june 2020 revised

RNI No: MAHENG/2018/75095

FOODANDBEVERAGE MATRIX

MONTHLY NEWSPAPER FOR F&B INDUSTRY Volume 3 / Issue 4 / Mumbai / June 2020 / Pages 28 / INR Rs 50/-

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

Editor’s Note

FOODANDBEVERAGE MATRIX

MONTHLY NEWSPAPER FOR F&B INDUSTRY Dear Readers; Hello!

Hello! I hope you all are safe during the pandemic coronavirus disease (Covid-19) due to deadly invisible enemy named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and must be following the central and state government guidelines during the guidelines including compliance to social distancing norms.

As we are focusing on Immune System in this edition, I would like to draw your attention towards Helpful ways to strengthen your immune system and fight off disease How can you improve your immune system?

On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to

intervene in this process and boost your immune system? What if you improve your diet? Take certain vitamins or herbal preparations?

Make other lifestyle changes in the hope of producing a near-perfect immune response? a) What can you do to boost your immune system?

The immune system is precisely a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony. There is still much that researchers don’t know about the intricacies and interconnectedness of the immune response. For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function. But that doesn’t mean the effects of lifestyle on the immune system aren’t intriguing and shouldn’t be studied. b) Healthy ways to strengthen your immune system Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-

health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, get adequate sleep, take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently thoroughly and try to minimize stress.

Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy? Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to

general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently. An article on Hygienic Plant Design for Allergen Management is included in the article.

Best of Luck!

Please keep sending us your valuable suggestions with your expectations & feedback to manan@ tresbonconsulting.com . For more articles you may also log on to our website and enjoy reading any time.

Thank you Manan Bajaj

CAN PROTEIN STRENGTHEN OUR IMMUNE HEALTH? The scientific evidence about immunity may be inconclusive, but there is no doubt that protein is essential to overall health. In the face of a virus, that’s got to be a good start.

By Indranil Chatterjee, regional product line manager, South Asia & South-East Asia, Dupont Nutrition & Biosciences The dietary protein gap

Indranil Chatterjee

N

obody questions the fact that protein is an essential macronutrient in our diet.

But, with immune health now high on the global agenda, many are understandably asking whether a protein-rich diet can boost their defenses against infection and disease – and whether plant-based proteins can do the job just as well as proteins from an animal source.

Although the protein-immunity link is yet to be proven, the most obvious is protein’s known importance as the building block for building and repairing tissues. Enzymes and hormones are also proteins that, respectively, catalyze biochemical reactions such as digestion and regulate physiological processes like metabolism. In other words, protein is vital to health and wellbeing all round. As protein is not stored in the body, daily consumption is critical.

In India, the importance of dietary protein is already the subject of public health information campaigns as almost 90% of consumers eat less than the recommended daily intake .

Among vegetarians, who account for 38% of India’s population , the protein nutrition gap is even wider.

Another dire statistic for the entire South Asia region is that it is home to around 40% of the world’s stunted children due to widespread malnutrition. This is why the South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiative is currently focused on improving the content of macro and micronutrients in everyday food – including protein .

Impact on immune health From an immune health perspective, the clearest indication of protein’s importance lies in the fact that 70% of the body’s immune cells reside in the gut wall.

Like all other cells in the body, immune cells depend on proteins – specifically branched chain amino acids4

– and other nutrients to keep them in good shape. Scientists today also acknowledge that gut immune cells interact with gut bacteria throughout life.

Plant-based research This is where a widely used plantbased protein – soy protein – may be able to make a difference. At DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, clinical research in collaboration with international partners has demonstrated soy protein’s potential to optimize beneficial gut microbes.

Additional collaborative studies led

by DuPont have found a link between the consumption of soy protein and some of the liver and kidney conditions that can accompany obesity. In this way, soy protein intake may improve underlying health conditions that cause certain population groups to be more susceptible to viruses and infections5.

Accessible and affordable Being a complete protein source, soy contains all the essential amino acids

the body needs. Another point in its favor is that it has been consumed in Asia for generations and, for many, is already a staple part of the diet. It is both accessible and affordable – two key factors in encouraging Indian consumers to include more protein in their diet and in turning the malnutrition issue around in South Asia.

A third factor is perhaps the most important of all – public education about protein from any source. This is where public health authorities and food manufacturers can play a part in helping consumers improve their knowledge of protein-containing foods. A nutritious diet is, after all, always the best policy for supporting health in general. That’s got to be an advantage when a contagious virus is doing the rounds.

While there are currently no clinical studies that have established a direct link between protein intake and improved immune health, there are a number of indications that protein has an important role to play.n

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

LAZZA PREMIUM GOLD, HOW AN INDIAN ICE CREAM BRAND BECAME THE WORLD’S FINEST ICE CREAM.

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azza Ice Creams is one of the three flagship brands of JSF Holdings Pvt. Ltd. founded in 1972 by Mr. M.C. John. A visionary entrepreneur who set out to transform the ice cream industry, his priceless insights have seen the company adopt unique product and service strategies, touching the lives of millions of people over the years.

Today, the Group employs over 1,750 personnel and has 32 franchisee manufacturing locations across India, with Mr. Simon John serving as the Chairman and Mr. Francis John as the Managing Director. The name JSF Holdings Pvt. Ltd. has come to be associated with the most reliable brands in high-quality dairy and food products, including Lazza, Uncle John, Skei and I&U. Following world-class hygiene standards and 100% environmentallyfriendly practices and packaging, the organisation adheres to HACCP, FSSAI and BIS standards. The quality of products is superior to most competing brands as the mix formulation and manufacturing are done using sophisticated machinery and automatic production lines. The factories also feature advanced cold storage systems that compete with the best in the world.

Each factory benefits from the expertise of the central organisation while retaining the innovation and entrepreneurship needed to operate as a standalone unit and succeed in a specific market. Packaging is mostly in poly-coated food grade virgin paper containers or virgin plastic containers depending on the local market conditions.

Having regional factories in every major city ensures a constant supply of fresh ice cream. In fact, 70% of the ice creams produced are consumed within 72 hours of manufacturing, making it the next best thing to homemade ice cream.

JSF has also ventured to create a niche for itself in the premium segment with the Lazza brand. ‘Lazza’, originating from an Arabic word meaning ‘All good things in life’, has sought to provide a more flavourful and delightful experience to consumers, while ensuring superior ethical practices in production and service.

Having captured a market share of 86 per cent in Kerala, Lazza Ice Creams has transformed the ice creams sold under the Lazza brand to the premium segment. The ice cream company has upgraded all its factories to cater to global standards. It has also roped in South Indian superstar Trisha as its brand ambassador to promote the premium range of ice creams.

Explaining the reasons behind this, Lazza Ice Creams operations director Hashim said, “Three years ago, the Lazza export market opened up for us. As a company, to cater to global standards it was imperative to adopt global standards of sourcing raw materials, production and packaging. As a brand which is loyal to its domestic customers, we felt it would break that trust if we offered two ranges of products under the same brand to domestic and international customers.”

The premium range of ice creams has a variety of natural favours which includes jackfruit, tender coconut, Alphonso mango, chikoo, vanilla, blueberry and strawberry among many others. “The raw materials are all carefully sourced. Vanilla is sourced from Madagascar, Almonds from California, Jackfruits come from Wayanad, and Chocolates from Belgium”, said Hashim.

The ice cream company has also introduced its exotic guava flavour recently. To meet the demand for Lazza Premium Gold, the company has readied all its factories and logistic support in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh as well as outside India in Qatar, Bahrain and Dubai. The company sells its new range of ice creams across the Middle East barring Saudi Arabia.

“With this move we want our domestic customers to experience and savour best-in-class products”, said Hashim. The company which began in the early 1970s had started its own manufacturing unit in 1998. It is estimated that 3,64,000 litres of Lazza Ice Creams are consumed every day. The company will maintain a separate production line for its cobrands Skei, Uncle John and I&U.n

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

MARKET EXPANSION VS. DISTRIBUTION: THREE KEY DIFFERENCES

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usiness owners and managers spend a lot of time trying to find better ways to hit higher growth, increase revenues and establish a stronger brand presence in markets they operate in. Often, they can choose to adopt new market expansion strategies or go towards enhancing their existing distribution approach for their products.

For those who are still not aware of it, yes, there are several key differences between market expansion and distribution.

By definition, market expansion is a business growth strategy and usually adopted when growth peaks in existing channels. Distribution, on the other hand, is about making a product available for purchase by dispersing it through the market. It is about getting products from point A to point B and involves transportation, packaging and delivery.

To help you better understand both activities, here are three key differences between a market expansion strategy and a distribution approach.

1. Grow existing channels or open new markets?

As markets are becoming more dynamic and evolving all the time, this brings about challenges, opportunities and growth in terms of distribution channels for your goods and services. In terms of distribution, these channels refer to the flow of business that occurs between a manufacturer and a consumer.

These channels need to be adjusted, retracted or expanded in response.

They also need to be continuously measured and monitored.

There are direct and indirect channels. In a direct channel, the product owner reaches out directly to the consumers including in-house sales force, telephone sales, website as well as eCommerce platforms. An important factor to consider when implementing a direct distribution strategy is the amount of investment required. You will need to add warehouse, transport and delivery to your business operation costs.

An indirect channel involves intermediaries like distributors that assist in the logistics and placement of products so that they reach customers faster. Taking the Indonesian market for example, for many businesses entering the market, having to navigate a vast archipelago of islands and disconnected cities can be a daunting task. This is where the indirect approach makes better sense.

as many consumers as possible. For example, using a distributor reduces the line of contact for the business and provides a fast and effective method to get their products to market.

