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With the growing demand for traditional and alternative healing practices such as yoga, Ayurveda, and Naturopathy, the wellness industry is all set to flourish in India & worldwide. Due to the onset of a pandemic, there has been a surge in the health and wellness sector’s supply because of the individual aspiration for a better lifestyle, and this will continue as ‘Prevention is better than cure’ has betrothed everyone’s mind.

Industry Scenario:
India’s wellness market is poised to grow to $372 billion by 2022 as per Invest India. Moreover, Redseer consulting reports suggest that India that is considered as the home to 90 million health-conscious individuals (HCIs), is poised to rise to 130 million by 2020, and the consumers spending on health and wellness products like Nutraceuticals, organic beauty care & functional foods is expected to increase to USD 30 billion by 2022.

Growing Wellness Trends:
Yoga and meditation are an emerging area by both regional and international players to have wholesome fitness.
Spa therapy and wellness is another area where people are turning their interest to relax and release stress.

Fig.1 :-Growing Welling Trends

Among health and nutrition sectors, dietary habits such as intermittent fasting and keto are new trends that appear to get massive attention.
The use and development of mobile apps for personalized wellness will also retain dominance.

The rapid growth in the health and wellness sector is being driven by the factors which are as follows:
Increasing people’s health consciousness and demand for affordable healthcare delivery systems respond to rising healthcare costs.
Government Initiatives such as the ‘National AYUSH Mission’ help cultivate the right environment and stimulate growth.
Incentives and tax benefits in the healthcare sector attract investments and create a strong foundation to sustain this growth.
Increase in disposable income within the Indian middle class.

Emerging Health and Wellness Sectors:

Nutraceuticals:
The nutraceuticals industry mainly comprises health supplements and functional food and beverages. With the rise in the millennial workforce and a simultaneous increase in their purchasing power, more businesses are tapping into the growing sector of nutraceuticals products, which is expected to reach USD 13 billion by 2024.

Telemedicine:
Telemedicine is another sector in the health wellness market forecasted to reach a USD 32 million market size by 2021. This will enable many people in low-income areas to access medical diagnosis and treatment using advancing telecommunication technologies remotely.

Health Tracking Apps:
A growing need to be continuously updated about one’s health has led to a surge in demand for health- tracking systems. Various aggregators and apps cater to this need by collecting and analysing several data points related to consumers’ health. AI is driving further development in this sector. Even traditional Pharma companies are thinking of offering their version of health monitoring/tracking apps as a value-added product.

In Nutshell:
India is progressively becoming a hub of health and wellness services being rendered to the patrons and has been attracting people worldwide. The wellness sector is opening doors to employment opportunities for a lot of people. The demand for services in this sector will lead people from all walks of life to make the most use of their talent and skills.
Wellness will show it’s a-game in the healthcare sector and holistic development of oneself and is poised to reach new horizons of success by each passing day.

REFERENCES: –
https://ht4biz.hindustantimes.com/blog/the-state-of-health-and-wellness-market-in-india#:~:text=The State of Health and Wellness Market in,more attention to preventive healthcare and holistic wellness.
https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/how-wellness-industry-has-emerged-as-a-thriving-sector-in-the-past-10-years/72901635

Indian Food Processing Sector: -A Growing Market in 2021
In the global economy, the food processing sector has become an intrinsic part of the food supply chain. This sector has become of enormous significance as it provides crucial interaction between the two pillars of the economy, i.e., industry and agriculture. India is also expected to have profitable growth in this sector in the coming years.

Industry Scenario:

The Indian processed food market is poised to rise at a CAGR of 14.6% from $555.2 bn in 2020 to $957.5 bn by 2024.

sugar, grain, edible oils, dairy products & beverages are the major players constituting the food processing industry. Moreover, in 2020 the government of India has deterrent over 134 food processing projects across various states. There are 47 cold-chain,21 Agro-processing clusters, 3 operation green, 12 food testing labs, 43 Food processing units, 8 forward & backward linkages across different states. These 137 new sanctioned projects are poised to grip domestic investment of INR 2,026.32 CR and create direct and indirect employment for 77,330 persons.

key factors for the growth of the food processing sector:

With an increase in urbanization and a fast-paced lifestyle, there is very little time available for meal preparation. Thus, processed food such as snacks and ready-to-eat products have a colossal demand.
Factors that play a significant role in the growth of the food processing sector are as follows: –

• Due to the expansion in urbanization, there is growth in the organized food retail sector.
• Through different advancements in science and technology, MSMEs are playing a significant role in India’s food processing sector.
• India has a drastic growth in the online food ordering business.
• There is a huge demand for healthy, packaged, and immunity booster snacks such as roasted pulses, popcorns, and roasted nuts.
• There is a primary focus now on branded packaging rather than on loose packaging products.
• The ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative of government prioritizes this sector and offers help through different policies.

