilities with a strategic focus in the
food solutions arena for the FMCG retail, QSR, and
HORECA segments in both local and international
markets.” “We have already spent over Rs. 15
crores and will be investing over Rs. 30 crores in
stages over the coming several months.”
“Chef Naresh Guglani has been named Vice-
President of RnD for the company’s fast-growing
culinary goods segment, which offers a variety of
sauces, gravies, marinades, chutneys, and spreads
in the ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook arenas. Chef
Naresh was the RnD Director for McCormick
India before joining Symega, and he has 25 years
of expertise in the new product development
department”, said Stephen. The pandemic’s after-
Every non-vegetarian contains
a vegetarian
T
o verify that vegetarian dishes are truly
vegetarian, the Delhi High Court recently
ordered that all food establishments
precisely list every component that goes into the
cuisine. It emphasizes that customers have the
right to know whether the components are derived
from plants or animals, or if they are synthesized
in a laboratory, regardless of the amount that goes
into the final product. This effectively implies
that any trace of animal products must be labelled
with a brown label to identify their non-vegetarian
origins. Is it safe to assume that today’s green labels
are deceptive? It may not include discernible bits
of meat, but some of its ingredients may contain
animal products that are unacceptable to most
people who strictly adhere to a vegetarian diet.
As per the High Court’s decision, many memories
from history came flooding back.
In Thailand on a media tour when the hosts
discovered that the majority of the guests were
vegetarians who lived off of salads and banana
fritters on most days, they gladly hosted an
entirely vegetarian formal dinner. On the trip,
a culinary critic was offended—how could you
provide this to a reviewer? During the same trip,
a fellow blogger inquired as to how a vegetarian
could be a food reviewer or blogger. This was
the first introduction to non-vegetarian food’s
hierarchical position in the food media. It’s no
surprise that our lifestyle publications are full of
non-vegetarian meals, despite the popular adage
that “isn’t everyone a vegetarian?” Plant-based
foods are consumed by all of us. You may also
eat food that is derived from animals. Even those
who do eat non-vegetarian cuisine do not do so
on a daily basis in India, it is fair to state. It is
consumed by a vast number of individuals on a
regular basis. Many people only eat it outside their
homes or on vegetarian holidays like Navaratri.
As a result, the percentage of people who eat non-
vegetarian cuisine is far lower than the number of
vegetarians in the census.
A panel of the most well-known Indian chefs
discussed the business of food at a global
conference. When questioned why there are so few
vegetarian options on the menu, they admitted that
there are no such thing as true vegetarian meals.
They also referenced a chef who couldn’t keep up
with trying to keep the ladles used for vegetarian
cuisine separate. Since then, I’ve avoided dining
at a variety of posh restaurants that specialize in
making food appear appealing, or “instaworthy,”
effects, such as lockdowns, have benefited the
culinary products business. Cooking pastes, ready-
to-cook sauces, and instant gravies are in high
demand from the retail and food service sectors,
thanks to the choice of home-cooked, takeaway,
or delivered in-home meals. The firm reacted
quickly to this transition by doubling the size of
its culinary goods factory and tripling its installed
capacity. A new line to process, produce, pack, and
store chilled and frozen items is being built, and a
techno-economic analysis of a new retorting line
for export markets is being conducted, according
to Stephen.
Symega has also created a specialised food section
to provide solutions for the globally popular
plant-based food industry. The major emphasis is
on plant-based diets, which include meat, eggs,
milk, and other dairy substitutes. The collection
is primarily aimed towards packaged food brand
owners (both new and established) and food
service chains, and it attempts to meet rising
consumer demand for plant-based meat and milk
replacements.
as they put it. Returning to the Delhi High Court
judgement, would it extend to high-end hotels
and restaurant kitchens? If that’s the case, how
can you make sure that the vessels used for
vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals don’t get
mixed up? Are cameras going to be installed in
kitchens? Forget about restaurateurs being bad
guys and serving non-vegetarians meals; there is
a big misconception regarding the matter. A green-
labeled oyster sauce dish was recently served
at the lunch buffet of a high-end hotel in one of
India’s holiest towns. When it was mentioned to
the serving staff, he said, “Yeh vegetarian nahi hai
kya?” Isn’t it supposed to be a vegetarian dish?