Market expansion is not merely about where to move within a market or where a product should be placed.

But rather, it is focused on penetrating entirely new market areas. For example, a company may adopt this strategy when growth has leveled-off in existing markets or when there is an opportunity for higher return-oninvestment elsewhere.

are relied to sell the product. This is common for luxury brands that are targeted towards specific consumers.

To enter a new market requires a good understanding of sales channels, logistics, demographics and regulatory obstacles. Localized knowledge is essential, in addition to having a clear strategy involving price, promotion, product and place.

An omni-channel approach is about providing consumers with a fully integrated seamless shopping experience by bringing a synergy between multiple retail channels including brick-and-mortar stores, online, mobile platforms, digital advertising and print media.

2. Enhance the distribution network or new omnichannels?

A distribution strategy is a method of disseminating goods or services to consumers. These strategies are often designed to maximize the sales of products as they enter a market.

They depend on the type of product being sold and knowing what type of distribution you will need to achieve your goals.

The common questions asked include: How does your average customer purchase your goods? How can you make the purchasing process easier?

Can they buy from you directly in addition to the present network of retailers?

There are several broad methods of distribution including having an intensive approach which means having as many outlets as possible.

This method is ideal for a large volume of goods made available in multiple locations. Often, these products are routine purchases that involve very minimal effort to sell.

Next is selective distribution whereby a limited number of outlets in chosen locations are utilized to sell your products. This method works best when consumers have a strong preference for a particular brand or price and will search out the specific outlets.

Another option is to have an exclusive distribution where only one or selected wholesalers, retailers or distributors

Instead of focusing on your existing distribution channels, why not consider having an omni-channel strategy? This is where a key facet of market expansion strategy comes into play.

The key is to take digital interactions like social media and eCommerce purchases and integrate them with interpersonal interactions. It comes down to two critical factors: making it easy for your customers and creating a unified message across all customer interactions.

3. Product availability or greater synergy?

For many, especially small and medium-sized businesses, being able to focus resources on product development and revenue generation is the priority. To achieve this, a good distribution approach will help manage relationships with retailers, customer service and allow organizations to tackle issues related to product and raw material availability, operating costs, delivery and distribution logistics.

One of the primary functions of a distribution plan is to develop a network of retailers that covers a large geographic area and efficiently reach

Distribution is also about building growth at a faster pace at home and in global markets. For example, using an international channel distributor can help a product to reach markets all over the world.

Meanwhile, market expansion strategies are focused on having integrated business processes that will lead to better customer experience, increased customer loyalty, increased brand visibility, better analytics, accurate target marketing and higher customer retention.

You can collect and unify customer data from disparate channels and systems like online data, mobile devices, shopping carts, social media activities, mailing lists, point-ofsale systems as well as loyalty and referral programs. This data will allow you to analyze your customer behavior, interests and intent for better marketing campaigns that will ultimately lead to a higher conversion rate.

Omni-channel marketing creates better synergy across all your sales channels and consumer touchpoints by engaging with consumers through any channel they prefer. Whether it is mobile, online or in-store, you can also provide personalized on-site sales recommendations, support and improve their online experiences in a consistent and timely manner.

In summary, for businesses looking to access the competitive Asian markets, it is important to deploy the right market expansion strategies and what is truly important is that they must be unique to each company. For a clearer understanding of what market expansion strategies would work for you, you can learn more from an established Market Expansion Services provider like DKSH who has an established presence in major Asian markets.n

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

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REPLACE YOUR TEDIOUS ROUTINE WITH THE MORE RELAXED WEIGH-IN EXPERIENCE OF THE NEW XPR ANALYTICAL BALANCE FROM METTLER TOLEDO

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eighing is an important act in every laboratory—but it can become tedious and even uncomfortable. The design of the new, smaller XPR Analytical balance gives you deeper access to the weighing chamber. This makes every weigh-in easier so you can stay steady and get more done.

METTLER TOLEDO is pleased to support your needs for an accurate, intuitive weighing experience with the launch of our newly redesigned XPR Analytical balance.

The weighing pan is lower by 50%.

You can now place your arm on the table for greater convenience and comfort while weighing-in, instead of having to hold it in place in the balance. Your benefits: A more relaxed weighing experience, less fatigue, less muscle tension, and less material lost to spills and scattering. It is much easier to do.

Shorter weighing-in distance makes weighing much easier as the narrower design of the Excellence Level analytical balance means that when

weighing in from the side with a spatula, the distance to the weighing vessel is shorter – yet another great advantage that makes weighing more relaxed and reduces the error rate.

Every centimeter counts – and makes weighing-in leaner

About METTLER TOLEDO METTLER TOLEDO is a leading global manufacturer of precision

Discover for yourself why the new, smaller XPR Analytical balance is a perfect combination of high performance, reliability and easeof-use to help enhance weighing accuracy, comfort and productivity.

Check out the new XPR Analytical balance from METTLER TOLEDO or request a quote today.

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Additional information about METTLER TOLEDO is available at www.mt.com.n

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

PROPAK INDIA & SUMAN FOOD CONSULTANTS CONDUCTS A WEBINAR ON COVID-19 CRISIS, CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS FOR FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

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roPak India, the nation’s premier processing and packaging event by Informa Markets in India & Suman Food Consultants recently conducted an insightful webinar on COVID-19 Crisis: Challenges & Solutions for the Food & Beverage (F & B) Industry that attracted over 940 attendees.

Given the dynamic situation of COVID-19 crisis, there has been a pressing need among industry leaders to chalk out strategies in order to address the situation, delve into impact assessment and revival strategy and how to steer the industry to bounce back post the Pandemic.

The webinar duly enabled F&B professionals to sustain their critical business conversations and engagement and deliberate on challenges in food production, labour issues, liquidity crunch, farm level intervention, the need of an organised sector, strategies food industry should adopt to tackle the recessionary phase, impact of COVID on the packaging industry, self-reliance of food industry and the role Digital marketing and online platforms will play on sales in the food processing industry.

The webinar was moderated by respected industry thought leaders Mr. Sagar Kurade, MD, Suman Food Consultants and was marked by the following thought leaders from the F & B industry Nitin Seth, Vice Chairman, G.D. Foods Mfg (I) Pvt

Ltd; Anil Rajput, Head Corporate Affairs, ITC Ltd; Amit Ray, President, Uflex Ltd; Girish Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Processpack Ltd; Aditya Bagri, MD, Bagrrys India Ltd; Jayesh Gosrani, Joint MD, Goma Engineering.

Speaking on various challenges and solutions, the panelists shared the following points of view during the discussion.

Speaking on the operational challenges in food production under COVID pandemic, Nitin Seth, Vice- Chairman, G.D. Foods said, “There is a huge Gap in what central government says and what district administration understand. They say that the 60% of the food industry is operational; though even if the manufacturing units are operational, they are operating at 15-20% capacity only.”

On the labour issue, Mr. Anil Rajput, Head Corporate Affairs, ITC Ltd. said – “Whether one gets permission to operate at 15%-20%-50%, labor is administrative, the major issue is the fear that the labour has of risking his own life as well as the life of his dear ones back at home. We as employers need to think from their perspective and adopt the most caring & nurturing attitude towards them and ensure safe working environment in order to mitigate risk for labours both physical & psychological. Money is not the driving factor to bring back employees back to work.”

Focusing on the liquidity crunch issue for MSME, Mr. Aditya Bagri, MD, Bagrrys India Ltd said, “This being a procurement season for food processing industry, in the current scenario, a lot of MSME’s are struggling to procure the required raw material due to liquidity crunch which ultimately affects the manufacturing capacity. This has been actively discussed with MOFPI in order to see if some amount of relief is passed on. Also, if financial institutions can come up with some option to inject the working capital need at a subside interest rates. Further with the manufacturing units being unfunctional during the lock down period, if the discretionary fixed costs like, electricity charges etc. can be subsidized or waived off, it could add up to the liquidity for the food processors. Further it is important that the cash flows across the supply chain in order to put the working capital cycle in motion.”

Speaking on the farm level intervention and the need of the hour to move from unorganized to organised sector, Mr. Jayesh Gosrani, Joint MD, Goma Engineering said, “Today consumers have become more health conscious and are very much aware of what they consume.

Automation in the processing sector will be the key to success wherein the products are processed in a condition where the consumers are confident of consuming it.”

Additionally,

Mr.

Girish

Bajaj,

MD, Bajaj Processpack Ltd., also reiterated that primary processing is the need of the hour. “There are around 70-80 Agro processing universities which has well equipped postharvest technology centers, if these universities can become a link between farmers & end consumers in terms of the inspection of the crops further if they guide framers to do the primary processing of the agricultural produce at the farm level, it will reduce the wastage.”

With the world getting into a recessionary phase, the panelists also spoke about the strategies the food industry should adopt to tackle this phase.

“The Industry needs to be agile and adapt to the changing scenario. It will not be “Survival of fittest; it will be survival of quickest,” said Mr. Anil Rajput, who further added that, “This might open new opportunities for the entire food processing sector.

In the short run there could be some challenges. However, the industry will have to be prepared for new product development based on consumer behavior post this crisis scenario.”

Talking on the impact of COVID on packaging industry, Mr. Amit Ray, Executive Director, Uflex Ltd said, “The essential commodities will spurt; however, the lifestyle products and luxury commodities will take its own time to regain its normalcy.

