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Eating with a Conscious

Maintaining ecological balance has become important with almost everyone today. This is also affecting eating habits of individuals. Protecting ecological balance is an issue in which everyone has become involved. One way of achieving this, according to some, is to consume organic food. It may be mentioned that organic food profile rose in the early 2000s, as consumers began to see connection between diet, health and environment. As shoppers today turn to clean labels and demand transparency in the foods they eat and the beverages they drink, organic food seems to be poised for growth. Ashok Malkani views the scene of organic food and finds that the growth isn’t expected to slowdown. A recent TechSci Research report estimates the global organic food market is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of more than 14% between 2016 and 2021.

More and more people are now laying stress on healthy food. The consumers are now eating with a conscious. The trend for following a strict dietary regimen is now, with the corona virus scare, becoming popular with people of all ages.

Preety Arora, Head - Business Strategy, Amatra Hotels & Resorts, says, “The tragedy of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has somewhat impacted the travel and hospitality industry in India in terms of travelers from Southeast Asia and the middle east. There are many business travelers from China and other Southeast Asian countries who go out on weekend trips from Delhi NCR to hills and other tourist leisure destinations but recently we have witnessed a fall in queries from such foreign nationals. However, it is a very small percentage of travelers and we do not foresee any major impact in the medium to long term. At Amatra we always maintain high levels of hygiene and are currently coordinating with government agencies to follow all the necessary precautions. We are also advising all travelers to follow the protocols laid out by the health ministry to ensure everyone's safety.”

While COVID-19 may have affected the travel plans of several people it has added to the awareness of people to have a proper diet. At the 2019 Academy of Nutrition and Dietics Food and Nutrition Conference it was pointed out that plantbase eating was a trend that is going to grow. A flexitarian eating style which allows anyone and everyone to add more produce and other plant nutrients to their

day, according to the Conference, was the main driver.

Yes, people are now not only paying attention to what they consume but they are eating with a conscious.

Executive Chef Simran Singh Thapar, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa is of the view that ethical eating will be catching more audiences as more and more people are becoming aware and also following their food ethics as a means to choose what they eat and support as food choices. He emphasised that people today are eating with a conscious and they want to eat not only organic food but also ethical food.

He adds, “Ethical eating will be catching more audiences as more and more people are becoming aware and also following their food ethics as a means to choose what they eat and support as food choices.

We as a five-star hotel have also adopted various initiatives including supporting organisations that support the marginalised farmers to propagate and support the Fairtrade that is growing strong as a food ethic. We are also becoming more Veganfriendly for guests who look at Animal welfare as their ethic and have become Vegans to support their belief.”

Mukesh Sharma, Executive Chef, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa states that people are, today, conscious of good food and view organic food as healthy since these products are grown under a natural system of agriculture.

He adds, “Some of the steps we should take to satisfy these demands of customers looking for ethical food are:

Use produce from a Chef’s garden

Free-range Egg

Free-range Chicken

A2 milk, milk products or dairy products where cows have access to the outdoors

Tie up with authorized vendors”

Abhishek Basu, Executive Chef, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, states “We have noticed the trend of people to go for organic and ethical foods and have, therefore, introduced cage-free eggs and antibiotic-free chicken at Bombay Baking Company, our patisserie, and deli. We also try and endorse our faux meats and vegan offerings across all our restaurants as much as possible to our guests.”

Sumanta Chakrabarti, Corporate Chef of Ambuja Neotia group, disclosed, organic food broadly meant food was not genetically engineered and grown with the assistance of toxic chemicals, synthetic pesticides, arsenic, bio solids etc. He added

that the justification for the fast growth of this trend was that growth projection of fruits and vegetables “for the domestic market is 25.6 per cent over the next five years. 34 companies out of 71 companies (48 per cent) have stressed to diversify their product portfolio and diversify the supply chain operations in the future; major being organic pulses and soyabeans.”

Aniket Kathe, Director Food & Beverage, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & Hyderabad International Convention Centre, however feels, “The food culture in India has evolved, but is limited to Urban India. Despite the growth, home cooked food still remains the first choice of the urban consumers. Food Safety and awareness of health- related illness has influenced the mind-set and the demand for Organic Food. The market for green products is an expressed interest, but Indian Market still needs more information of choosing these products that benefit the environment. At Novotel Hyderbad Convention Centre, we have an In-house Hydroponics farm where we cultivate vegetables, which are used in our canteens and restaurants on a regular basis. We promote them by Information on cards and social media.”

Rakesh Rana, Executive Chef, Indore Marriott Hotel declares that being a chef one has to be aware of the new trends and the demands of the customers. He adds “Many of our guests, particularly the Gen Y is more focused on ethical food.”

Chef Subhash Jana, Executive Chef, Swissotel Kolkata, is of the view that the F&B industry runs on face value and brand image. “We being a world known brand which is known for its food and beverage take certain initiatives from corporate level and also from unit level.

