Nutraceuticals

“Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.” – Michelle Obama

I think, this single sentence is enough to portray woman’s stance as a family member and as a citizen of any country she is living in. There would not be deeper explanation of how important her health is. Women are keys in maintaining healthy families, access the health system more than men, both for themselves and on behalf of their children. Many become pregnant and give birth, then typically become their child’s primary caregiver, a role that greatly influences household health overall. No doubt, during all this, they undergo significant health events, they surely require Extra-pro-nutrients to fulfil their body demands. Every point in women’s lifespan asks for different nutrition and attitude toward it. No matter what her age is, it’s important to be aware of how one’s needs evolve.

With evolving world, woman is also evolving. While running behind kids and family, she is also fulfilling her financial and social responsibilities very efficiently. In the race of highlighting her identity, for ages, modern woman is facing many health issues which is the greatest concern for her as well as for the society.

Source: Interlink knowledge cell

Img. 1.1 Top 3 health issues which women should take care of

Stress a major culprit in everyone’s life, women are at the peak of it. Not only physical but also mental stress. With increasing demand of women in various industries, her stress is proportionally increasing. Women are more prone toward heart diseases and diabetes than men, which is the risk factor arising due sleep problems, anxiety, mood disturbances (due to hormonal changes), depression, etc. Being engaged in number of responsibilities, many women struggle with eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, talking to friends or a mental health professional, and engaging in relaxation techniques and meditation. Due to this reason, it’s important to get accompanied with some nutrients while living in this competitive world.

Ashwagandha, widely known as Indian ginseng, which has been used in Ayurvedic medicines for centuries. If women take some powdered Ashwagandha accompanied with milk, it can help her with fighting both physical and mental stress. Same as Ashwagandha, Rhodiola is an adoptogenic herb, also known as Golden Root, is used for energy enhancement, to improve mood, and most critically, to reduce stress.

Along with all the above nutrients, women can focus on intaking a good amount of Vit. B complex rich food, magnesium supplements, and valerian root powder. All these are proven to help fighting with stressors and improve quality of life.

Heart disorder is one of the major concerns and women are most susceptible to it. Increased blood cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension are the underlying disorders arise with it. Thyroid is also one of the major reasons stimulating heart disorders in women. To fight with this, women should have EPA, DHA and flavonoids rich foods, which are great antioxidants. A higher intake of folate, polyphenols rich diet, ascorbate, tocopherol, minerals (selenium, magnesium) which are capable of scavenging free radicals and reducing bad cholesterol, can improve overall cardiovascular health.

Anaemia and women make an unbreakable bond if proper nutrients are not supplied. Menstruating and loosing plenty amount of iron every month, women are majorly vulnerable to iron deficiency anaemia. Adolescent girls, women at childbearing age and pregnant women are always at the high risk. Having a diet containing a good amount of iron along with a source of Vit. C which increases absorption of iron can help preventing anaemia at all the stages of women’s life. Beans, lenticles, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, fortified breakfast cereals, baked potatoes, chicken, etc are some of the easily available natural sources of iron which can maintain levels of iron balanced in women’s body.

Nutrition for girls in childhood and early teenage

Calcium in early teenage: It’s true that calcium is the nutrient which is important for women in all ages, but it’s still more important for girls during adolescence and early adulthood as this is the age when their bones absorb maximum amount of calcium. RDA for girls in age of 9 to 18 is 1300 mg a day which can be fulfilled by having low-fat dairy products such as Milk, yogurt, cheese and vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc. Consuming adequate amounts of calcium along with vitamin D can encourage healthy bone growth and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures later in life.

Nutrition for women in 20-30s and pregnancy

20-30s is the whole roller-coaster in any woman’s life where major changes are happening including the most important i.e., Pregnancy. Having a life (or lives) in their bellies and making a whole human out of it is not an easy task to handle. Lots of hormonal changes, mood swings and variety of body changes happen during this phase, no doubt her body and mind will demand for more and advanced nutrition. Even if she is not pregnant, 20-30s is the phase which requires proper attention in terms of nutrition to avoid future health problems

Folate & other essential vitamins: A very important nutrient which is must in these years as it is responsible for DNA replication and it helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the foetus. Most doctors recommend women take a supplement containing folic acid or folate before trying to get pregnant to help reduce the risk of these complications. spina bifida and anencephaly in foetus are some neuronal defects associated with folate deficiency.  Many of our foods, particularly cereals, are fortified with folic & leafy vegetables are best source of folate. RDA of folate during pregnancy is 600 mcg.