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Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020 Contined from page no 10

Hygiene products will see a boost. Packaging will be a key to success with changing behavior of the consumers.”

While labour issues prevail during the COVID crisis, Speaking on what role will automation play, Mr. Bajaj commented, “The Automation is the way forward with consumers changing behavior towards personal hygiene, food safety & health consciousness, the demand for quality processed foods is on rise and that’s where the manufacturers will look at automation to ensure that the food they produced is more safer and healthy. Further with first quarter being badly affected, the companies to survive themselves will need to ramp up their capacity for the remaining 3 quarters, and with issues of migrant labours the only option available is to automate the production. The other paradigm shift will be third party manufacturing wherein the companies will reduce their capex requirement to manage the liquidity crunch.”

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FRESHNESS INTACT IN POUCH & CONVENIENT TO CARRY & USE

On self-reliance of food industry Mr. Anil Rajput said, “Deglobalization shall open up new opportunities for the processing sector. Demand for technology transfer and joint ventures will increase in the country. The machine manufacturers can get into joint ventures & get into manufacturing of their own end products in the country.”

Commenting on the vital impact that digital marketing and online platforms will have on sales in food processing industry, Mr. Aditya Bagri said “The lockdown scenario has made more and more people to try online solutions and companies are heavily investing in customer acquisition and digital marketing. The change is consumer behavior in ordering online is going to stay for long due to convenience and flexibility.”

The webinar acted as a guide for the industry to think, build and implement survival strategies through this phase. To hear the full version of the recorded webinar, please visit the following YouTube link - https://youtu. be/4uk07Klv1fI .

About ProPak India: ProPak India, which is catering to India’s ever-growing processing and packaging industries, has been geo-adapted from ProPak Asia, Asia’s largest platform in its domain, and is comprehensively tailored to Indian requirements. ProPak India caters to packaging and processing in multiple sectors offering products and services in automation, testing and measurement, filing and sealing machinery, cartooning machinery, thermoforming, robotics, storage and transport, materials and consumables, and complete production lines along with allied services.

About Informa Markets Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world’s leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com About Informa Markets and our business in India Informa Markets is owned by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. Informa Markets in India (formerly UBM India) is India’s leading exhibition organizer, dedicated to help specialist markets and customer communities, domestically and around the world to trade, innovate and grow through exhibitions, digital content & services, and conferences & seminars. Every year, we host over 25 large scale exhibitions, 40 conferences, along with industry awards and trainings across the country; thereby enabling trade across multiple industry verticals. In India, Informa Markets has offices across Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. For further details, please n visit –www.informa.com For any media queries please contact: Priya Datar – Priya.Datar@informa.com Monica Rohra - Monica.Rohra@informa.com

MARKETING DIRECTOR SAMAYAK LODHA, MB SUGARS

S

preading Sweetness in whole world is mantra of MB Sugars.

In the difficult time of Covide -19, we r abided by this mantra & doing it regularly in the service of Mankind. May it be sector of Pharma OR Food OR Backery OR Hospitality we r present all over. Though lockdown is going on we are in service by the name “MB Sugar”.

Today every one is struggling to re- start, re- coupe but we r going ahead strongly. Thnx to our customers & their faith on us.

We have taken some emergency action to coup with current pandemic situation & made necessary changes in the day today operation & systems as well in 50% work force we have tried to achieve maximum production so that we can satisfy our customers requirements.

Sanitation, washing of hands & distancing is now a regular practice for every one. We have taken utmost precaution by implementing new systems and procedures.

In this time we r coming up with new products to in health segment to boost human Immunity. This product will come in a ready to drink sachet form. A sachet will be of necessary vitamins & other carbohydrates. Soon will be launched.

Thus at MB Sugars we strive to understand our customers & their requirements well & come up with solutions to help them achieve their goals. So welcome everyone who needs our expertise... Along with Happyness & Sweetness.

A pocket friendly packet for all. Freshness intact in pouch & convenient to carry & use. Anytime anywhere r the features of the product. It will be available in two flavours with calorie & calorie free formats.

By Samayak Lodha Marketing Director MB Sugar LTD

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

BONN GROUP INTRODUCES HERB & SEEDS BREAD

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onn Group, one of India’s leading manufacturers of baked products, today launched their NU Health Range with an objective to introduce healthy eating habits among Indians who are increasingly falling prey to lifestyle diseases. This is the series of healthy breads which are vitamin enriched and are also boosted with the goodness of herb and seeds. It also contains flax seeds, whole wheat and oat fibre.

The Bonn’s NUHealth range of breads –Herb & Seeds, Active Heart, Active Nutrition & Digestive Balance all of whom provide a mix of vitamins, protein, iron and a host of other nutrients for a balanced and a healthy diet.

“Bonn believes in persistent innovation and being the leaders in the Category, it is prime responsibility of the brand to keep striving for innovations and offer healthy and lifestyle products to their consumers. Today’s, consumer also needs something different and exclusive. Consumer is more evolved, health conscious and need nutritious foods to keep the lifestyle like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, immunity, vitamin/iron deficiencies at bay. So, NU Health is solution to

these problems. It is a concept; not a product. We also want to encourage our patrons to follow a balanced life with fibre-rich diet and regular exercise with the launch of the new bread,” said Amrinder Singh, Director, Bonn Group of Industries.

Herb & Seeds Bread: In order to boost immune system to fight coronavirus pandemic, we have added essential ingredients like turmeric, black pepper, oregano, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Turmeric helps in regulating the immune system and quick healing. Oregano contains compounds like carvacrol and thymol that help boost the immune system, Black pepper has anti-oxidant properties, pumpkin seeds are a rich source of Omega-6Fatty acids and sunflower seeds contain selenium which controls cell damage.

“The addition of this new variant of bread is one more step in the direction of our PM Modi’s vision of enhancing the body’s natural defense system to fight against Covid-19. After all, good health is the harbinger of happiness.

While there is still no cure for the disease, a lot of health experts are saying that a strong immune system could help because predominantly coronavirus is affecting those whose

immunity is compromised be it elderly, infants or people suffering from co-morbidities, Singh added.

The other range of NUHealth breads also helps in strengthening your digestive tract and maintaining good intestinal health, thanks to high fibre content.

Active Nutrition: One serving of a multi-grain slice contains 69 calories and the bread is also very low on fat. The multigrain offering provides a rich source of vitamin, calcium, protein and iron. Every slice of this bread provides you with the right kind of nutrition for your body’s proper growth and development including high fibre content.

Active Heart: This is fully loaded with the goodness of sunflower and pumpkin seeds which are packed with vitamins and Omega-6 and mono unsaturated fats. The seeds in this bread help you battle bad cholesterol, prevent hypertension and keep your heart healthy.

Digestive Balance: This contains oats and wheat fibre that helps in maintaining digestive balance. Oats fibre help in maintaining healthy bodyweight, lowering blood sugar level & also helps in relieving constipationn

“THERE REALLY IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF DEMAND FOR OUR ZUCCHINI FLOWERS”

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mong colorful range of their products, Midiflore now offers zucchini flowers for edible purpose. The firm has specialized in the cultivation and production of aromatic herbs and various edible flowers.

“We started harvesting almost a month ago. The season will end around September/October. The product was in high demand last year, so we increased the plantation this year,” explains Sylvie Recouvrot, manager of Midiflore.

Amidst Covid, the reopening of hotels bring backs the demand Midiflore’s main target clients are restaurants and hotels, but unfortunately the activities drastically slowed down during the lockdown. But the reopening of restaurants has brought back the demand. “We now have a good demand for our products again. Zucchini flowers in particular are used in traditional dishes of the south of France. They can be made into beignets, stuffed or used with codfish brandade. Their consumption is very popular,” explains Sylvie.France a favorable market for edible flowers

only our production and thus to work only with seasonal flowers. And when the campaign comes to an end, we don’t get our supply from another country. This way, we promote the French production.”

A production which respects biodiversity

The French cuisine does not include edible flowers and they are not used to eating them, but Sylvie is convinced that the market could develop by communicating about their properties which still unknown. These edible flowers are generally used in the kitchen for their ornamental purpose rather than culinary value. “There really is a promising market for these products. Nowadays, consumers use edible flowers occasionally, usually to imitate dishes served to them in a restaurant. But I believe that the market will develop. We already see the demand increasing for cocktail workshops at weddings. Additionally, social networks such as Instagram are also an enormous help to get these products known”.

A meticulous harvest is necessary Sylvie enjoys working among the intoxicating scents and bright colors of the flowers, but the harvest involves a truly meticulous job. “All our flowers are harvested by hand.

We currently harvest 1,000 zucchini flowers per day. Once picked, the flowers are sent to our clients on the same day to guarantee maximum freshness,” explains Sylvie.

“As a family business, we remain responsive and adapt to the demand of our clients. So we try to plant based on the demand as much as possible. Last year, we had 27 flower references in total. We chose to sell

Since the company’s takeover, production methods have changed drastically.

“We stopped all phytosanitary treatments and we now only use organic treatments. Since this year, we have obtained the HEV certification and some productions benefit from the organic label. Since we stopped the treatments, the number of bees in our fields is quite impressive. Even the neighboring producers cannot believe their eyes. They’ve never seen so many pollinators in the plots. We also release hedgehogs to fight slugs and promote biodiversity whenever we can by putting hedges between the plots, for example.”