Due to these factors, India’s processed food consumption is poised to reach $1.2 Tm by 2025-26.

Opportunities in the food processing sector:

With India moving from lack to surfeit in terms of food production, the opportunities for increasing food processing levels are in numerous There is a rapid change in the eating habits of Indian consumers, which has led to an increase in the trend of snacking in between meals, increasing consumption of organic food, on-the-going-eating, pre-cooked ready-to-eat meals, and switching to healthier eating alternatives. This has led to many new opportunities for international and domestic companies in the consumer food market to build a stake in this fast-growing processed food market. India can also become an outstanding hub for food processing globally because of its strategic location, which links to different export market destinations. Hence, the food processing industry is the sunrise sector for both consumers and industrialists.

REFERENCES: –

https://www.ibef.org/blogs/growth-opportunities-for-the-food-processing-industry-in-india
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/food-processing-the-untapped-growth-opportunity/1600235/

Green supplement sector-An untapped market

A significant number of vegan and plant-based spaces are increasing, owing to the endeavouring capital and the spirit of entrepreneurship in India; This is not an accord as even globally vegan food start-ups are taking centre stage, which has led many food start-ups to prop out and investors to open their ears and eyes to invest in green companies.

Changing mindset of people due to COVID-19: 

There is certainly a change in people’s eating habits globally, especially after the pandemic’s outbreak. They are very much concerned about what they are consuming and its effect on their immune system. In India, now people are opting for the vegan or plant-based diet(green). Because there is almost zero adulteration in plant-based supplement, making it more customer-centric, grabbing the consumer’s colossal attention, and changing their mindset. Everything that is healthcare-related is receiving a massive boost. The fact that three out of four Indians are lactose intolerant makes it ripe for veganism to spread. Milk has been medicine for decades, and ghee is used practically wherever possible. However, this is an older generation mindset and looks to be fading away with the upcoming generation, replacing the classic dairy milk with plant-based milk. India has been the youngest country globally, with almost half of its population under thirty. With rising incomes and more education, the new India is moving towards green supplements or plant-based supplements as they wake up to animal agriculture’s adverse impact on our environment, health, and the animals.

Opportunities for the green companies to grow: 

This new transformation has created an excellent opportunity for food companies, Food Business Operators (FBOs), and traders to plan their stint into the green or plant-based market. And even Forbes has mentioned various ideas to turn one’s business vegan. Also, many renowned personalities investing in green companies is increasing rapidly.

As per the Grand View Research report, the global green or plant-based market size was valued at $12.69 billion in 2018 and is poised to rise by 9.6 percent (CAGR) from 2019 to 2025. Also, in terms of India, the market captures around 10% of the Asia-Pacific plant protein market. In 2018 the market was evaluated as $374.1 million and by 2023 it has been forecasted to grow up to $565.1, registering at a CAGR of 8.6% during the period of forecast 2018 to 2023. Investors can chase start-ups that can demonstrate an ability to produce and market animal-free nutrition. In terms of the number of funding and start-ups, the diary plant alternatives sector is poised for maximum growth.  It is a matter of time till some Indian start-ups follow suit with significant success in the fast-growing plant and nut milk sector. As consumer demand turns up the volume on plant-based supplements, the green company has an excellent opportunity to explore in India.

REFERENCES: 

• https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/01/vegans-are-coming-millennials-health-climate-change-animal-welfare

• https://www.lifegate.com/veganism-in-india

• https://www.nuffoodsspectrum.in/

Therapeutic Food to Fight Malnutrition

The developed and underdeveloped countries such as Asia, Africa, and South America face the leading challenges related to Food and Nutrition Insecurity and nutritionally related diseases. Food storage & Poor access to adequate health facilities have taken center stage among the global challenges, especially in the most developing and underdeveloped countries mentioned above. Malnutrition and Undernourishment are the two significant health-related growing issues in the world.

Malnutrition Prevalence in India: 

The significant public health problem in India is malnutrition among under-five children. This is reflected by the fact that underweight children’s prevalence is among the highest in the world in India. It is also observed that the bulk of malnutrition in India is a concentrated phenomenon that is, a relatively small number of districts, states, and villages comprise a large share of the malnutrition burden- only five states and 50% of towns account for about 80% of the malnutrition burden. Also, In India, the prevalence of Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is 7.5%.

How COVID-19 has worsened the condition of malnutrition?