Omega 3s and choline: Omega 3s, healthy oils, especially EPA and DHA,  have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, the number one killer of women. They help building healthy brain and nerve cells and also can help prevent preterm births. They are also highly anti-inflammatory and are found in foods like fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds.  Taking omega-3s regularly can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety and can even make skin look better by reducing acne and wrinkles. The recommended total amount of omega-3s per day for women is 1.1 grams per day which can be fulfilled by diet and recommended supplements. Increased risk of neural tube defects in foetus is one of the major consequences of low choline uptake by pregnant women. It’s easy to get enough choline from our diet as eggs, milk, peanuts are excellent source of Choline.

Nutrition for women in their 40s and beyond:

Managing decreasing hormone levels as well as maintaining bone health, heart diseases and autoimmune diseases are some of the biggest concerns for women at this phase.

After menopause, estrogen production declines and bone breakdown accelerates, increasing the risk of developing osteoporosis. Women between the ages of 40 and 70 need 1200 mg of calcium and 600 IU of Vitamin D a day. Because the skin becomes less efficient at converting sunlight to vitamin D as we age, low levels of vitamin D have been linked to multiple diseases from breast cancer to diabetes and high blood pressure. Vitamin D is also critically important for helping maintain bone health.

Curcumin, an active component of turmeric, known to have many anti-inflammatory benefits. Women at this stage require supplements to support brain and joint health, curcumin can help with it. Alzheimer’s disease, one of the biggest enemies at this age can be prevented with this magical phytochemical. Curcumin is especially powerful for menopause because it is a phytoestrogen, meaning it can act as an estrogen in the body. This can help alleviate common menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disorders, by slowing the decrease in estrogen. RDA of curcumin in this age is 1.4mg per pound of body weight.

women’s control over resources and their ability to make decisions, is crucial. Combining nutrition-specific interventions with measures for empowerment of women is essential. Improvement in health services of women, prevention of early age marriage and conception, completion of secondary education, enhancement in purchasing power of women, reduction of work drudgery and elimination of domestic violence deserve special attention. A range of programme platforms dealing with health, education and empowerment of women could be strategically used for effectively reaching out women’s health and helping them to build a better and healthier society.

With the second wave on the door, people are now fully aware what immunity exactly stands for. With WHO recommending herbal ways to fuel our immunities, we are now adjusting the focus of our lenses toward Nutraceutical industry in a different and modern way. Preventive care rather than curative care is now establishing in the Indians’ mindsets. Amidst pandemic, immunity has become a topmost concern and consumers’ reliance on Nutraceuticals has increased. This shifting consumer behaviour toward Nutrition which will definitely be the story changing script for Indian Nutra industry in 2021.

Nutraceuticals market is poised to grow by USD 180.38 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 9% during the forecast period, according to Technavio report. Prebiotics and probiotics sector is expected to contribute maximum over the forecast period owing to the increasing usage of probiotics as a primary ingredient among majority of food manufacturing companies.4 areas of growth for 2021 nutraceuticals:
1. Probiotics: According to the report by Knowledge sourcing.com, Indian Probiotics Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.56% to reach a market size of US$ 961.856 million in 2025 from US$ 448.456 million in 2019. This growth is fuelled by factors such as increasing health consciousness for healthy living, rising awareness of preventive and natural healthcare treatments, growth in functional food industry, growing obese population and adoption of probiotics in paediatric healthcare. Mother dairy as a major player in probiotics followed by Amul, Danone Yakult, Nestle, Tablets India, Dr Reddy Laboratories, Unique Biotech, Zeus Biotech, etc. are expected to make a big business in 2021.
2. Immunity building ingredients: This area definitely will make a huge amount of money in 2021, as being all-equipped for any uncertainty like Covid-19 is what we have learnt this year. Looking at current situation of ‘Prevention is better than cure’, supplements like Amul’s ‘Haldi Dudh’, Dabur’s products like Chawanprash, Giloy Ghanvati, Amla juice, Giloy-Tulsi-Neem juice, Ashwagandha, etc have reported a strong growth and will continue to grow in upcoming years. According to reportlinker.com, Indian immunity boosting packaged products market is projected to reach $ 347 million by FY 2026 owing to increasing consciousness and focus towards preventive health.
3. Vitamins & Minerals Supplements (VMS): Number of new launches are taking place in this segment of Nutraceutical market in recent years. Exposure to direct sunlight is rare because of lockdown, which might result in increased demand of Vit. D supplements in 2021. Vit. C, B & B12 are proven to have Immunity-boosting properties will occupy the Nutra market along with Vit. A, Multivitamin supplements and essential minerals like manganese, calcium, iron, zinc, etc. Nutraceutical gummies, which were once considered a health supplement for kids, is now making significant moves into the adult VMS category.