Along with Zucchini flowers, Midiflore plants many flowers that also include borage, pansies, begonias, nasturtiums, mimosa and fuchsias, among others n

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

NESTLÉ SEPARATES BUITONI PASTA BUSINESS

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estlé has thoughtfully decided to separate Buitoni, its North American pasta business, as a separate entity. This decision is a part of an ongoing effort to concentrate more on the company’s core businesses.

Private-equity firm, Brynwood Partners, will take on with Buitoni brand of refrigerated pastas, cheeses, sauces and other Italian foods. In

LF IS BACK WITH ITS 2ND EDITION OF YOUR RECIPE CONTEST FOR BEST BAKERS

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iving Foodz, the premium multiplatform food and lifestyle brand from the Essel Group with presence in TV, digital and events, is back with the second edition of Your Recipe – a contest for the nationwide hunt for best bakers.

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Wall Street Journal informed that the deal values $115 million of Buitoni’s North American business at the closure.

Buitoni being the second major spinoff

by Nestlé in less than a year, the first was its North American ice cream business, including Häagen-Dazs and Drumstick, to a joint venture it owns with another company in December 2019.

The sale will include the Buitoni processing facility in Danville, Va having 525 full-time employees. That facility will make Nestlé Toll House Cookies on a contract basis.

The deal ranks eighth that Nestlé has made with Brynwood as a spinoff.

Previous transfer of businesses includes Stixx, Juicy Juice and Joseph’s Gourmet Pastan

coming 30 days, the deal is set to be finalized and closed.

PIZZA HUT TO START CONTACTLESS DINE-IN ACROSS ALL OPERATIONAL STORES

round of results will be declared on June 23 and the second on July 8.

This contest is once in a lifetime chance for the audience to directly be a part of their favourite food platform and show off their culinary skills. Users can share their favourite baking recipe or the one The theme of the second which they have been edition is ‘Best Bakers’, following traditionally in the brand is all set for the the family. second edition after the huge response for the first From cakes to pies to – Best Summer Recipes delicious bread, the brand on their digital platform gives an opportunity to let open the door of creativity livingfoodz.com. and share the best recipes The contest saw more as users can submit more than 700 entries, 33,000 than one entry. registrations, and a huge response for the votes The winners of the contest which accounted for more will be announced and their recipes will be than 35,000. showcased with their Some say baking is an art, names on the channel, and is also believed to be website and social media a fundamental skill in the handles, making this a kitchen. This is the best contest to definitely look time to hone your baking forward to, for all the skills as we all have foodies out there. time to invest, invent, and create something The brand promises to delicious out of the oven. offer a platform to engaged audience to display their Unwind in your kitchen as individual culinary skills, you bake in your oven or creative talent, and be master the skill of baking a part of one of India's in pans and cookers. largest community of Learn a trick or two with food enthusiasts. the help of fellow users The contest urges its and share yours with the participants to explore world as we all merrily their hidden talents and bake a cake or two. discover new dishes The second edition will that are inspiring as the have five winners and the winning recipes will be same will be announced featured on a nationwide every 15 days. The first platform.n

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s restaurants prepare to resume operation in Unlock 1.0, Pizza Hut, India’s most trusted and loved pizza brand, will now offer contactless dine-in across all operational stores in India.

The company will continue its contactless delivery and takeaway facility as well, which has been functioning throughout the lockdown.

With contactless dine-in in stores, right from accessing the menu via QR to making payments, the entire process intends to be completely digitised. All stores are sanitising kitchens and dining areas frequently and will continue following the regulatory protocols and guidelines issued by the government, WHO and FSSAI. Every store will do temperature checks of walkin customers and staff. Masks will be worn by restaurant staff at all times. Sanitisers have been installed at key touch points and servers will wash and sanitise their hands every 30 minutes. Ordering stations and seating have been re-aligned to maintain social distancing norms at all times. There will also be an extra food service table with each sit-down table, where the food will be placed by staff and the customer will pick it up and serve on their own.

Neha, marketing director, Pizza Hut India, said, “Initial hesitation in dining out, will soon be replaced by cautious visits to malls and restaurants, and contactless dine-in will be the centerpiece of futuristic tomorrow for casual

dining or quick-service chains. Our motto is to serve trust in every bite and our entire focus is on ensuring utmost safety and hygiene, both for customers and employees.”

“Our contactless dine-in estates are safe and enable our valued customers to experience the completely digital process right from viewing the menu via QR codes placed on the table to making payments. People and technology are both key to making the dine-in experience as safe as possible. And we are ensuring adequate training and SOPs for people while using technology to enable contactless seamlessly,” she added.

To ensure highest standard of food preparation and handling, the brand has upgraded all its existing stringent safety and hygiene processes across India. The brand has been transparent about how the food is prepared, packed and delivered via its end-to-end contactless process and takeaway which in turn gives much-needed assurance to customers that the food they are consuming has not been touched by any other hand.

The brand has also trained their restaurant staff as per upgraded safety and hygiene norms using several in-person and digital tools. In addition, daily checks by store leads and quarterly inspection by area coaches are done to ensure that food safety, restaurant hygiene and brand standards are understood and implemented by all working staff.n

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

A TO Z FOOD SAFETY- ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT Hygienic Plant Design

Manan Bajaj During the year of 2019, allergens were the cause of 40 percent and 30 percent of FDA’s and USDA’s recalls, respectively, making 2019 a record year for undeclared allergens.

According to FDA data, mislabelling is the leading cause for allergen recalls, but even if we’re seeing fewer Class I recalls for cross-contamination, it doesn’t mean that sanitation and allergy control is generally good or that the risk is low. “There are all kinds of cross traffic and risk for crosscontact in many facilities, and that’s a sort of ticking time bomb.

Effective allergen cross-contact prevention is based on different procedures, such as supply chain control, cleaning and sanitation, personnel hygiene practices, and the use of color-coded tools.

Hygienic design, however, is what creates the ideal environment for those procedures to be more effective.

Ideal Facility Design Hygienic design is often mentioned in relation to equipment and tools.

A less talked about aspect is its application to plant layouts. The ideal facility design for allergen management is conceived with the purpose of separating traffic patterns of allergens and nonallergens at every processing step: storing, handling, processing, and packaging. If you can minimize the footprint in a plant where you have allergens, then you can do a better job at controlling them but If they’re all over your facility, then its is relatively a difficult task.

In the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) the principle of separation is included in the cGMPs in Title 21 Sec. 117.20, and

states that allergen cross-contact may be reduced by (among the other things) separating location, time, partition, air flow systems, dust control systems, enclosed systems, or other effective means.

To what extent allergens should be segregated from non-allergens will depend first on the type of product and its ingredients. If your product contains powdery allergens that can become airborne and travel around, like, for example, wheat flour, then you should design a facility with an enclosed area for that.

Another factor is how these ingredients enter the facility. “If we are bringing products that are enclosed in rigid container into my warehouse, they’re going to need less controls than products that come in a paper/plastic bag, which may drop and break, spreading flour all over the facility, or be pierced by a fork truck.

Once you know the risk of crosscontamination associated with your products, you can then decide on the ideal traffic patterns inside the facility. In practical terms, that might mean assigning separate delivery areas, warehouses, and processing lines to allergen-free products and to those containing allergens.

For plants that are still in the design phase, businesses can work directly with their building contractors to incorporate these principles. The project manager within the company or external expert “should be somebody with a keen understanding of how their food is being made, because hygienic design is going to revolve a lot around efficiency.

Hygienic Design for Existing Facilities For existing facilities, the process is more complex. Many plants offer little or no segregation or unidirectional traffic flow, or have separated production lines that share the same area, or even allergen and non-allergen products being processed using the same equipment.

While lack of proper hygienic plant design increases the risk of cross-contamination, refurbishing the facility or building a new one is rarely a realistic solution, as that would be financially unsustainable. The only way to offset the risk is by adding checks, sanitation practices, inspections, and procedures on top of the

existing procedures.

A common scenario would be two products with incompatible allergen profiles running on separate but adjacent production lines. Depending on the particular allergen, we can have PVC strip curtains going from ceiling to floor, or actual temporary walls can also be used. When conveyors of two different product lines are crossing paths, these are sometimes re-designed to eliminate opportunities for crosscontact. Other solutions would be to upgrade the ventilation system (to deal with airborne particles) or to invest in hygienically designed equipment and tools.

Before adopting any solution, however, it’s still important to know how the allergens enters inside your building. “Knowledge is power, so it would be really helpful for companies to just map out where allergens are going and then you can restrict them only to certain areas. Even if you’re dealing with an old facility, you still can find other options.

A non-negotiable countermeasure, however, will be to performing cleaning and sanitation much more frequently.

Trying to compensate for a non-optimal plant layout isn’t guaranteed to work every time.

One issue is cost: There are all kinds of quick fixes that you can do but in the long run, they’re going to cost you more. Additional checks require more time and resources: Increasing cleaning and sanitation needs more manpower, and production output may suffer if lines have to stop more often; temporary walls may have to be replaced eventually, even if they are cleaned often, especially with airborne dry allergens; and while hygienically designed equipment and utilities may cost less than a new facility, they’re likely to be more expensive than average.

Another Issue is Risk of crosscontamination: The other issue is that you may decrease the risk of cross-contamination only up to a point. “You can improve the equipment design and utilities in critical areas, such as pipe work, electrical conduits, and duct work , because the traffic pattern is always the problem.

