|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frozen foods – Boon for Indian service segment
|
|
Wednesday, 23 January, 2013, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Vikas Mittal
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Rising incomes and growing urbanisation have led to various lifestyle changes in a typical Indian household. As food has always influenced an average Indian consumer’s lifestyle, we have seen significant shifts in traditional Indian food habits.
The modern Indian consumer is not only seeking variety in his food, but is also willing to experiment with varied regional and international cuisines. The biggest example of this is seen at weddings today where at a North Indian wedding one gets to see counters of South Indian, Italian, Chinese, Thai and many more cuisines. What has added to the exposure is the advent of many global food chains bringing world cuisines to the Indian platter.
With opening up of consumer markets, we have seen not only an increase in purchasing power but also opportunities to spend multiplying. In all metros, major and minor, across the country, ‘mall culture’ is changing lifestyles and landscapes. Visiting a mall has become a family outing with entertainment, shopping and eating all under one roof. Mall culture has increasingly made the concept of ‘eating out’ an essential part of an Indian consumer’s life.
This rapidly growing trend of ‘eating out’ has led the food service industry to innovate in terms of the products they need to offer to the consumer. Amongst the various options available in market convenience foods that are quick & easy to prepare and cater to the new Indian palate have become popular.
The demand for convenience food has supported impressive growth in frozen food segment with Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), hotels & restaurants contributing significantly to the growth of the category. According to trade estimates, the frozen food market is expected to evolve at a CAGR of 45 per cent to reach Rs 12,520 crore by 2014-15 (source: www.technopak.com).
Frozen foods which offer one-stop-solution for the food service segment in India have become common in a chef’s kitchen. Ranging from the simplest to the exotic, the list of ready-to-cook frozen foods in India is simply unbelievable! From peas, chicken, seafood, cocktail sausages, to french fries and hash browns one can find a variety of frozen products. Additionally, pre-prepared frozen varieties of ethnic snacks like aloo tikki, samosas and idlis have also been added to the food basket.
Known for their convenience, frozen foods are no longer just ‘fall back’ options but are ‘ready reckoners’ for the hospitality and catering industry where serving delectable snacks and meals back-to-back assumes high priority with time being a key constraint. Today, making a delicious meal does not always mean taking time to chop and dice every ingredient from scratch. Since pre-packaged food is shelf stable, chefs are increasingly stocking these products to save time on planning, shopping or preparing dishes, giving them more time to create innovative recipes!
In fact, frozen foods can be the most versatile depending on how they are used. With the help of frozen foods one can make delicious meals and refreshments quicker and easier. Moreover, pre-prepared frozen foods serve as an excellent base for custom creations and innovative recipes. Chefs can today make delicious dishes much quickly without any hassles by using a range of frozen products. By just adding sauce, seasonings or garnish and one can get appetising dishes in less time than traditional cooking.
Why choose frozen foods?
Freezing is a natural form of preservation
There are several myths associated with frozen foods as they are considered to be low on freshness and nutrition. In reality, frozen items are generally on par and sometimes higher in vitamins and minerals than their equivalents sold fresh. This is because freezing preserves food for extended periods without the use of any preservatives and it prevents the growth of micro organisms that cause both food spoilage and food-borne illnesses.
Additionally at McCain, highest standards of packaging are adhered and use of advanced high speed equipment ensures that products are immediately sealed in an aseptic environment thereby leaving no scope for contamination.
Round-the-year availability
In a country like India with varied weather conditions in different parts of the country, round- the-year availability of fresh fruits and vegetables is usually an issue. Frozen fruits and vegetables often score over fresh ones, because they are available when their fresh counterpart is out of season. Quick freezing technology makes it possible to offer ‘fresh picked’ flavours of popular exotic fruits and vegetables such as kiwi, apples, beans, sweet corn, and broccoli in their frozen form—to satiate the cravings of consumers anytime, anywhere.
Consistent quality
The modern chef is often faced with the challenge of maintaining quality and taste standards on a day-to-day basis. On the one hand, the chef has to add innovative offerings for attracting new customers, and on the other, he needs to ensure that his regular clientele gets meal in an unchanged way.
Consistency in taste and quality is the key to conquer the palate of the customers. It is here that frozen foods come to the rescue of chefs by offering consistent product quality every time. Open a packet of frozen fries and you are sure to get the same texture, crispness and flavour that your customer loves.
Variety in meals
Variety they say is the spice of life, and frozen foods add zing to your meals with an assortment of products suitable for every occasion. In fact, McCain offers host of products for every segment of food service industry whether hotels, caterers, pubs & bars, bakeries or theatres.
Caterers or chefs scouting for quick fix banquet food can try the bite size finger food such as McCain chilli garlic potato pops, chilli pepper & cheese bites, and french fries. McCain aloo tikkis, hash brown and 3-minute idlis add great variety to any breakfast menu.