“OK,” he said calmly, “I’ll ask someone to replace
the label.” Then, looking for safer options, we left,
but not before realizing that the bulk of the serving
staff had probably never eaten most of the meals
on the menu. Is this an issue with training or with
learning? That’s a different discussion I’m having
in my thoughts. However, as vegetarians, we’ve
learnt that one can’t blindly trust the personnel.
Just before the epidemic halted all travel, halal
tourism was heavily pushed. It always puzzled
us that there was no celebration of vegetarian
food in India. We eat mostly vegetarian food. If
nothing else, we have the world’s most diverse
vegetarian cuisine, whether it’s thalis, desserts,
or street food. Why are vegetarian food festivals
not particularly popular in a nation that has some
of the world’s largest vegetarian restaurants, such
as the Jagannath Temple in Puri? From Thailand
to Canada, there are vegetarian cuisine festivals.
Furthermore, the world commemorated Gandhi’s
150th birth anniversary with vegetarian meals, but
we in India mostly disregarded this. Vegan food
festivals are sprouting up with missionary fervour,
while vegetarian ones are barely mentioned.
Don’t you believe there’s room for a celebration
of vegetarian food, which isn’t simply widely
consumed but also offers so much variety?
Look beneath the media frenzy to find some of
India’s most successful food enterprises, such as
Udupi eateries in the south and Vaishno Dhabas in
the north, which are now located on the roadside
practically everywhere in the nation. At the risk
of repeating that, everyone is a vegetarian, as
evidenced by the number of people who visit pure
vegetarian establishments. Even Italian chains that
solely serve vegetarians have outlasted others in
India. Perhaps it’s time for vegetarians to be more
confident in their eating choices.
A firm that encourages healthy
eating by disclosing all of the
ingredients: Pune Inc.
P
une Inc. is a firm that encourages healthy
eating by disclosing all of the ingredients.
True Elements’ traceability function allows
customers to track the origins of their items. It just
struck a contract farming deal with cooperative
organisations in Maharashtra to supply clean
grains.
The careful consumer may be found in grocery
store aisles, picking up an item and reading the
package before making a decision. Since the
COVID-19 epidemic began, the number of such
shoppers has risen.
According to a December report titled “Impact
of COVID-19 on the nutrition choices of urban
Indian consumers in 2021” by Euromonitor
International and PepsiCo India, nearly 90%
of urban consumers were willing to pay more
for healthier food options, and 53% of urban
consumers were ingredient-conscious when it
came to breakfast cereals.
The epidemic has changed people’s attitudes
toward food, and the market has responded by
flooding stores with “healthy” items, leaving
customers perplexed by the many meanings of the
term.
True Elements, a breakfast and snack business
located in Pune, is now working to tackle the
problem. True Elements, one of India’s market
leaders in putting clean food on the table, has a
traceability feature that allows consumers to trace
the antecedents of their product. True Elements
had an Annualized Rate of Run (ARR) of Rs. 70
crores in June 2021 and aims to push it up to Rs.
300 crores in 18-24 months. You may find out the
route of a product from the farm to the shelf by
entering the name of the product and the batch
code on the company’s website.
In the coming weeks, a client will be able to
learn the name of the farm from which the food
was sourced by looking at the farmer’s photo.
Because our definition of clean food is absolute,
not relative, we believe in total openness. Puru
Gupta, co-founder of the firm alongside Shreejith
Moolayil, states, “Every item is 100 percent whole
grain, zero percent preservative, zero percent
additive, and zero percent sugar.”
True Elements engaged in contract farming in
Maharashtra and developed agreements with
SNACKS/ BISCUIT/CHOCOLATE NEWS
cooperative organisations to get clean grains
such as wheat, jowl, flax, and chia directly from
farmers.