Conclusion: Risk Versus Profit If the chances of crosscontamination are still high despite all countermeasures, then the question is whether the risk of

a recall is worth the profit coming from that product: Sometimes there are tough decisions that have to be made where you can’t run products. Temporary fixes may then just leave the two main issues at stake—risks and costs— unsolved. Lowering the risk of cross-contamination costs money.

Not lowering it enough is also a cost. Quite often, the problem is that in the latter case, that cost isn’t visible.

Most people in the food industry are doing their best to protect people, but it comes back to our quality leaders to be able to communicate to upper management the choices that we need to make in terms of money, to help them make the right decisions. What is the cost of a recall? What is the cost of capital improvement, and what are the costs of Band-Aid fixes? Even some kind of ballpark will help them, because the cost of a life is never going to be less than that.

In the food industry, Pathogen management is very well developed, while allergen management is in developing stage. Allergen management is often overlooked because there’s little awareness by top management as to how important this is, or the time needed to fully evaluate it. Often, it’s simply about watching how the warehouse guys move the product from one point to another. Most companies don’t do that because people aren’t paid to stand around and watch, but that’s what’s needed in order to make improvements. Factoring allergen management as a cost into their business plan is not yet given consideration.

There’s a lot of great design and technology out there in the market but how many people know about it, I think there’s a big blind spot in the industry. Hygienic design is trending up, but making it affordable and persuading the business community within the food industry that this is something to invest in, is going to be a worldwide priority and one of the biggest challenges.

Manan Bajaj Director Tresbon Consulting Solutions and Services Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai Tresbon Online Training Academy www.tresbonconsulting.com www.tresbontrainingacademy.online www.blogsbymanan.com

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

SAMUEL SCHÄR TO TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY OF SERVICE AND SALES AT BÜHLER

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ühler’s executive board member Dieter Vögtli has passed away earlier this month due to a short but major illness. Vögtli headed the global service and sales (SAS) organisation of the company and was previously responsible for the company’s business in Asia.

Stefan Scheiber, CEO at Bühler Group, said, “We lose a great entrepreneur, a powerful leader, and a very close friend.” In addition to his current function as CEO of the company’s advanced materials business, he has taken over the responsibilities as head of the SAS organisation.

Vögtli, a mechanical engineer, who graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), started his career as a global power plant commissioning engineer at the Swiss-based Brown Boveri Co. He joined Bühler in 2004, first as country head China, and from 2009 onwards also as head of Bühler Group Asia Pacific.

With his entrepreneurial attitude and deep market understanding, combined with strong empathy for customers and employees, he was fundamental to the success and growth of Bühler over the past 16 years, especially in Asia.

In his functions, Vögtli has also served as a member of the Bühler Group Executive Board. After handing over his responsibilities to his successor in Asia, he relocated with his family back to Switzerland in

2018. He passionately cared for his customers, employees and for the company.

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MARS WRIGLEY LAUNCHES DEDICATED ONLINE STORE ‘SNICKERS STORE’ ON SWIGGY

Scheiber said, “Through this, he has created a great reputation for Bühler and for himself. We are ever thankful to Dieter Vögtli for his 16 years of service to the company. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.”

Schär has assumed responsibilities as head of service and sales Schär has taken over the responsibilities as head of the global SAS organisation, in addition to his current function as CEO of the Advanced Materials business.

This internal succession solution had been in preparation for a longer time.

Schär graduated as a physics engineer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and joined Bühler in 2002. He took charge of the then newly-founded Nanotechnology Business Unit in 2005 and was later responsible for the Business Area Grinding and Dispersing.

In 2013, Samuel Schär was promoted to Bühler's Executive Board as the CEO of the advanced materials business.

Scheiber said, “We consider ourselves fortunate to ensure continuity for our important global service and sales organisation with Samuel Schär, who is a very successful and experienced member of our team. We wish him the best of success in this new role.”n

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ars Wrigley has launched a dedicated online brand store, ‘Snickers Store,’ on the popular online delivery application Swiggy.

The store will have well-loved brands such as Snickers, Galaxy, Mars, Bounty, M&M's, Double Mint and Orbit that consumers will be able to enjoy from the comforts of their home.

Upon ordering on the application, Swiggy partners will home-deliver the products in select locations.

Mars Wrigley’s partnership with the delivery platform is operational across Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai. In addition, products will also be available on the urban kirana tabs available on the delivery platform's application in Delhi NCR and Bangalore. The company is looking at scaling up and covering more cities in the coming months.

Kalpesh Parmar, general manager, Mars Wrigley India, said, “Mars Wrigley is using the digital commerce platform in an innovative way to reach maximum consumers. We believe, consumers are looking for occasions

to treat themselves and creating moments of joy for everyone in the family, while they stay at home. We are ensuring the products that customers value, are made available to them with greater ease and in ways that remains protective of public health.”

Mars Wrigley tied up with online delivery platforms like Zomato, Swiggy and Dunzo for last mile logistics partnership for their distributors across their network at the beginning of the nationwide lockdown.

This has now been extended to the consumer-facing operations as well.

Mars Wrigley has also partnered with Near Store to deliver in more than 30 Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in Mumbai.

The partnership with JioMart has been live since the pilot launch in Mumbai last year and is an exciting opportunity for the business to remain innovative on the digital platforms. n

THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT ABOUT A WAVE OF TRANSFORMATION: DANFOSS PRESIDENT

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n the occasion of World Environment Day 2020, Ravichandran Purushothaman, president, Danfoss Industries Pvt. Ltd (India Region), shares his views on the current scenario brought about due to Covid-19. The pandemic has brought about a wave of transformation that people world-over are grappling with. At the same time, although inadvertently, the lockdown has brought about a remarkable reduction in overall carbon emissions and pollution levels.

While the restrictions are being lifted, the industry should be encouraged to step back, reassess and realign its strategies towards uplifting the economy in a sustainable manner.

It is no longer rational to delink economic growth from environmental sustainability and caring for the nature, which presses the need for the government and the industry to collaborate on a low-carbon high-growth recovery plan.

In the coming months, public-private partnerships (PPPs) should play an effective role in setting and achieving targets that re-look at the efficiency of food, infrastructure and industry ecosystems. With the right approach, “the myriad of energy-efficient technologies available to us can be leveraged effectively to drive profitability and create new avenues for job creation.”n

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

POST-LOCKDOWN: AN OPPORTUNITY TO REGAIN AATMA NIRBHARTA IN YOGA •

•

•

•

The most endorsed mantra since Lockdown 1.0 has been ‘if you can’t go outside, go inside’ with more awareness for improved public health and hygienic society. Its implications also exist in gauging immense hidden potential and strengthening the economic well-being of Indian yoga industry.

The country has been missing this bus ever since the beginning of the 20th century, wherein US has taken over with the famous Yoga Alliance, China dominated in supply of yoga mats, etc. But now COVID crisis has actually led different age groups in India to actively take up yoga and meditation. This was first evidenced in topical media coverage when almost 2 lakh people from 50 countries participated in India’s Sahaja Yoga Meditation online sessions held during lockdown 1.0. Along with the AYUSH Ministry’s guidelines on immunity and at least 30 minutes yogic practices, many Indian yoga institutes and teachers during lockdown period (March-May 2020) have mainly offered free online sessions, viz. daily live meditation at fixed times by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

That is, the time has come to rather move ‘inside’ by building and sustaining higher capacities within India, i.e., ‘Aatma nirbharta/self-reliance’ in yoga. Eventually, with better governmental support, Indian yoga institutes can dynamically propagate yoga services outside India by way of their targeted exports. Concurrently, Indian firms can emerge as key yoga accessories’ exporters. International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2020 could be the

stepping stone to move up the ladder.

‘YouTube videos’ have been the most preferred ways for uploading lessons owing to high viewership and global outreach. They have increased during lockdown for teaching yoga to protect people from Coronavirus and its fear, and sustain routines for beginners, kids and office-goers. Illustratively, the official YouTube account of ‘The Yoga Institute’ has uploaded 66 videos during March 25-May 3, 2020 (40 days lockdown) to promote yoga at home with regular asanas’ sessions and lectures ‘Parisamvada’ (live ones during Lockdown 1.0), including quarantine and life management advices (18 videos). In contrast, total uploads were just about 22 (with 3 related to Coronavirus) during the pre-lockdown period of February 16-March 24 (38 days when virus spread began in India).

Further, the Institute has floated an online Teacher’s Training Course (TTC) since May 2020, along with 21 days better living online course.

Similarly, Mokshayatan International Yogashram with official YouTube channel of ‘Bharat Yoga’ has uploaded about 60 videos to provide general diseases-based yoga and wisdom talks, but mainly 34 ones on quarantine/lockdown yoga, meditation and home remedies during Lockdowns 1.0-2.0, as compared to just 23 yoga videos uploaded during pre-lockdown aforementioned period (with 3 videos related to COVID).

These trends clearly indicate spread of yoga as a priority for India’s institutes and teachers – another group

Over the years, trade in yoga, an Indian health practice was widely taken over by other nations. For example, the US has set up the famous Yoga Alliance, China dominated in supply of yoga mats, etc.

But now the COVID-19 crisis has led different age groups in India to actively take up yoga and meditation. The time has come to rather move ‘inside’ by building and sustaining higher capacities within India, i.e., ‘Aatma nirbharta/self-reliance’ in yoga.

If utilised properly, Lockdowns/Unlocks could be the right opportunities to map demand and supply in different districts/ zones of India, plan the required resources, and manage their availability all-round the year.