Img. 1.1 Four areas of growth for 2021 Nutraceuticals

4. Cognition related products: The Global Brain Health Supplements Market is anticipated to reach $5,813 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2017 to 2023. Nowadays, this segment is gaining popularity among many people due to rise in willingness to enhance brain functions, surge in number of self-directed consumers, and increased awareness among the students about brain health supplements. We can expect a good business in these area from the supplements containing ingredients like ginseng, ginkgo biloba, curcumin, lion’s mane, bacopa monnieri, acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha GPC, citicoline, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), huperzine A, etc.
Looking at evolving mindsets and health consciousness in people, contribution of above discussed segments will have a substantial impact on growth of Indian Nutra industry.
Now, let’s have a look at the reasons behind people’s evolving mindset toward Nutra industry:
In countries like U.S., China, and India, awareness regarding calorie reduction and weight loss is on the peak. These countries are expected to promote the application of nutraceuticals and in-turn will be witnessing the growth in this area.
Growing trend among consumers to alter dietary habits as improper diet results in increased expenditure on pharmaceuticals.
Malnutrition and undernutrition are some of the major causes which are weakening Indian’s health status. The Indian government and private stakeholders have been undertaking several measures in the recent years to improve the nutritional status in the country, as a result helping Nutra sector to grow.
Key Nutraceutical players like Dabur, Himalaya and the Baidyanath group are showing-off a rich heritage in herbal and Ayurvedic medicines of India for ages. New and increasingly dominant entrants such as Patanjali are also playing a crucial role in popularising Ayurveda and giving the sector a boost.
Our land has an ability to grow botanicals under very controlled conditions to meet organic and other claims, we also know how to produce superior ingredients from these botanicals and robust clinical research industry. With abundant availability of ingredients, expert agricultural research infrastructure and a growing number of qualified individuals in the field, India is well poised to be a leader in the nutraceutical ingredient space.
We are ‘Pharmacy of the world’ and are well equipped to produce high-quality and low-cost generic drugs. Our manufacturing expertise and excellence hold good for Nutra sector as well. Many of the Nutra-technologies are same as of pharma technologies, no doubt we are going to lead Nutra-manufacturing too. Low cost-high quality manufacturing will help us to highlight our identity in the finished product space.
The rise and evolution of wellness focused diets, such as keto and paleo, are driving food producers to cater their products in this direction.
To reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and develop the quality of intestinal microflora, probiotics and omega-3 are highly used in yogurt and fish oils. This is further projected to fuel the market growth of the nutraceutical products over the coming years.
Another major factor in propelling the growth of this sector is ‘Evolving treatment protocol’. Healthcare practitioners are making nutraceuticals part of their treatment regime to improve outcomes. Pharma-Nutrition is emerging as a vital field in our health sector.
Busy lifestyles sometimes never let us sit and have our balanced meal, making a window for nutraceuticals to meet our daily nutritional needs.
Considering the side-effects of prescription drugs, and the failure of modern treatments in delivering safe results, consumers nowadays are shifting to nutraceuticals.
Nutraceuticals are no longer just the part of preventive and curative regimen but also are employed for losing weight, make the hair grow better, or to get glowing skin. Also combating diseases like thyroid, nail disorders, diabetes, arthritis, etc.
Rise in disposable income, increasing consumer awareness about health issues, rapid urbanization, positive outlook towards medical nutrition owing to the increasing weight management programs, along with cardiovascular diseases, is anticipated to propel the demand for nutraceuticals.
Increasing costs of hospitalisation and access to information have helped consumers to look at health supplements and nutraceuticals in a broader way.
Looking at all these satisfactory reasons, it’s not wrong to state that the future of Indian Nutraceutical sector in upcoming years would be as Glorious as our Pharmaceutical sector. Let’s just simply rely on our royal heritage of herbal medicines to work efficiently in this field and see the magic happening.
The article is written by Dr. Smarta and published by Saffron media.