We did not previously have the scale to go to a
farmer and announce that we would buy their full
year’s product, but now we do. We have begun
to educate farmers on
fundamentals such as
seed planting. They
stand to benefit from
increased productivity
and profits. “We are
also striving to make
them technologically
capable,” adds Gupta.
Gupta also stated
that True Elements
currently has 13 product
categories, including
western and regional
breakfast, seeds and
their mixes, OTG (on-
the-go), RTC (ready-to-
cook), RTE (ready-to-eat) snacks, RTD (ready-
to-drink) drinks, and 65 products, including
gluten-free rolled oats, dark chocolate granola,
whole oatmeal, and chocolate pancake mix. The
emphasis is on chemical-free, pure food that
nevertheless tastes delicious.
A typical consumer falls into one of two categories:
the health-conscious individual who finds True
Elements goods to be tasty and returns for more;
or the taste-conscious consumer who realizes after
the first bite or sip that they are healthier than most
other brands and repeats the purchase. During the
epidemic, both sectors rose, which boosted True
Elements’ sales.
If we are to develop, we must go mainstream.
We reject the term “niche,” which implies “tiny.”
We need to go into every nook and cranny of the
customer’s kitchen. “We intend to do so while
keeping faithful to people, true to our promise, and
true to the world,” Gupta explained.
The company has responded to the pandemic’s
demands with innovations such as Jowar Cereal
Cake—a biscuit-like cake that dissolves and
becomes porridge when mixed with milk, with
the sweetness coming from sorghum, which is the
stem of the jowar plant—and Chocolate Ice cream
Indulgence, a dessert mix that is free of chemicals
and sugar.
After noticing that individuals were skipping
breakfast in their haste to start working from
home, True Elements created an oats-almonds-
jaggery smoothie. The drink is quick to make and,
according to feedback, keeps one satiated until
lunch.
“On the Indian cuisine side, there will be five to
seven product additions per month in 2022, but we
will continue to focus on our bastion of western
breakfast.” We are addressing the consumption
points of 8 a.m. breakfast, 11 a.m. snack, and 4
p.m. snack time. “A growing number of people
are becoming discriminating and feel that they
should eat healthily in the morning and
evening,” Moolayil adds.
The Delhi High Court instructed the
authorities concerned to fully disclose
all ingredients that have been used in
a food item, not by their code names,
but by clearly-mentioned sources,
irrespective of the quantity present in
the product.
22 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022
Orion introduces two new
snacking options:
Strawberry Choco Pie
and the World’s Largest Choco Chip Cookie.
S
trawberry Choco Pie & Choco Chip
Cookies by Orion
In response to changing consumer
preferences in India, Orion, one of South Korea’s
largest food companies, has introduced two new
products: Orion Strawberry Choco Pie, a chocolate
pie center-filled with the pulp of handpicked real
strawberries, and the Ultimate Choco Chip, a
large-sized cookie with real chocolate Choco chip.
The launch is in line with the company’s intentions
to release more items and expand into new markets
and shops.
Following the enormous success of Orion’s original
Choco Pie in India, the launch of the strawberry-
filled Choco-pie is projected to increase Orion’s
market share even more. The Ultimate Choco Chip
is a premium and distinct product that represents
the company’s entry into the packaged cookies and
premium biscuit category in India.
Each Orion Strawberry Choco Pie is 28 grammes
in weight. A six-piece bundle costs INR 90, while a
12-piece pack costs INR 180. The Ultimate Choco
Chip weighs 16.67 grammes and is made up of
26% Choco Chip. The Choco Chip comes in a
Desi Samosa most loved snack of
2021; Biryani top dish: Swiggy report
A
ccording to food ordering and delivery
platform Swiggy, our dear samosa is
India’s “most binged snack” of 2021 with
about 50 lakh orders, topping the list of the most
ordered foods during the year.