Eventually, with better governmental support, Indian yoga institutes can dynamically propagate yoga services outside India by way of targeted exports.

Concurrently, Indian firms can also emerge as key yoga accessories’ exporters.

deserving thankfulness as coronavirus helpers. The Indian government also needs to work out the economics on how to keep many large as well as small- and medium-level yoga institutes of India as going concerns. Although online classes have mushroomed, are these also acting as sources of secured incomes? Owing to the pandemic, the demand for yoga is high and may exponentially rise further in India as well as abroad mainly with the condition of ‘Yoga at Home’. Unlock 1.0 has begun, but the demand curve for yoga is likely to be relatively inelastic as people may need it on a daily basis as essential services, whether available freely or by paying a certain price.

During lockdowns 1.0-2.0, supply curve for local service providers as ‘Yoga from Home’ remained close to perfectly inelastic, such that they provided free online sessions irrespective of the payment received. This trend may endure for few months; however there will be gradual openings of paid online courses such as on TTCs – already initiated by few institutes as per the demands so as to earn revenue.

Capitalising on such opportunities can help yoga to get its required recognition in India, at least in the short run, till the effect of virus lasts as well as in the field of services trade.

There were apprehensions on teaching yoga online due to difficulty in Contined to page no 18

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

MOTHER DAIRY PRESENTS BUTTERSCOTCH FLAVOURED HALDI MILK

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popular leading milk maker and supplier in the Delhi-NCR, Mother Dairy, recently launched butterscotch flavoured haldi milk (turmeric latte) that will boost immunity of consumers to fight the current crisis engulfing the nation.

day-to-day infections.”

The price is tagged as Rs. 25 per bottle of Haldi milk.

Dairy major GCMMF, which markets its products under the Amul brand, had in April launched a milkbased beverage product Haldi Dudh (turmeric latte).

“Made with concentrated turmeric extract, each bottle delivers same benefit as taking one teaspoon of haldi powder in milk,” narrated a data from Mother Dairy.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the company said it has followed the selfcare guidelines and recommendations issued by the AYUSH ministry as preventive health measures for

boosting immunity of its customers.

Turmeric

contains

curcumin,

a

flavonoid that supports a healthy immune

response,

acts

as

an

antiseptic, thereby promoting general well-being.

Sangram Chaudhary, managing director of Mother Dairy, said, “Goodness of Haldi is backed by thousand years of Indian roots of Ayurvedic science and is known to strengthen the immune system, providing protection from common

Mother Dairy is a leading dairy player that manufactures markets and sells milk and milk products including cultured products, ice creams, paneer and ghee under the ‘Mother Dairy’ brand.

The company markets edible oils under the ‘Dhara’ brand and fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, range of unpolished pulses and honey, among others, frozen peas under the brand name ‘Safal’.n

Contined from page no 16

after an announcement by Indian Embassy in US in end-March 2020 for conducting online classes.

monitoring the postures performed by students and in moving against the Guru-Shishya tradition. But, since the lockdown, many institutes have started offering their regular classes via Instagram Live, Facebook Live, etc. such as by Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams & Centres. Individual teachers are also conducting conduct sessions via Skype, Zoom, etc. to earn income.

Importantly, major earnings for Indian yoga institutes while trading services have emanated through Mode 3 (commercial presence – when they invest in foreign countries by opening up yoga centres therein) and Mode 2 (consumption abroad – when consumers/students move to India for availing the services/attending classes). Over time, a number of yoga centres abroad have been set up by Art of Living Foundation, Isha Foundation, etc.

Since the launch of Internationa Yoga

Day, trade via Mode 4, i.e., movement of professionals, has also grown rapidly, viz. many Indian missions abroad have appointed a Teacher of Indian culture to teach yoga. Discussions have also been highlighted within India-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement of 2018 to allow cross-border movement of professionals and investments. But COVID has and will further hit trade in yoga services via three modes of supply hard. These have been major foreign exchange earners for Indian institutes, who struggle to get a space vis-à-vis Westerners.

An alternative economic mindset can thus support the practice of yoga during COVID and post-lockdowns: reinforce local values in Indian yoga industry and take them to the global level via Mode 1 (cross-border supply). The idea now is to create funding by suitably supplying services through telecom, internet, etc. In fact, Americans actively picked up yoga

If utilised properly, Lockdowns/Unlocks could be the right time to map demand and supply in different districts/zones of India, plan the required resources, and manage their availability all-round the year. Number of yoga teachers with required education and experiences can be given monetary incentives to open official online classes district-wise (to maintain social distancing). More funds must be allocated to the AYUSH Ministry with help for capacity building in their affiliated research councils/ centres, who can then provide better backing to yoga institutes. Overall, India can act as a home country by specifically running online TTCs for foreigners for a longer duration to

manage finances.

Better linkages between manufacturing firms-Ministry-yoga institutes’ can also remove inequality while supplying services and yoga accessories, which can even be afforded by lower-middle class. After lockdown, firms are required to build up competitive domestic value chains (as part of Make in India) in yoga mats, yoga clothing, neti pots, etc. by using eco-friendly locally available materials and manpower, and by employing advanced yet renewable and cost-effective technologies. Meanwhile, detailed research is required to assess the potential, identify the barriers in yoga services and accessories’ exports, and to bring out a do-able action plan.

Dr Neha Gupta is Fellow at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and yoga practitioner.

Views expressed in the article are personal.

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

DOES USING UV RAY MECHANISM ON FOOD ITEMS KILL THE CORONAVIRUS? What about golgappas?

That’s the most sought-after item in Chandigarh?

Jay Sharma of Gwalia Sweets, Ahmedabad said, “We were the first ones to introduce UV sanitization and MAP. We want to tell customers that our products are safe to consume.”

As most shops open for home delivery again and people start gorging on street food and other sweets, many sweet shop owners across India have started using the UV light mechanism to disinfect food items and killing the virus.

How safe is the use of UV rays on sweets, eatables and other surfaces; explain PGI doctors from Department of Community Medicine and School of public health.

Many sweet shops and outlets have started using UV light machines. What is it and how helpful are they?

Do they kill the virus?

PGI doctors, and Additional Professor, Ravindra Khaiwal and Professor Dr. Sonu Goel said that the UV radiations are normally used to kill microorganisms.

monocytogenes, etc. on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. They can work on cash or medicine strips etc…” said the doctors.

“This technique can be useful for killing coronavirus on eatables, but 100 per cent elimination of the virus is challenging, due to the different texture and roughness of surfaces of different eatable items. It can work to disinfect a box of ice cream, cash or sweets box but not some vegetables like cauliflower or any other rough surface. Hence we also need to ensure other hygiene practices,” the doctors said.

Big sweet shop owners are going ahead with UV “Particularly, UV-C, also known as sanitization and Modified Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation Atmospheric packaging (UVGI) is a disinfection method both. What is MAP? that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying their nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions and stops their replication. UVGI is used in a variety of applications, such as food, air, and water disinfection. Few research studies have found that UVC radiation is also effective in killing coronaviruses on various surfaces, but efficiency is variable for different kinds of surfaces depending on their texture,” the doctors said.

With the fear of the virus harbouring on sweet boxes and eatables, sweet shop owners across country have adopted this UV Ray’s mechanism and MAP to ensure that they don’t lose their clientele.

Firoz H Naqvi, Director of Federation of Sweets and namkeen manufacturers (FSNM), Mumbai and General Secretary of the All India Sweets Shop Association said that sweet However, Dr. Goel added that UV shop owners in various technique is good but also costly, cities have introduced UV which many cannot afford same. mechanism.

Which surfaces can the UV rays can be helpful on? Are they beneficial to use on all eatables, including freshly made stuff and vegetables and fruits? To what extent can they provide safety?

They are useful for smooth surfaces, also on surfaces of some vegetables that are rough and the virus can harbour in the rinsing.

“As UVGI is being widely used in the food industry for disinfection and is found very effective in killing various pathogens like E.Coli, Listeria

“Many have introduced it and the introduction of a UV chamber at the entrance in approx 5000 sweet shops in the country, is also in the works.

A UV channel is basically a UV tunnel so that without interference of any salesperson, the customers can directly pick their sweets box or eatable after it passes through the tunnel.”

Owner of chain of Sindhi Sweets in the region, Neeraj Bajaj said that with the fear of virus looming large on the food industry, they introduced UV sanitization and MAP. “Empty boxes are first passed through the UV tunnel and then passed

again after filling the product. Then the product is flushed with food grade Nitrogen to flush out the air containing moisture which is then sealed thus increasing the shelf life without adding any preservative.

For example, Motichur ladoo, which usually has a shelf life of three days, can stay upto 30 days after being UV sanitized and MAP,” said Bajaj.

Jay Sharma of Gwalia Sweets, Ahmedabad said, “We were the first ones to introduce UV sanitization and MAP. We want to tell customers that our products are safe to consume.”

What is the cost factor involved in these techniques?

The UV light mechanism comes in various forms like hand held machines and chambers. The hand held machines and chambers range from Rs. 2000 to Rs.1.5 lakh. In case of entire mechanism of both UV sanitization chambers and MAP, it costs over Rs. 25 lakh.

In case of small vendors who are unable to afford these mechanisms, what are people advised to do?

The doctors said that the concern is not about preparation as most snacks like samosas, gol-gappas or tikkis are fried at a temperature over 250°C in which the virus doesn’t survive.

However, its handling is a serious concern as the paper or polythene or box in which the seller is packing can be infected.

