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Lucrative avenues for protein-rich snacks in India
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Thursday, 16 August, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandini Roy Choudhury
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India, the country with significant concentrations of malnourished individuals, has long encouraged a cereal-centric diet, which comprises subsidised staple commodities that include wheat and rice. Dietary patterns are however witnessing transformation currently, with health activists, researchers, and policy makers seeking ways to seep out malnutrition and hunger from the country. With the paradigm shift from calorie intake toward nutrition, derelict foods such as edible, dried seeds of legumes, have recently commenced gaining momentum.
Efforts to Keep Deficiency Rates in Check
Transforming consumer patterns from farm to fork continues to explore numerous advantages apropos of pulses-based diet. Relative affordability, coupled with benefits for the ecosystem in terms of water and carbon footprints, has furthered the adoption of pulses and other legumes among the population for protein intake. The vicious circle of the relationship between food & nutritional insecurity and poverty has significant implications in India, as the country showcases relatively higher rate of poverty, and represents largest number of malnourished individuals in the world.
As pulses not only impart beneficial nutritional properties but also enhance agricultural productivity, they play a pivotal role in nutrition and health outcomes in India. India emerged as grain-surplus states in the past, post-adoption of new technologies in the Green Revolution phase, which entailed significant changes in the food grains production.
However, this led to a steady decline in nutritionally imperative crops, such as pulses. Persistent demand-supply gap related to pulses, despite tremendous budgetary allocations by government on programmes pertaining to technological diffusion, improvement, and development, has been leading improvement efforts toward performance of pulses as an imperative policy issue in the country.
Affordable Nutrition-rich Biscuit Launches
Two leading food companies in the country are taking measures to address the issue of protein deficiency through the launch of new biscuits. Ongoing challenge of malnutrition and protein deficiency in India has led Danone and ITC to independently launch their own protein-rich biscuit products, which has the potential to signal that protein trend in India is ready to take off. ITC’s Sunfeast Farmlite range of Active Protein Power Biscuits, and Danone India’s multigrain biscuits - Protinex Bytes, are claimed to serve as protein source, and help in retaining energy levels, while catering daily nutritional requirements.
Such protein-rich product launches have so far escalated primarily from smaller brands, which cater to needs of specific demographics including fitness-conscious individuals and athletes. Product launches that are rich in protein by mainstream brands such as Danone are set to make products widespread, on the basis of availability, and spread awareness about battling protein deficiency. This will further create lucrative avenues for protein-rich snacks in India. For consumers, aforementioned biscuit launches means greater accessibility to protein supplements at affordable costs.
Over 70% Indians Non-Vegetarian
Apart from vegetarian-diet influenced dynamics, India is also discerned to be one of prominent landscapes for consumption of mutton, chicken, and beef. Although vegetarianism is considered to a customary belief across the country, data from the 2014 Sample Registration System (SRS) Baseline Survey suggests otherwise. The survey implied over 70% citizens in the country, aged above 15, to be non-vegetarian, obscuring the fact that individuals are abandoning their vegetarian diet in light of desire for nutrition benefits associated with meat. Higher meat consumption in the country falls in line with growing share of the population in the economic pie, and the trend is likely to persist.
Provided the apparent opportunity, little competition prevails in India’s meat-alternative space. Majority of innovation in production have occurred in Europe and the US, while the food system in India remains fragmented comprising vast network of smaller stores that entail distribution-related challenges. Key companies, such as Good Dot, are likely to be on the right direction with regard to meat-alternative industry to meet sustainability goals. Securing funding from firms such as New Crop Capital, Good Dot has rolled out the production of plant-based meat at relatively affordable cost. With companies such as Good Dot succeeding in aiding consumers to consume more sustainably, battle toward curtailing protein deficiency in India is likely to witness fast success.
Pivotal Role in Health and Wellness Revolution
According to Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), nutraceuticals industry in India is deemed as one of the fast growing sectors in Asia-Pacific, and is set to record a spectacular rise to exceed a valuation of US$6 billion by 2020-end. The growth in health-consciousness has marked a paradigm shift in diet approaches among consumers, in parallel to the mushrooming gyms and fitness centres.
Evolving health-focussed ecosystem is upholding the growth of nutraceuticals industry in India, which in turn is significantly favouring the fitness, health, and wellness revolution. The rise of the nutraceuticals sector in India is likened to a manifestation of inclining consumer concentration toward holistic and healthy living. Investment in preventive care has spurred as it has been deemed by the country’s cost-sensitive market to offset high spending on healthcare facilities.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has now become liberal in making changes to the new standards for supporting growth of the nutraceuticals industry, meanwhile retaining the consumers interest. Leading nutraceuticals companies have stated the changes to bring clarity and alleviate issues confronting the industry, while creating a conducive regulatory environment.
Nutraceuticals purchases were primarily concentrated among affluent consumers in India. However, a United Nations report has estimated over 2x growth in India’s middle class population in recent years. Rising spending power is prompting consumers to spend more on their health, thereby auguring well for sales of protein-rich foods and dietary supplements.
Uplift Nutraceuticals Growth in India
Remarkable transformations in approaches within the medical community has been driven by robust research into human nutrition and food science in recent years. However, the role of nutrition is now being acknowledged by doctors in quality medical care, with focus directed on prevention along with cure. Apart from nutritionists and dietitians, general physicians have frequently been prescribing nutraceuticals supplements and products to consumers.
Albeit the nutraceuticals industry is yet at its nascent stage in India, with only 2% share of the global market, greater growth prospects have been anticipated for the industry in the forthcoming years. Reports from Drug Marketing and Manufacturing Association (DMMA) envisage a doubling growth for nutraceuticals industry through 2020. Assocham foretells proliferation of functional foods & beverages to widen appeal of nutraceuticals.
Poor regulations and unrealistic claims by stakeholders are likely to remain key impediments to growth nutraceuticals industry in India. Compounded by loopholes that lead to expensive delays in product approvals, the nutraceuticals sector in India will continue to observe the constraints of predominant amalgamation of small and big companies.
Additionally, tall claims by reputed brands, which rarely conform to scientific facts, have significantly impacted the consumer loyalty, thereby increasing skepticism with regard to nutraceuticals products.
On the contrary, new regulations of FSSAI are likely to rejuvenate the consumer trust in nutraceuticals, while prescribing clear standards and eliminating the current ambiguity. Digitisation will continue to improve access to nutraceuticals products, in tandem with e-commerce growth, which are likely to persist as future pervasive trends undergirding expansion of the nutraceuticals industry in India.
(The author is consultant, fact MR. She can be contacted at nandini@factmr.com)
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