The pandemic outbreak has only worsened India’s problem of malnutrition. During the coronavirus pandemic in India, Tens of thousands of children slept on an empty stomach. India has taken small steps over the last few years to fight against malnutrition, resulting in a significant decline in the child mortality rate. If this progress were continued, India would have met its ‘sustainable Goal’ of reducing the mortality rate of under-five by 25% by 2030. However, the little progress too came to a halt as the lockdown forced millions of children to stay out of school. Anganwadis were also closed, which meant that thousands of children in rural areas could not get food under the Mid-Day meal program. This led to UNICEF’s conclusion that India is likely to witness an increase in malnutrition by at least 10%.

Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Food (RUTF) as the Solution to Malnutrition:

Foods designed for specific health-related issues, usually to meet the nutritional requirement, are therapeutic food. The RUTF is a mixture of milk powder, powdered vitamins, minerals, vegetable oil, and peanut butter with the proper nutrients needed by an individual. This medicinal food’s primary purpose is to use it for emergency feeding of malnourished children or to supplement a person’s diet with special nutrition requirements, such as the elderly. RUTF does not require any special preparation before consumption, making it practical and ideal for cooking facilities and fuel limiting constraints.

Case Study: 

Severe acute malnutrition is reported to account for more than one million preventable child deaths. The reported mortality was as high as 20-30%. As per the WHO Diagnostic criteria for diagnosis, a cure rate of 75% with <10% mortality has been set as the minimum goal. Ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) is used as a solution for managing SAM cases. The case study was carried out in Kerala, among 67 children with SAM admitted in SAT Hospital, Govt. Medical College showed that 33 (51.6%) achieved cure, 18 (28.1%) were not cured, 12 (14.1%) lost to follow up, and 4(6.25%) died, which concludes that the cure rate was less than the goal of 75%, but the mortality was <10%. 

REFERENCES: –

1. https://nijp.org/amp/use-of-indigenous-ready-to-use-therapeutic-food-rutf-and-outcome-of-under-five-children-with-severe-acute-malnutrition/
2. https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-only-worsened-indias-problem-of-malnutrition/articleshow/78683367.cms
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338388445_Ready-to-Use_Therapeutic_Foods_RUTFs_for_Remedying_Malnutrition_and_Preventable_Nutritional_Diseases

New Food Labelling Regulations Related to Packaged Food Products

On August 23, 2006, India’s government passed the Food Safety and Standard Act or the FSS Act. The FSSAI, i.e., Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, was entrenched under this act. This act is meant to cover or carry out operations related to setting the standard of food articles. This crucial step changed the businesses way involved in food articles in India. The FSSAI standards are based on scientific research. They help regulate the storage, manufacture, sale, import-export, distribution and making all types of other food articles available to the general population.

The FSSAI published new food labelling regulations related to packaged food products, based on the recommendations of the expert group. 

What it is about?

The following provisions are described in the scientific document: 

• Chapter 1: – Prescribes pre-packaged foods labelling requirements and displays essential information on-premises where food is processed, served, manufactured, and stored. Several definitions have been listed under the context otherwise requires.
• Chapter 2: – covers the general requirement of labelling pre-packaged foods such as food name, list of ingredients, calculation of nutrients, and nutritional information. Declaration of name and complete address, lot/code/batch identification, Date marking, a declaration regarding food additives, retail sale price, FSSAI logo, and license no., Net quantity and consumer care details. Etc.
• Chapter 3: – contains a display of information in the food service establishment of the Regulation.
• Chapter 4: – has the non-retail container labelling requirements.
• Chapter 5:- Of Regulation indicates the labelling of packaged food additives for retail sale. Mandatory labelling declaration for various food products has been set out in schedule 2.

When is it going to be implemented?

India’s Food safety standards Authority published a “Food Safety and Standards (labelling and display), Regulation 2020 gazette notification on December 14. 2020. The Regulation shall come into force from the date of their disclosure in the Official Gazette. All the Regulation provisions should comply with all the Food Business Operator after one year from their disclosure date except chapter-3 of this Regulation. Food Business Operator shall comply with this by January 1, 2022.

What are the concerns related to this?

Industry concerns: –

• There has been a concern by the food industry giants regarding the bigger size fonts to be used in the principal display panels.
• The industrial bodies have complained that it is not feasible for them to use expiration date similar to that of the pharmaceutical industry. They would like to stick to the ‘Best before date.’ for this purpose.
• The guidelines dictate the menu cards calorific value to the cafe chains and restaurants with more than ten outlets.
• Further, the guidelines mention that all the E-platform food and beverage sales should communicate the essential requirement to the consumers before the deal, which includes (batch date, best before date, expiry date, and packaging date).

Source: 

1. https://fssaifoodlicense.in/food-safety-and-standards-act/
2. https://resources.selerant.com/food-regulatory-news/fssai-publishes-food-safety-and-standards-labelling-and-display-regulations-2020
3. https://packagingsouthasia.com/she-safety-health-and-environment/regulation-compliances/fssai-reworks-norms/