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Emergence of plant protein sector in India
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Tuesday, 19 October, 2021, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Insha Naureen
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Nothing will benefit health and increase the chances of survival on Earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. The impact of these words by Albert Einstein is as potent as a cup of freshly brewed Espresso. For some it might even be a principle they swear by, day in and day out.
The increasingly emerging shift towards vegetarianism and veganism is too in -the- face to not notice. Coupled by the rising awareness and conscience, the urban youth is inclined towards adopting non-meat sources of obtaining their protein and this is precisely where plant protein comes into play.
Plant proteins, mostly globulins are the proteins obtained from seeds of legumes and cereals. They have also been called as ‘freedom foods' by Christopher Shanahan, Global Programme Manager for Frost & Sullivan (Gelski - 2015) because they are not bound by worries about human disease, animal welfare and food safety concerns.
Soybean has been the major source of plant protein globally since many years. However, food scientists are now exploring an array of plant protein sources to create plant-based foods that consumers are willing to try. Peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans are emerging as the new face of protein sources being explored worldwide. Plant based meats (Mock meat/meat analogs/meat substitutes), are usually produced by mixing and processing plant proteins, edible oil, starch, seasonings and other additives to replicate the texture, colour, smell, flavour and taste of animal based meat.
Plant proteins are being marketed as the treasure trove of energy, pre workout boosters as well as a healthy way to start your day. As the economic conditions improve and the spending capacity of the working demographic rises, the future of India in terms of plant protein consumption is indeed bright. Around 10% of the Asia Pacific plant protein market is captured by India. Driving forces for this include the rising spending power of middle- and lower-income families, increasing interest in following a healthy lifestyle by youngsters and consciousness around obesity and being overweight.
The plant protein market is expected to grow to the value of $565.1 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2018 to 2023. The plant protein industry is one of the fastest growing industries which rests on the shoulders of consumers’ demand for clean and natural ingredients.
The emergence of plant protein-based startups in the recent years in India has been astounding to say the least. Wakao foods (Goa), for instance, has come up with the brilliant idea of using the meat like texture of jackfruit to its advantage by producing ready to cook plant-based meat for preparing taco, biryani, burgers etc. Jackfruit meat is vegan, gluten free without any hormones or genetic modification. It is high in fiber and low in fats, carbohydrates and calories.
The Good Food Institute is an international non-profit organization that encourages plant-based meat, eggs and dairy as a substitute for animal-based meat. It has helped and continues to help Indian companies in their quest to develop healthy plant protein-based products. The Indian government also aims to support the plant protein ecosystem by creating two new research centers for cell-based meat at the Institute of Chemical Technologies, Mumbai and Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology and the National Research Center for Meat.
A number of joint firms have sprung up between India and other countries’ food processors in the field of plant protein. Urban Platter offers a wide variety of plant based dairy alternatives to replace the protein requirement of vegans who choose to avoid consuming milk and milk products. Vezlay foods is another startup that prides itself on its meat like based products like nuggets, soya seekh kabab, shami kabab and soya leg pieces that are high in plant based protein, calcium and fibre.
Plant Made is a startup that produces vegetarian egg, vegan masala chai premix, vegan filter coffee etc. that tantalize the taste buds without the guilt of consuming cholesterol- laden animal-based foods. Two sufferers of lactose intolerance came up with the idea of a startup called OatMlk, that produces oat milk from whole oat grains by extracting plant material with water by adding guar gum for mouthfeel and rapeseed oil for the fat.
Evo foods produces 100% plant based liquid egg that is sure to satiate the taste buds of the egg craving individual. Started by Bollywood couple Ritesh Deshmukh and Genelia Dsouza, Imagine Meats is another budding venture ready to burst into the plant based protein industry with products like vegan mutton, chicken and burgers.
The target for plant based protein products in India are vegetarians, flexitarians (those eating mostly vegetarian foods with the occasional bouts of non-vegetarian indulgence), young consumers, guilty meat eaters, ethical and health conscious consumers. Indian consumers see these products as trendy, healthy, environmentally friendly and groundbreaking innovations. This is why the consumers have welcomed this industry with open arms, eager to pay a premium price to try what these startups have to offer.
Research conducted by the Good Food Institute revealed that 63% of Indian consumers were very or extremely likely to purchase plant-based meat regularly. This in no way is aimed at belittling the giant non vegetarian market that is still light years ahead of the plant based protein market in terms of reach, profits and of course hard core fans. To each his own!
As of now the plant-based protein sector occupies a small spot in the India market but has massive potential in the years to come as people increasingly shift towards healthier choices and lifestyle changes, in the hope of a better way to pamper their body that they consider as their most prized possession and rightfully so!
(The author is a food technologist)
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