 McCain Vege Burger Patties
For pubs & bars that are looking for spicy ethnic variations to accompany with drinks, McCain masala fries and tandoori vege nuggets are a great treat for customers. And McCain veggie burger patty and fries are a perfect fit for bakeries
Furthermore, McCain allows chefs to add their own ‘signature’ touch to create great recipes using McCain frozen snacks as a base. Caterers or restaurateurs can use products such as fries, aloo tikki, and veggie burger patty as an excellent base for tried and tested recipes like honey chilli potatoes, ragda patty, burgers and even chilli garlic potato pops can be used innovatively for an assortment of chaats. Apart from this at movie theatres, McCain products can make a great pairing with just adding a dip or accompaniment like imli chutney, green chutney, and tomato ketchup.
McCain range of products caters to taste buds of the entire family. While McCain smiles & fries are a big hit on any birthday party menu, McCain chilli garlic potato pops and tandoori vege nuggets are everybody’s favourite appetisers on restaurant / dinner menu.
Thus the McCain range ensures that there is something for everyone in the food service segment.
 McCain Chilli Garlic Potato Pops
Cost-effective
Besides making sourcing the right kind of products and cooking a whole lot easier, frozen foods are the ideal means of portion control in meals. With frozen foods, chefs today have the choice of using as much or as little as they desire and the rest can be saved up for the next meal. Thus there is very little or no wastage in frozen foods as compared to fresh foods, thereby cutting down on unnecessary kitchen expenditure.
What’s more, for environment-conscious hotels and chefs, buying frozen can mean fewer trips to the market by car. Doing so reduces not only the costs but also reduces the individual carbon footprint. And, due to its longer shelf life, frozen food can result in less wastage in the delivery and storage chain.
Quick to prepare in ‘Just 3 minutes’
Quick and easy to prepare, McCain frozen foods can be brought straight from the freezer into the fryer and cooked in just 3 minutes without having to be thawed. And the product is as delicious and savoury as ever! Thus, it enables chefs to process customer orders faster and more efficiently.
‘Better for you’ and ‘fun to eat’
McCain as the world’s largest processor of frozen french fries and potato specialties recognises the importance of eating great tasting food without compromising on quality and nutrition. That’s why McCain uses superior potatoes that are grown by making the use of best agronomy practices. It is a known fact that potatoes that are ordinarily cultivated are high on moisture and low on starch and as a result absorb considerable quantity of fat while frying (due its high moisture content).
However at McCain, potatoes which are used are low in moisture content, and have high solids which absorb up to about 40% less oil while deep frying. Moreover, these potatoes are selected at their peak of nutrition and flavour, quickly processed and frozen within hours, before there is any deterioration of the food quality. Further, most of its products like smiles, savoury wedges, and aloo tikki can be baked or prepared on a tawa with minimal oil. This way the company is able to retain the goodness of potatoes without adding too much fat.
Utilising the best combination of global expertise and local resources, McCain offers a wide range of international as well as locally developed frozen products in India. From its global potato specialties range, the company has popular products like french fries, smiles and savoury wedges to cater to the international palate.
 McCain Masala Fries
Besides this, the company through continuous innovation has developed its ethnic range to suit the local taste including products like masala fries, aloo tikki and tandoori vege nuggets.
McCain also imports its cheese appetiser range from USA which includes products like chilli pepper & cheese bites and mozzarella cheese sticks.
No cholesterol and trans-fat
The company uses 100% vegetable oil thereby eliminating hydrogenated vegetable oils completely in all its formulations. Thus, McCain’s products have no trans-fats and its potato products are even free from cholesterol.
McCain products are designed to maximise menu profits, with every product delivering exceptional cook performance, flavour, texture, and portion control. With world-class manufacturing facilities, and stringent production standards, McCain ensures and delivers premium potato quality and profitable menu solutions, throughout the year.
Tips on Frozen Foods
1. Proper storage is the first step to draw maximum benefits of pre-prepared frozen foods. Thus, pre-prepared frozen foods should be stored at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius or lower. If the right temperature is not maintained frozen foods will be of low quality for consumers and will serve little or no purpose as far as nutrition is concerned. McCain products do not need thawing and can be used straight from the freezer. Ensure that when whole packet is not consumed at once then the remaining products are sealed well and re-frozen immediately.
2. First in, first out: Foods that have been stored longest in the freezer should be used before those that have been stocked recently because foods tend to change their texture, colour, flavour and nutrition value when stored beyond the ‘best before’ date. Make sure that foods that are not required immediately are stored first to bring them to the right temperature before usage. Rotate and clearly date your frozen foods -- first in, first out.
(The writer is MD, McCain Foods India)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|