India is one of those countries from where spices were exported all over the world. Once again spices have come in focus with their utility to create a value in nutrition. Hence, since the beginning usage of spices in Indian culinary art is at centre of providing diet to everybody. However, with the thought-process, practice and the influence of modernisation as well as globalisation, the focus got shifted.

How India Entry is Essential?

There are many factors leading to the growth of Nutraceutical industry in India. One of those is heritage from Herbals and Ayurveda system. India has a rich heritage of herbal, Ayurvedic medicines and spices that can stand the country’s nutraceutical industry in a good way for expansion and progress. The herbal segment is likely to contribute 30 % of the dietary supplements market in India, expected to grow CAGR of 20 % from 2015 to 2023.

Another factor is a rich biodiversity, robust agricultural research infrastructure and abundant availability of nutraceutical ingredients. India is been a frontier to cater to the world’s need of ingredients such as highly bioavailable curcumin, Ashwagandha, fibres like Fenugreek, natural Astaxanthin, black garlic, etc. 

India is a global pharma powerhouse due to its ability to produce high-quality and low-cost generic drugs. Nutraceutical manufacturing uses many of the same technologies as the pharma industry. Low cost-high quality manufacturing can help India emerge as a global leader in the finished Nutraceutical product space as well.

Also, data shows India has 108 large contract manufacturers in nutraceuticals which has opened up a vast opportunity for new entrants for FDIs. This potential needs to be leveraged properly for the growth of this industry.

India is the second most populated country in the world with population of around 1.3 Bn. As of now only urban population has seen traction of Nutraceutical products, but there is also a considerable opportunities beyond the urban segment, as population in rural parts of the country represents a huge untapped potential for Nutraceutical sales.

Market Opportunities:

There are as many as 11 opportunities in India for those who want to enter. Those are as follows:

Growing disposable income coupled with lifestyle diseases making Indian population becoming aware of how should they protect themselves from environment to remain healthy. In addition to that, lowering food quality has been an accelerating factor for creating real time opportunity in India.

Besides being self-conscious, social media is also increasing health awareness of medical consumers. As a result, individuals as well as Healthcare providers are changing their treatment protocols to ensure health.

All this is happening very fast due to Government focus on AYUSH (The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) and integrated medicines platform whereby Nutrition, Nutraceuticals, Ayurvada and other alternative medicines have chances to flourish.

India being an IT hub and having an excellent talent, intervention of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) is creating lot of space for start-ups and so the competitive landscape is evolving very differently.

There is a huge opportunity for Nutraceutical ingredients to create corporate brands like Sony as well as Phytopharmaceuticals which have been accepted all over the world inclusive of India to provide preventive as well as curative effects for lifestyle diseases.

These 11 opportunities can be visualised in the following image 1.1.

Fig 1.1 Market Opportunities of Indian Nutraceutical Industry

Market Challenges: 

Having these market opportunities, major challenges to India entry are of 6 folds. Among these are:

1. Changing Regulatory Climate:

Lot of amendments are happening due to growing nature of Nutraceutical industry right from product definitions, approvals, health claims and manufacturing standards.

2. The Legal and Regulatory Framework:

In case of legal frame work, corporate law and necessary steps to create an entity in India has been elaborated in FSSA (Food Safety and Standards Act of India) Section 22, whereby, compliance to operate in India is mandatory.

3. Look-alike Products:

Indian Nutraceutical market has highest threat of look-alike products. This confuses consumer to differentiate between the real and fake.

4. Cost Effective Pricing:

Indian market is price sensitive market. Although the demand for nutraceuticals is expected to rise considerably, the high prices of Nutraceuticals limit their adoption in the Indian market. Also, for India entry, import tariffs need to be understood for managing right pricing of products.

These 6 challenges can be visualised in the following image 1.2.

Fig 1.2 Challenges of Indian Nutraceutical Industry

1. Negligible Government Health Security:

In India, the government funded healthcare is very limited and major expenditure on individuals. Hence, scope of insurance is huge.

2. Tailoring Products to Domestic Tastes and Preferences:

India is a country where there a Unity in Diversity. The preferences include vegetarianism, Halal or Hindu dietary practices and traditional remedies reflecting social and cultural diversity. So the demand for product may vary sate wise or religion wise.