Coming a distant second in the top food orders of
the year list were Pav Bhajii and Gulab Jamun,
with 21 lakh orders each, as per the sixth annual
‘StatEATstics report’ by Swiggy. The love for
“desi samosa” was reflected in the fact that it was
ordered “six times more than chicken wings”.
StatEATstics tells us about India’s top dishes
in 2021, and the report found biryani to be the
undisputed dish, topping the charts for the sixth
year in a row. In 2020, 90 Biryanis were ordered
per minute, and in 2021, India ordered 115
Biryanis per minute, or 2 Biryanis per second,
Swiggy said, adding chicken biryani was ordered
ITC’s Master Chef frozen snacks entered into a
strategic partnership with Havmor Ice Cream
I I
TC’s Master Chef frozen snacks have entered
into a planned partnership with Havmor Ice
Cream, owned by South Korean conglomerate
Lotte Group, to improve distribution reach.
The partnership will allow ITC Master Chef to
uplift 100 Havmor Ice Cream carts and make
available its range of 15 easy-to-cook snacks.
This allows ITC Master Chef to use Havmor Ice
Cream’s pushcart distribution network during the
peak season for frozen snacks, from November to
March, which is generally the non-peak season for
ice cream in markets where winter is dominant.
Typically, the frozen food industry sees a 30%
increase in sales during the winter compared to
the summer months. Ashu Phakey, the ITC Vice
President and Business Head (Frozen Foods),
bundle of six pieces for INR 60. Orion Strawberry
Choco Pie and The Ultimate Choco Chip are both
100 percent vegetarian and hygienically packaged
in India using cutting-edge machinery.
“We are thrilled and excited to launch the Orion
Strawberry Choco Pie,” stated Saurabh Saith,
CEO of Orion India. It is a one-of-a-kind center-
filled product made with 39 percent genuine
strawberries. We utilize actual strawberry pulp to
create a flavour that is a cross between chocolate,
strawberry, and marshmallow.
Strawberry has a balanced tangy-sweet flavour that
leaves the user wanting more. We are also excited
to introduce The Ultimate Choco Chip Cookie,
which represents our first foray into the cookie
market in India. It is one of the biggest cookies
available in the branded-packaged style in India,
with an excellent flavour and scent of Choco Chips
and a 26 percent genuine chocolate content that is
among the best in the market. These developments
are the result of Orion’s worldwide competence,
R&D skill, and swift adaption to Indian customer
tastes. According to our company philosophy, we
will continue to source world-class items to satisfy
4.3 times more than its vegetarian counterpart.
Remarkably, over 4.25 lakh new users made their
Swiggy debut by ordering a chicken biryani, it
added. The StatEATstics report is based on orders
received by Swiggy for food delivery, grocery
on Instamart, pick-up and drop service, Swiggy
Genie, and HealthHub platforms between January
and December 2021.
Grocery platform Instamart delivered over 28
million packs of fruits and vegetables alone in
2021. Tomatoes, bananas, onions, potatoes, and
green chilies were the top five fruits and veggies
delivered in under 30 minutes, it said.
As far as instant indulgence was concerned,
Swiggy said 14 lakh packets of instant noodles, 31
lakh packets of chocolate and 23 lakh tubs of ice
cream were delivered.
stated that with a strong distribution model in the
ice cream space, they are confident that Havmor Ice
Cream’s consumer centricity and extensive reach
will complement ITC’s capabilities in creating
innovative products to enhance the overall value
offering for customers. Komal Anand, Managing
Director and CEO of Havmor Ice Cream, stated
that it helps ITC Master Chef increase availability
during the winter season while also allowing
Havmor Ice Cream’s channel partners to generate
additional revenue during the winter months
. Globally, McDonald’s has a plant-based burger
“Expanding pushcart operations is an integral part
of Havmor Ice Cream’s strategy to enhance its
reach.” Given that the frozen supply chain in India
is evolving, leveraging the existing eco system to
expand reach at optimized cost will continue to
remain a focus area, “Anand added.
