Food & Beverage News

A fillip to the $200 billion Indian food industry
India is the second-largest producer of food in the world and holds the potential of being the biggest on global food and agriculture canvas, according to a Corporate Catalyst India (CCI) survey.

“It has emerged as biggest congregation of nutraceuticals fraternity”
As Fi India readies itself to hit Mumbai on October 3 and 4, 2011, by bringing along newer additions to the show for the benefit of the ingredients industry, Bipin Sinha, project director, UBM India Pvt. Ltd (event organisers), chats up with Food and Beverage News about pre-event preparations sharing some useful industry statistics.

Colours – Functions, challenges
The global food colours market was worth $1.45 billion in 2009. Today, world usage of food colours is about 40,000-50,000 tons. Although current economic conditions mean "annual growth levels have started to fall off sharply," according to a report, by the middle of the next decade, the global market value is expected to reach $1.6 billion, up 10% from its present levels.

All-in-one solution for food processing
Carrageenan is the commercial name for a family of gel-forming, viscosifying polysaccharides that are obtained from various red seaweeds (marine algae). The major sources of Carrageenan are the two tropical red seaweeds Kappaphycus Alverezii and Eucheuma Denticulatum, also known as 'cottonii and spinosum' in popular literature.

“Time-frame for additive approval is challenge”
The Food Safety and Standards Rules & Regulations came into force on August 5, 2011, post which, the regulating agency, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has met with strong criticism from a section of the industry, which has called the Act unwarranted.

Going high on fibre
Food habits the world over have changed greatly in the last few decades. Today it is not just about taste. For today’s consumer has become more aware about the quality of the food he is consuming and his own health. People are moving away from the low-carb diet fad towards eating foods high in fibre.

Soyabean: Best protein source for vegetarian India
In India, food is recognised as an important factor in healthy living and also a substance which can prevent or manage many lifestyle-related problems.

The correlation between height of mothers and economy
Across the world’s largest financial markets, fears of a looming double-dip recession dominate the headlines as investors increasingly focus on emerging markets as important economies in the new world order.

'Healthy snacks' an initiative by ICRISAT
The International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), is promoting healthier and safer nutritious snacks made of sorghum and millet for consumers on World Heart Day, to help tackle India’s rising lifestyle diseases.

Addressing undernutrition with sustainable solutions
Two-year-old Munni was the youngest of the four offsprings of Yashoda, who was a migrant and used to stay in an urban slum. Munni was born with low birth weight, was given ghutti before starting breastfeeding and was never exclusively breastfed.

Food fortification – Need of the hour
Out of the one billion people suffering from nutrient deficiency worldwide, about 350 million are from india (Source: ILSI, India). A study recently conducted by ILSI India in Delhi revealed that 25 per cent of bus drivers in Delhi suffered from night blindness, an ailment essentially caused due to vitamin A deficiency.

Lipases – The Universal Remedy!
Lipolytic enzymes (lipases, phospholipases) are found in an increasing number of applications within the Indian food industry, in particular the oils and fats, baking and dairy industry.

Emerging trends in the bread industry
White bread has come to be known as bread in the last two decades worldwide. In white bread, concept of quality is white crumb, close texture (velvet) and soft (squeeze test). To get the desired quality, the flour (wheat flour) needs to be extra refined, and elimination of everything from wheat other than starch, proteins and water has to be ensured.

T&L’s tailor-made cocoa replacement solution
Tate & Lyle, the global ingredients and food solutions provider, announces the launch of a unique tailor-made cocoa replacement solution using a high quality carob powder ingredient, CARCAO. This solution allows food manufacturers to make significant cost savings in the total recipe cost.

Baking - An art, a science
“Baking is both an art and a science but if you understand the science, the art comes easier.”

Hidden hunger: The spectre of micronutrient deficiency
Anshul (name changed) is a 12-year-old boy studying in 6th grade. He belongs to an affluent family of Delhi. Anshul is a bright student, he always scores well in exams and participates in various extracurricular activities including sports and dramatics.

The natural food colour experience
People associate certain colours with certain flavours. The art of eating is a multi-sensory experience, synthesising perceptions of sight, taste, smell, and touch. The food colour has always been a judging parameter on its desirability. Even nature communicates to us through the colour, indicating types of flavour, degree of sweetness, ripeness, or decay.

Latin America gets first regional food supplement association
Food supplement companies across Latin America have come together to form ALANUR (The Latin American Responsible Nutrition Alliance), a regional association to help create an optimal regulatory and policy environment for the growing supplement market.