“At Swissotel Kolkata, we source local and sustainable ingredients that do not generate an excessive carbon footprint. Also, we promote local growers to produce ingredients which have more nutritional value, than using cold storage goods. Another one is using local seafood and promoting fresh catch in our brunch and special events. Further, we source our dry ingredients only from FSSAI approved vendors and certified Organic vendors. To keep a constant track, vendor premises audit is done four times in a year. To conclude, our customers’ and guests’ health has always been a top priority, and hence we prepare menus based on keto diets, nutritional value, calorie count and Instagram.”

Ethical Food Ethical food seems to have become the

Rakesh Rana

Abhishek Basu

Preety Arora

new mantra. So, what exactly is ethical food?

Rakesh asserts that ethical food should not contain anything, which could hamper nature or the environment.

He adds, “Ethical food is a moral decision to have food which will not have an impact on our community, animals, and our environment. This can be achieved by choosing sustainable sources of ingredients as well as preserving fauna and flora on the earth.”

Avijit Deb Sharma, Executive Chef at Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road disclosed, “When we choose to consciously buy Fairtrade sourced ingredients, we are promoting ethical food. Besides, joining a community gardening project, reducing wastage of food or overuse of plastic in food packaging also promotes the cause of ethical food.”

Aniket defines ethical food as “food which needs to be healthy. Anything grown organic without use of pesticides, naturally uncontaminated, and homemade is considered ethical.”

Abhishek explains ethical eating thus: “Ethical eating is a consumer practice of consuming food/ingredients morally, bearing in mind the impact on animals, the environment, labour practice and other such factors. People turning vegetarian/ vegan due to the mishandling and killing of animals in the meat acquiring process, people switching to organic ingredients to protect plant and wildlife from chemical pesticides are a few instances of ethical eating.”

Sumanta asserts, “Society, today, due to the intense ‘obesity epidemic’ in Europe & America, is targeting “eating well” or ethical food. People are shifting from junk food, processed food to EATWELL food which has recommended proportions of salt, fat and sugar. Different colours like red, orange and green are being used to identify the nature of the products like organic GM FREE (Genetically modified) products, etc.”

Mukesh states, “Food ethics are moral consequences of food choices that are made by humans. We see a lot of people make basic lifestyle choices such as adopting Veganism or vegetarianism. Some of the common concerns that drive people to make such food choices are damage to the environment, exploitive labour practices, and food shortages for others, inhumane treatment of food & animals, and the unintended effects of

food policy.”

Simran elaborates, “There could be different ways in which people may perceive food ethics. They may choose either one or many choices of the below together while forming their food ethic:

Animal welfare – People who follow animal welfare as their food ethics are vegetarian and commit not to eat any food derived from the slaughter of animals.

Healthy eating – People who follow healthy eating as their food ethic are only supporting organic and healthy food

Saving the planet – This food ethics involves propagating the use of organic farming methods which is more sustainable

Fair trade – People following this ethic want the farmers to get a fair share of what they pay for the produce and want them to prosper and get the fair compensation for their hard work.”

Subhash says, “Ethical eating refers to the moral consequences associated with making choices related to food. Common concerns include damage to the environment, exploitative labor practices, and food shortages for others, inhumane treatment of animals, and the unintended effects of food policy.”

Organic Food Rapid rise in use of chemicals and fertilisers have forced people to adopt a healthy way of living. Organic food is the ideal choice. Videos showing chemically produced vegetables, fruits and eggs have become viral, helping the popularity of organic food segment. Moreover artificially grown chicken and chemically shaped eggs have proved to have spread many diseases around the country.

Simran, explaining ‘organic food’ avers that this food is prepared/processed using only natural elements. It can be both Vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian.

He adds, “In case of meats, the feed, and Medicare of the animal being raised for slaughter needs to be composed of natural elements and no chemical agents, to artificially enhance the quality or quantity of the meat, is done. “In case of vegetable produce, natural manures and insecticide (like neem oils) are used. No chemicals or artificial agents, to modify the quality or quantity of the produce, artificially, is permissible.”

He however believes that organic is still struggling as a food choice as the percentage of people into organic farming is very less and the cost of doing organic farming is more compared to other industrial methods of farming. He states, “The organic produce is available, but at a higher cost compared to the regular produce and thus, it still has less consumers opting for it. Until organic farming as a practice becomes a norm by the law of the land and until it becomes a conscious choice of the way people choose their food, the volumes will be slow to achieve and the costs will be higher. Once this is accepted as a norm and becomes the only practice permissible,

Simran Singh Thapar

Aniket Kathe

Subhash Jana

the increase in volumes will also bring the costs down and have more and more consumers choosing it.”

All concur with the view that organic vegetarian food avoids the use of manmade fertilizers, pesticides and makes no use of genetically modified products. The state that as far as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are concerned they are obtained from animals which are void of antibiotics or growth hormones. Poultry is cage free or range free.

Truly Organic? The Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) warns that foods labeled organic but not certified cannot be considered to be safe? What are the procedures followed by different F&B outlets to ensure that the foods are organic?

Rakesh concedes, “Not all foods tagged as organic are natural. We can determine the same through a quality check of organic food. The consumer should be aware of the certification and the Price look-up (PLU) code. Organic food will always have a 5-digit code starting with 9 to indicate that food is grown organically. We at Indore Marriott Hotel add vegetables like red lettuce, Kale leaves, Broccoli and Red radish to the menu.”