CONFECTIONERY NEWS & PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
Indian consumers. Orion’s primary strategic bet is
India, and the corporation will continue to invest
here using the “Make in India and Delight India”
concept.
Orion is dedicated to presenting the finest of
Korean cuisine to the rest of the globe. Its product,
Orion Choco Pie, is well-liked in several nations.
Since the introduction of its original Choco Pie
in India, the firm has been launching world-class,
high-quality items in order to broaden its range in
the nation. Using volume growth as a springboard,
Britannia names Amit Doshi as
CMO; Doshi moves from Lenovo
B
ritannia Industries,
a biscuit and
bakery company,
recently named Amit
Doshi as chief marketing
officer. Doshi comes from
consumer electronics and
personal tech company
Lenovo, where he was director, marketing for
India and South Asia.
Doshi, who succeeds Britannia’s former marketing
chief Vinay Subramanyam, takes over the new role
effective January 17.
India’s largest bakery foods company, Britannia’s
mainstay brands include Good Day, Tiger,
NutriChoice, Milk Bikis, and Marie Gold, besides
dairy, cake, rusks, and breads. Britannia managing
ITC - the first mainstream consumer company
to launch plant-based meat products
TC is going to launch a host of plant-based
meat products, in expectation of the increasing
demand for meat substitutes and vegan meals
in India.
The company is the first conventional consumer
company to enter this segment in the country
even as Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg’s, and Cargill
have globally launched products for consumers
conscious about health, animal welfare, and the
environment.
The largest players in this segment globally are
start-ups such as Beyond Meat and Impossible
Foods Inc. To begin with, ITC is launching plant-
based burger patties and nuggets, which mimic
the taste of chicken and are the two largest non-
vegetarian frozen food categories.
the corporation is now attempting to aggressively
increase its market share in the nation.
Orion, which was founded in 1956, is now one of
the world’s leading candy companies. The firm is
one of South Korea’s major food enterprises. The
corporation is based in Seoul, South Korea, and
has production facilities in South Korea, Russia,
Vietnam, India, and other countries. The firm
provides high-quality items that are known for
their distinct flavours.
director Varun Berry said: “Amit’s cross-sectoral
marketing experience will be valuable in taking
our innovation mindset to the next level.” Doshi
has previously worked with confectionery maker
Perfetti Van Melle as well as Britannia across
marketing, sales, and customer development roles,
the company said in a statement.
Britannia, which competes with Parle Products
and ITC in the fast-moving biscuits category, has
been adding capacity to meet increasing demand
for packaged foods and has committed fresh
investments under the centre’s production-linked
incentive (PLI) scheme.
The biscuit maker recently revamped one of its
core brands. Good Day, with fresh packaging and
communication, backed by supplies in over 4.8
million retail outlets.
called “McPlant,” co-developed with Beyond
Meat. ITC will initially sell these products through
e-commerce and large retail chains in the top eight
cities and to institutional customers such as hotels
and restaurants.
23 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022 CORPORATE NEWS

OR Esports has agreed to become How A Nashik Brand Is Sparking Its

the official Chicken Dinner Own Green Revolution
Partner of KFC India
F
rom a small grape farm to India’s largest decided to bring like-minded farmers together

K
FC India, the manufacturers of the world’s
tastiest chicken, will now instil some
“crispiness” in the gaming arena alongside
OR Esports.
OR, Esports has announced KFC India as
the team’s “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner”
(WWCD) sponsor for 2022. As a sponsor, KFC
would promote gaming event broadcasting, give
special jerseys for players to wear to indicate their
excitement, and possibly even surprise them with
a digital avatar of Colonel Sanders!
As businesses compete for the attention of Gen Z
in India, becoming the “Winner Winner Chicken
Dinner” sponsor puts KFC India right in the
middle of the action. As the creators of the world’s
finest chicken, KFC India will now instil some
“crispiness” in the gaming arena as well, allowing
its youthful netizen consumers to enjoy their KFC
Bucket and have it too!