In case of using boxes, the PGI doctors said that all sweets are completely safe to consume if a no-touch policy is followed after making the sweets. It is just that the cardboard box they are packed in can be risky or when they are handed over to the customer.

“The box can be infected and the virus survives on it for 3-4 hours.

Even otherwise, the sweets will be put in the box by a salesperson and if they touch any infected surface with their hand even after wearing gloves, it will infect the sweets. Here too I will suggest, the packing may look attractive but customers can they take own containers,” advised Dr. Goel.

“Golgappas are also fried so that is not an issue, but a serious cause of concern is the potato stuffing which is done by the vendor or when they dunk it in the spicy water. Even if the vendor wears gloves, you can’t be sure of not catching the infection because the virus can stick to the gloves also if the vendor touches an infected surface. In that case, the infected gloves will do more harm.

We suggest people to not take this item and avoid packing it directly in polythene,” said the doctors.

The two doctors said that hand hygiene in such cases is a very big issue. “Safety comes from washing hands but nails can be risky. Because if the vendors’ nails are not properly cut, even if he washes hands, it is risky. Nails harbour the virus,” they said.

The doctors said that proper hygiene should be followed with visible packing.

And what about samosas and tikkis which are being home delivered?

The food items should not be directly packed in any polythene as the virus survives on polythene for a longer period. Any paper packing should also be avoided. “I suggest, if someone is really craving it, they should take their own containers or use their own tissue paper, which will be safe,” said Dr Khaiwal.

If it is still unavoidable, discard the packet in which these items are packed outside your house and bring them in, said the doctors.

How can cash be handled at these shops for those without the UV mechanism?

Additional Professor Ravindra Khaiwal said that the virus doesn’t survive for a period on cash.

“I will suggest people to use cards.

Even if the swipe machine has changed many hands and is infected, the debit or credit card they swipe can be sanitized as regular sanitizers work well on plastic surface,” he said.

The doctors added that there is no evidence that sanitizers work on cash.

“Still, if people have no option but cash, I suggest people to keep it in their wallet or a closed box for two hours and sanitize their hands immediately before touching them to your nose or mouth or any other surface,” Khaiwal addedn

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June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

ICE CREAM BRANDS LOOK AT HEALTHIER FLAVOURS TO BOOST SALES

T

he Indian ice cream industry has faced a huge losses during the Covid19 lockdown, and are preparing to gear up new flavour variants with an idea to appeal to customers and bringing the lost demand.

The Indian ice cream industry, which is worth Rs. 10,000 crore has suffered a setback of about Rs 2,000-2,500 crore during the lockdown, according to analysts tracking the sector.

Annually the months of March, April and May contributes to 40-45% of the industry’s seasonal business.

“We had meetings with the members and some market consultants, who have suggested to come up with nutritional ice creams like Chawanprash ice cream, Wheatgrass ice cream among others,” said Pradeep Pai, Managing Committee Member of Indian Ice-Cream Manufacturers Association (IICMA) and Promoter Hangyo Ice Creams Pvt Ltd. Hangyo Ice cream has recently launched a super-premium ice cream range with flavours like rose petals, saffron carnival and plans to launch soon other exotic flavours in ice cream such as ginger lemon, tulsi and haldi.

Pai mentioned that India’s per capita ice cream consumption is rather minuscule, standing at 370-380 grams as compared to US, where it is about 22 litres per person.

“The plan is to push consumers to buy more ice cream. R&D will take at least 90 days, but companies across the industry are working on these lines,” he said.

The companies have expressed that there had been no business across the sector during the COVID-19 lockdown. The companies in the sector start stocking up in January, February for the following peak season of summers. As sales have come to a halt, stock inventories are piled up in cold storages.

The top 20 companies constitute 70% of the Rs. 10,000 crore market, while the remaining Rs. 3,000 crore is

contributed by about 100 medium and small players. They are on the verge of disappearance post pandemic, said experts. In fact, fruit-based ice creams having fruit pulp in them were worth crores have been discarded during the lockdown as they have a shelf-life of 10-15 days only as opposed to regular ice creams that have a longer shelf life of 10-12 months.

Girish Pai, Director, Naturals said, “By the second week of April, we had to discard ice cream worth Rs. 2-3 crore. We are working on some new flavours. We will see the situation post the lockdown and launch them accordingly,” he added.

Jaganath M. N, Co-founder, Dairy Day Ice Cream also talked about the plans of launching new flavours. He said, “We are planning to introduce haldi, pepper and other immunityboosting ice creams soon.”

An HUL company spokesperson said, “HUL’s Kwality Walls has seen a sharp deceleration in the ice cream category. As a result of the lockdown, our out-of-home channel remains closed. While manufacturing is continuing in a limited capacity, sales continue to be low.”

Many other ice cream companies have taken to direct home delivery of ice creams to their consumersn

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020

EDIBLE ‘SKINS’ FOR EXTENDING SHELF LIFE GET MAJOR BOOST

23

O BY TAMARA INTRODUCES ‘RAKSHA INITIATIVE’ SAFETY AND HYGIENE MEASURES

O

by Tamara introduces ‘Raksha Initiative’, comprehensive safety and hygiene measures, in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. The new guidelines are prepared in accordance with the directives

by WHO, the Ministry of Health, Government of India, and the state government. A whole new set of precautionary measures and policies are in place to enhance guest experience without compromising on the health and safety. It will be implemented in all the properties of Tamara Leisure Experiences which include O by Tamara in Trivandrum, The Tamara Resorts in Coorg and Kodaikanal and two Lilac Hotels in Bangalore.

S

cientists at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) based in Mohali, India, have developed non-toxic, edible coating materials to improve shelf life of fruits & vegetables based on wheat straw hemicellulosic polysaccharide (WP) and stearic acid derivatized

oat bran polysaccharide (SAOP) that promise to overcome the problems of highly perishable produce going bad before reaching the consumer – currently running at 25-30 percent in that country.

The team at NAFBI prepared emulsions of the composite and coated them on the surfaces of samples of apples, peaches, and bananas. They found that the coating helped to significantly reduce fruit weight loss and softening and delay ripening. They also helped maintain sensory qualities compared to non-coated fruits.

The formulation could extend the post-harvest quality of some apple varieties for around 30 days, peaches up to 6-8 days and bananas up to 9 days without significant blackening under ambient storage. “The coating technology is simple and cost-effective. The edible material has potential as an alternative to commercially available animal based shellac coating in India,” the scientists said.

In another development food waste start-up Apeel Sciences, based in California, has secured $250 million in financing to further develop its technology to combat food waste by using a plant-derived solution to add a little extra ‘peel’ to the surface of fruits and vegetables. The company’s edible coating product reportedly doubles or triples the shelf life of many produce types without the need for refrigeration. The round brings the company’s valuation to over $1 billion.

It already has operations in the USA, Spain, The Netherlands, Mexico and Peru and is now producing commercial quantities of its invisible skin for limes, mandarins, avocados, oranges and organic apples with plans to greatly extend that range and expand into South Africa.

As reported by AIPIA previously the product is supplied as a powder and is diluted in water to be used as a spray or a dip. Apeel is made from plant extracts, usually lipids from agricultural by-products such as tomato skins or seeds. These self-assemble into structures (the skin) which enable the company to modulate the rate of oxygen or carbon dioxide transmission.

Apeel Sciences intends to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain and CEO James Rogers claims it is on track this year to save 20 million pieces of fruit from going to waste at retail storesn

As part of the initiative extensive cleaning, sanitation, hygiene and safety procedures are carried out with special emphasis on wearing masks and adhering to social distancing norms at all times. Specific guidelines are set for pre-arrival, check-in, in-house activities and facilities and check-out to maintain the highest standards of health and hygiene. Body temperature monitoring, provision of masks and sanitisers in all common areas and rooms, sanitation of vehicles & luggage, frequent disinfection and cleaning are also arranged.

Commenting on the initiative, Shruti Shibulal, CEO and director, Tamara Leisure Experiences Pvt. Ltd, said, “The pandemic has fundamentally changed every sector, especially hospitality where human interaction is the core. In this unprecedented time, wellbeing of our guests and staff is of utmost importance and we strive to deliver authentic and memorable experiences through responsible practices. The ‘Raksha Initiative’ redefines the extent of safety measures taken thereby creating unparalleled and stress-free experiences for our guests”. n

MYPROTEIN ROPES IN INDIAN FOOTBALL’S STAR DEFENDER SANDESH JHINGAN

L

eading online sports nutrition brand, Myprotein, has roped in Indian football’s star defender Sandesh Jhingan. The company will be providing customised nutritional solutions to the centreback.

Speaking on the association, Esha Singh, MD, India & emerging markets of Myprotein, said, “Myprotein is today one of the world’s leading sports nutrition brands offering a wide range of products in the sports nutrition category and we are excited to partner with Sandesh, who belongs to a new breed of Indian footballers, emulating professional & fitness standards of their counterparts in Europe. Sandesh epitomises determination, focus & hard-work, values that resonate with all of us at Myprotein”.

Commenting on the association, the poster boy of Indian football, said, “I am excited to partner with Myprotein on this mission to educate people about the importance of nutrition, not just for us as professional athletes, but for everyone who wishes to lead a healthy active lifestyle. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the team at Myprotein and my team at Meraki for putting this partnership together”.

The company is one of the leading sports nutrition brands with an active engagement of 10 million customers in more than 140 countries around the world. A brand under The Hut Group, it is poised to enter the lifestyle segment very soon.