Subhash disclosed, “Even though eating healthy and organic is growing at a fast pace during today's day and time, there are certain instances where people have indulged in fad dietary habits. Our team at Swissotel Kolkata focuses on following certain measures to maintain the authenticity of the dishes. We only allow FSSAI approved products within our premises. Secondly, a dedicated food hygiene lab test is done weekly to maintain the ethnicity. Thirdly we also lay stress on random sampling to ensure that their quality is not compromised .Our chefs and the purchasing team ensures a thorough checking and maintaining food packaging materials. Fourthly, the supplier premises audit takes place every quarter with the Hygiene Manager, Purchase Manager and the Executive Chef to be assured about the source.”

Avijit avers, “We at Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road, look for FSSAI JaivikBharat or India Organics, or PGS-India logo on the food packet.”

Mukesh revealed, “International Economic Relations (ICRIER) has mentioned the need for a uniform standard for organic

foods. Now, the Food Safety Standards and Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations 2017 along with the unified logo for organic food products, supported with the tagline "Jaivik Bharat”. All organic foods certified under this logo need to convey full and accurate information on labels about the organic status of the food. The 'Jaivik Bharat' logo will henceforth be recognized as a mark of quality assurance given by the abovementioned certification bodies in India or any other bodies recognised by FSSAI.”

Sumanta divulged, “In India, 2 kinds of Organic Certificates are prevalent. One is issued by 3rd parties accredited through National Program for Organic Production (NPOP), a body under Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Standards of which are export quality and SOP’s based on America, Swiss & European Union bodies

“The second is a self-certification called Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS), implemented through Ministry of Agriculture through the National Center of Organic Farming (NCOF).”

S i m ra n s tate d “At J W M a r r i ott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, we ask for organic certification and even do site visits to ensure what is being sold to us as organic is actually organic. This is the best way to be sure as the proof of the pudding lies in the taste. Don’t just see and believe a certificate or label, believe it when you find it.”

H e a d d s , ” U n fo r t u n a t e l y, w h i l e researching to include more organic foods to our ingredient inventory, I have also come across a vendor who had specified their cheese as organic, only to find that nothing beyond the fodder for the cattle is organic. Which is not the right way to represent their cheese as for a cheese to be organic, right from the feed of the animals to the treatment they receive from the additions to the milk to make it into a cheese, all should be natural and organic for the cheese to be organic.

“Yes, there are many fakes in the market, however, as already stated, one needs to be sure by actually verifying the same by a visit and inspection. If you are not sure, don’t support. When we find someone true to their label, we also support them by taking more from them and making them reach out to more and more consumers as they have been ethical to their labeling.” A Passing Fad? Human nature, as everyone knows, if fickle. So is ethical eating, or organic food, just a passing fed?

Abhishek asserts, “There is definitely a surge in demand for organic food, especially in the last 2 to 3 years. We have guests coming to our restaurants specifically asking for dishes incorporating organic ingredients, which has led us to introduce a variety of them. At Bombay Baking Company, we have introduced an entire category of ‘Organic Farm Sourced” dishes last year, which is quite popular.”

Simran too is of a similar view. He

Avijit Deb Sharma

Mukesh Sharma

Sumanta Chakrabarti

avers, “Organic farming is definitely here to stay and there will be more and more organic foods emerging every day. It is certainly here to stay and in the longer run, this initiative must be supported and promoted as the law of the land for it to get recognised as the only sustainable way of produce farming.”

Sumanta states, “The organic food industry is growing rapidly in India and over the past few years we are seeing a constant increase in demand of organic products. Today’s consumer is smart and also very conscious about his health and that’s why they are turning towards organic foods. In my opinion, the organic food industry has already fixed its roots and it will grow further.”

Avijit , contemplating on the issue, states, “This can’t be a passing fad, as now people realise that in order to sustain in this demanding and dynamic environment one has to be fit and the first step is to eat right.”

Rakesh too is of similar view. He believes that it is setting strong roots for growth in the future.

Subhash is very emphatic about its popularity He avers, “Eating organic is not just another diet. Consuming organic food goes beyond being a mere fad. When it comes to going organic, the concept includes a decrease in the use of synthetic chemicals and getting rid of natural toxins in the food. Organic food is a healthy decision for everyone including infants. Since their immune system is at a developing stage, they are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of toxins and chemicals in food. Opting for organic foods is an effective choice for personal and planetary health.”

Aniket states, “Ethical food will evolve, veganism is what has evolved from organic foods, it has more following now. Recently, at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, we hosted a French Chef who gave us the insight on the growing Veganism in France and how it is garnering more following.”

Conclusion

According to a recent survey by the NPD Group, Sales of plant-based foods in the United States have grown 11 per cent in the last year. 16 per cent of Americans “regularly” use plant-based alternatives for meat or dairy products. In Britain, up to 33 per cent of consumers prefer plant-based milk alternatives. So the trend for ethical eating is a global one. And it is growing!

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