In response to the addition of e-gaming to KFC’s
list of collaborations, Moksh Chopra, Chief
Marketing Officer, KFC India, stated, “KFC
is always open to engaging with culturally
appropriate partners in a creative way.” E-gamers
and KFC fans in India have many characteristics
in common: they are both enthusiastic, youthful,
and inventive.
As a result, we’re thrilled to announce our
collaboration with OR Esports, one of India’s most
interesting mobile gaming teams. The honour of
becoming the first WWCD (Winner, Winner
Chicken Dinner) sponsor sounds pretty awesome.
And what better way to cap off a successful game
of BGMI than with a bucket of KFC’s hot and
crispy chicken dinner? That’s what I mean by
“finger-clickin’ good.”
Winning a battle royale match in today’s
competitive scene is no simple undertaking. To
outlast the other players, you must be astute,
skilled, and have outstanding coordination.
“Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” is a common
term used by gamers to celebrate a win in
Battlegrounds Mobile India, one of India’s most
popular multiplayer battle royale games (BGMI).
This relationship allows the business to engage
with the rapidly rising gaming audience directly
through their favourite games, converting them
into loyal clients in the long term.
KasturiRangan, OR Esports CEO and CPO at
PTW, commented on the agreement, saying,
“Having one of the world’s premier QSR brands,
KFC India, join us reinforces OR Esports’
commitment to expand esports with the world’s
greatest brands.”
This collaboration, which is anchored by a slate
of multimedia activations and interactive fan
interaction, offers KFC the ideal platform for
directly engaging new and long-time committed
KFC customers, as well as the esports community.
With a common love of gaming and finger-lickin’
fantastic cuisine, we’re looking forward to the
great fan experiences and milestones we’ll achieve
together.
This collaboration will encompass content
production, activations, and fan experiences via
live tournaments, video integrations, and branding
at the OR Esports gaming house, tapping into two
of the major passion areas of esports fans: food
and gaming.
There is plenty and more to appeal to the gamer
in you with an amazing line-up of OR Esports at
Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) who
have qualified for finals commencing today, Jan
13th – 16th, Jan2022. The OR Esports BGMI
lineup is prepared to face off against the best teams
in the finals.
FPC, Sahyadri Farms today has 13,500
farmers in its fold.
Sahyadri Farms is the country’s largest producer,
purchaser, and processor of tomatoes.Around
60% of Sahyadri Farms’ fruits and vegetables are
exported, and 40% are sold in India. He says they
export their products to 42 countries, including
Russia, the US, and various European countries.
Sahyadri Farms is the country’s largest producer,
purchaser, and processor of tomatoes.Around
60% of Sahyadri Farms’ fruits and vegetables are
exported, and 40% are sold in India. He says they
export their products to 42 countries, including
Russia, the US, and various European countries.
A gold medalist with a master’s degree in
agriculture engineering, along with his five uncles,
was struggling to keep his small grape farm afloat.
Today, 47-year-old Vilas Shinde’s Sahyadri Farms
symbolises one of the biggest success stories in the
country’s agricultural scenario, with over 13,500
farmers owning about 28,000 acres in the Nashik
region of Maharashtra coming together to produce
over 1,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables per day.
Sahyadri has become the country’s largest farmer-
producer company (FPC) and a role model for
others to follow, besides being the largest grape
exporter.
The FPC is developing a retail footprint across
the state and is also building a pan-India presence
through its e-commerce platform.
Shinde, founder and chairman of Sahyadri Farms,
says he is replicating the Amul model in vegetables
and fruits. Sahyadri’s journey as a farmer-producer
company began with barely 101 farmers in 2011.
Now there are 25 FPCs under the umbrella of
Sahaydri Farms.
I took my learning as an individual farmer and
so our problems could be solved as a single unit.
Amul’s success in milk made us realise that we
can do this in fruits and vegetables too.
Sahyadri Farms is the country’s largest producer,
purchaser, and processor of tomatoes.Around
60% of Sahyadri Farms’ fruits and vegetables are
exported, and 40% are sold in India. He says they
export their products to 42 countries, including
Russia, the US, and various European countries.