Ajit Ravindran, co-founder & MD, Meraki Sport & Entertainment, said, “We are excited to have played a role in structuring this association between an athlete we exclusively represent and a brand that we work with, as their India sport marketing agency. Myprotein with its wide array of products will be the right catalyst for Sandesh, in his quest to take both, his game & Indian football to the next level”.n

24

June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

WHY INDIA’S TURMERIC INDUSTRY NEEDS A HEALING TOUCH Dr Parashram Patil & Preeti Kumari

India is the largest producer and exporter of turmeric (APEDA, 2019). India exported US$ 236.5 million worth of turmeric in 2018 from US$ 182.53 million in 2017.

•

The increase in exports can be attributed to growth in production and strong demand by USA, Iran and Morocco.

•

The increasing demand for natural products as food additives makes turmeric an ideal candidate as a food colorant. Various medical researches have demonstrated the anti-cancer and anti-viral activities of turmeric, leading to an increase in demand for turmeric in USA (Anne Plotto, 2004). The total production of turmeric in 2017-18 was 946,650 tonnes in India and the top producers were Telangana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (APEDA).

•

Despite stable and significant production, India imports turmeric as well. As shown in table 1 India imported 31,039.84 tonnes of turmeric in 2018-19, exhibiting a CAGR of 33.6% since 2013-14

•

Table 1 Turmeric production and trade of India

Despite stable and significant production, India imported US$ 43.48 million worth of turmeric in 201819, increasing from US$ 9.4 million in 2013-14.

The extraction and food processing (blending) industries are among the biggest consumers of turmeric.

The percentage of curcumin and oleoresin content in turmeric determines the demand by the industry along with the price.

India is witnessing a major surge in imports of turmeric over the past few years, which may hurt the interests of turmeric growers. So it is a critical issue to be addressed through policy intervention.

Towards this objective, adoption of scientific cultivation practices, GAP, IPM, etc., focus on increasing area under cultivation with high curcumin content of turmeric and devising a mechanism to control price fluctuation will go a long way.

meric is mainly influenced by the rainfall and other climatic factors. There exists volatility in turmeric production of India based on climatic factors (Angels et al. 2011).

Production volatility is the other factor that impacts the import of turmeric.

Various statistical studies have analysed that the area under production and productivity for turmeric has been on a steady rise (Krishnadas, 2010).

Hence on an average, production volatility may not be attributed as the key reason for imports.

THE BIGGEST CULPRIT

Source: Spices Board and Department of Commerce Turmeric imports by India are primarily attributed to three factors. Based on industry inputs, the most important factor is price difference between the domestic and international turmeric. As per Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), the percentage content of curcumin, dark yellow color, oleoresin and essential oil etc. present in a specific variety of turmeric is also an important factor for the preference of the variety. The seasonal volatility in yield of tur-

On analysing the three factors one by one, one may affirm that seasonal volatility cannot be attributed as the principal reason for the surge in import because, over the years from 2014-15 to 2018-19, the production has remained in the range of 846,250-967,060 tonnes. The difference in the range as a percentage change between the highest and lowest production from 2014-15 to 2018-19 is only 14.6%. The year-on-year percentage change of production shows that from 2017-18 to 2018-19, the production increased by 7%, while the import still grew by 52% in terms of value rather than declining as shown in table 2.

Contined to page no 25

Food And Beverage Matrix | June 2020 Contined from page no 24

Table 2 Total production of turmeric in India

25 52% from 2017-18 to 2018-19. The plutonic rise of import of turmeric from Vietnam at a growth rate of 473% (in terms of volume) YoY in 201819 is even starker.

Table 5 Import of turmeric by India: Country wise

Source: Spices Board

Table 3 Turmeric production and trade by India

Source: Spices Board and Department of Commerce The other two reasons i.e. price differential and the quality based on the content are interrelated. As per industry inputs, the difference in price is because of the premium fetched by Indian spices in the global market traditionally and the quality of the turmeric produced in India. TNAU confirms that the major varieties produced in India are Madras and Alleppey. The other variety Lakadong, grown in north eastern India, has curcumin content more than 5%. The main hurdle to turmeric export has been the non-uniformity in quality during the post-WTO period.

Table 4 Major types of turmeric produced in IndiaSource: Ministry of Commerce As per industry inputs, the domestic production fell in January 2018, however in January 2019 bumper production led to slump in prices; however the import continues to grow.

Source: The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) The extraction and food processing (blending) industries are among the biggest consumers of turmeric. The percentage of curcumin and oleoresin content in turmeric determines the demand by the industry along with the price. As per industry inputs, price of turmeric in domestic market is approximately Rs. 117 per kg as against the imported turmeric priced at Rs 87 per kg.

Hence, India processors and extraction industry imports turmeric from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Vietnam primarily due to the price difference. The value added product produced by the extraction industry and food processing (blending) industries is further used by medicinal, cosmetics and food processing (FMCG) industries.

Indian turmeric has the highest curcumin content on an average as per TNAU and industry inputs, however owing to low prices, there has been a consistent demand for imported turmeric from Ethiopia and Myanmar over the years. Recently the top spot in terms for the biggest exporter of turmeric to India was taken over by Vietnam as per table 5.

Current trend and repercussions The point of contention is that growth in import of turmeric is very high.

The year on year growth in import of turmeric by India was estimated at

Hence it is imperative that the government should take pre-emptive measures to arrest distress among the turmeric growers in coming future as the sudden spike in import may hurt the interest of growers.

CONCLUSION The turmeric industry faces two key challenges one is the stupendous rise of Vietnam in terms of export of turmeric as evident from the fact that export of turmeric from Vietnam grew from 4.5 million worth in 2017 to 22.8 million in 2018, without concomitant increase in import, which shows that the surge in export is not a temporary phenomenon based on import and re-export but based on sustained capacity development (UNcomtrade). Hence Vietnam may soon emerge as a competitor. Second is the production- import alignment, such that the interest of growers as well as processors/extractors is catered to and the mismatch in quality/ price expectations is addressed.

The biggest lesson is that the pre-emptive measures based on the production cycle should be an important policy intervention as part of agriculture export policy, because it not just supports farmers against price crash but also equips the government to better handle agricultural crisis. Policy proactiveness is indispensable to minimise the impact of productiondemand mismatch. The looming distress is just round the corner for turmeric industry, hence timely intervention to restrict the import only up to the production-demand mismatch is the best way forward.n

26

June 2020 | Food And Beverage Matrix

SAFAL GIVES 1,000 TULSI PLANTS TO SELECT SHOPPERS ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

I

n the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, considering the importance of immunity boosting measures being undertaken by the Ayush Ministry of Government of India, Safal took the initiative to provide 1,000 Tulsi (Basil) plants to its select shoppers on the occasion of World Environment Day, June, 2020.

The plant is found in almost every house in India. While it has religious beliefs on one hand, according to experts, it is also used in the treatment of many diseases. Basil has antiinflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and due to these qualities, it proves to be beneficial for human beings. According to Hindu scriptures, it is believed that the basil plant keeps the home environment pure.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradipta Kumar Sahoo, business head, Safal, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd, said, “In view of the importance

of immunity boosting measures, Safal intends to promote the use of Ayurvedic herb by distributing Holy Tulsi (Basil) saplings across Delhi NCR. In the lockdown, Safal has

introduced Immunity combo pack comprising giloy, lemon, turmeric & ginger and sold thousands of packets so far. This initiative is also aimed to promote sustainable and safer environment by inculcating love for nature amongst people. On this occasion every year, Safal organises plantation of neem trees in its 22 acre plant premises in Delhi. This World Environment Day, Safal wishes a greener and safer environment for future.”

Recipe of a herbal decoction, which includes Basil among other herbs, was advised by the Ayush Ministry to states and Union territories, asking them to promote commercial manufacturing of the formulation.

Food and Beverage Matrix

Published, Printed by Dhiraj Dubey at B.K. Chawl Laxman Mhatre Road Navagaon Dahisar West Dist - Mumbai 400 068. State - Maharashtra Printed at Kalakshi Printing Works 205 Gopal Industrial Estate, I. B. Patel Road, Goregaon East. Mumbai 400 063 Sales Office: Divyansh Infomedia A/202 Om Nageshwar Appartment Near Mandli Talav Bhyander West Mumbai 401101. Maharashtra Contact: +91 98699 87731, +91 88506 09866 Sub Editor : Mukti M Bajaj News Journalist : Ritu Mishra

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Advisory Board

Saheb Bajaj CEO Punjab Sind Foods (India) Pvt. Ltd Arun Varangavkar Chairman Garkul Industries Shiv Prakash Bajaj Chairman Tresbon Consulting Solutions Rajiv Mitra MD Govid Milk and Milk Products Prakash Waghmare Waghmare Food Products Harvinder Bhatia Country Head Bitzer India Pvt Ltd Prassana Deshpande Director Chaitanya Group of Industries Ram Kumar MD Spectra Plast India Pvt Ltd Samayak Lodha MD MB Sugars

It is claimed that the decoction is helpful in boosting body's immunity amid Covid-19.

The World Environment Day is an annual initiative founded by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1972, and celebrated every year on June 5 to encourage citizens across the globe, for taking positive environmental action to protect the nature and our planet. This year's theme is, "Celebrate Biodiversity”, a call to action to stop the loss of specials and degradation of natural world, and promote interaction with nature to appreciate its beauty & importance, and to take forward the call to protect Mother Earth.n

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