During the lockdown, the FPC seized the
opportunity to directly reach out to consumers
by delivering produce to housing societies, with
about 38,000 home deliveries a month. Sahyadri is
also into manufacturing different kinds of value-
added products of vegetables and fruits such as
pulps, dices, fruit juices, slices, ketchups, frozen
vegetables and fruit jams under the brand name
of Sahyadri Farms at the company’s Rs 300-crore
fruit processing plant.
The company has also developed a retail footprint
through 13 stores spread out in Mumbai, Pune,
and Nashik to sell its products. Customers in
these cities can also buy on the e-commerce
platform. Additionally, retail and wholesale
buyers of fruit can make purchases through the
‘Sahyadriyan’ app, where products are supplied
through 49 Sahyadri Farms distribution centres
in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. At
present, more than 50 tonnes of fruit are supplied
daily.
This year, Sahyadri Farms wants to expand its
presence in the north and east of India. The target
is to supply 500 tonnes on a daily basis and build a
pan-India presence in three years. Shinde says the
company will invest Rs 200 crore to develop the
supply chain and strengthen its backend process.
“Like Amul, we will develop our brand nationally
and in overseas markets as well,” he says.

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24 Vol. 14, Issue 08 - January- 2022 OIL NEWS

SEA requests Centre to limit import Chaturvedi said the duty differential between
CPO (raw material) and refined palm oil (finished
product), which was 11 percent earlier and has

of refined palm oil to save local now been reduced to 5.5 percent, has the potential
to destroy the CPO refining industry in the country.

refining industry Further, buyers are shifting to refined palm oils as

exporting countries like Indonesia and Malaysia
levy higher taxes on CPO shipments than on

A
ccording to SEA, the reduction of the refined palm oil, he added.
import duty difference between refined
and crude palm oil has the potential to kill SEA fears that CPO imports in India would now
the domestic refining industry and has urged the be replaced with refined palmolien and our palm
Centre to again curb the import of refined palm oil refining industry would be reduced to being
and reinstate the earlier duty differential of 11 per mere ‘packers’ seriously compromising heavy
cent between the two oils. investments made in the industry.

To keep edible oil prices, stable in the domestic “This situation needs to be corrected before
market, the government reduced import duties on investments turn sour and add to the nonperforming
RBD palmole and RBD palm oil by 5.5 percent assets (NPAs) of lenders,” he said, adding that the
in December 2021.With this reduction, the import current reduction in duty difference has come as
duty difference between refined palm oil and crude a blow not only to the domestic palm oil refining
palm oil (CPO) was reduced to 5.5 per cent. industry but to oilseed farmers as well.

Usually, India, a major importer of edible oils,
essentially buys CPO from the global market
and refines it for the domestic market. But with
the duty difference reduced between the two oils,
traders are shifting to refined palm oils.
Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors Association
of India (SEA) President Atul Chaturvedi wrote
a letter to Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu
Pandey in which they appealed strongly to the
government to reinstate the duty differential of 11
per cent between crude and refined palm oil as was
prevailing prior to December 20, 2021 by reducing
the agri cess on CPO by 5 per cent. This would
ensure a differential of 11 per cent in import levies
between CPO and refined palm oil.
He also demanded that the government place the
import of RBD palmolien and refined palm oil
back under the restricted list with immediate effect
or at least from April 1, 2022. This will enable the
domestic refining industry to have a level playing
field and is in line with our Prime Minister’s vision
of Make in India.
For the first time in a long time, domestic oilseeds
have started selling above the minimum support
price (MSP) and improving farm incomes.
He added that this step would be counterproductive
and contrary to the stated objective of increasing
domestic oilseed production.
The government in January 2020 placed RBD
palmolien on the “restricted list” of imported
items. However, later it was taken off the list to
boost domestic supply and check retail prices. Its
import is now permitted until December 2022

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