India: A Nutra hub in the Making?

India being an emerging market, players from US,  Japan and European countries are venturing here and are ready to leverage the potential by launching their products and expanding their portfolio according to the needs of Indian consumers.

New entrants must leverage India’s chemistry & pharma expertise and natural base with e-Commerce expertise which will lead them to be a sizable player in India.

India being on the path of Aatmanirbhar (Self-reliant), opportunities to develop this self-reliance and forming an eco-system to boost this industry will be an additional benefit for those who want to enter.

Ends.

References:

The article is written by Dr. Smarta and it has been published by vitafoodsinsights.com.

 

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.

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/

 

 

Nutraceuticals Inspiring the Current Therapy for Lifestyle Diseases

The nutraceutical industry is a combination of ‘Nutrition’ & ‘Pharmaceuticals’. Nutraceuticals are actually used to produce optimal clinical benefits with minimal side effects. ‘Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food’ was stressed by Hippocrates around 2000 years ago. Nutraceuticals are used as food or part of food that can have medicinal or health benefits, including disease prevention or treatment. Herbal nutraceuticals are effective tools to preserve health and function against acute and acute nutritionally induced activities. By supporting optimum fitness, longevity and quality of life, chronic diseases. Nutraceuticals are now part of the dietary landscape, Nutraceuticals are currently the industry’s fastest growing segments and the global nutraceutical market is valued at USD 117 billion.

Nutraceutical Categories:

There are various categories in nutraceutical vertical which are used for treatment of various lifestyle diseases which are as follows:

1) Dietary supplements:

• Vitamins, co-enzymes, minerals, carnitine
• Ginko bilba, Ginseng, Saint John’s wort

2) Functional foods:

• Oats, bran, psyllium & lignin’s for heart disease & colon disease
• Prebiotics- Oligofructose for control of intestinal flora
• Omega-3 milk in prevention of heart disease
• For cholesterol reduction, canola oil with reduced triglycerides
• Stanols (Benecol) in Cholesterol Adsorption Reduction

3) Medicinal foods:

• For immune enhancement, lactoferrin is quite helpful
• Transgenic oral vaccine plants against infectious diseases
• Health bars with drugs attached

4) Area covered by Nutraceutical products:

• Nutraceuticals have reached all clinical fields, such as anti-arthritis, pain killers, cold and cough, sleep disorders, digestion and prevention of some cancers, osteoporosis, blood pressure, cholesterol, depression and diabetes, etc.

Uses of Nutraceuticals in Different Therapeutic Areas: 

Nutritional therapy uses nutritional therapeutics as a healing system. This therapy is based on the conviction that foods can not only provide nutrients and energy, but can also provide medicinal benefits. There are following examples that will help to understand:

1. For cardiovascular diseases & eye sight:

Rice bran lowers the serum cholesterol levels in the blood, lowers the level of (LDL) and increases the level (HDL) in cardiovascular health. Higher the ratio more will be the risk of coronary heart diseases. Rice bran contains both Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which improves eyesight and reduces the chance of cataracts. The essential fatty acids, omega-3, omega-6, omega-9 and folic acid in rice bran are also promoting eye health.

2. For diabetes:

There has been growing evidence in recent years that plant-food products Polyphenols may be special nutraceuticals and supplemental therapies for different aspects of type 2 diabetes mellitus due to their biological properties. The occurrence of long-term diabetes complications such as cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy can also be avoided by polyphenolic compounds.

3. Obesity & constipation:

In obesity and constipation, buckwheat seed proteins play a beneficial function, acting close to natural fibres found in foods. Weight loss can be promoted by 5-hydroxytryptophan and green tea extract.

4. Treatment of arthritis:

A common condition in which the end-point outcome in joint replacement surgery is arthritis. An alternative therapy for the pathological symptoms of arthritic disease is the use of nutraceuticals. Several clinical trials, animal feeding studies, and in vitro models that imitate cartilage degradation in arthritic disease have shown the effectiveness of fish oils (e.g. cod liver oil) in the diet. There is some evidence of other nutraceuticals other than that, such as green tea, herbal extracts, chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine.

5. Treatment for gastro-intestinal:

The prevalence of diet-related diseases is increasingly growing in Western societies. Increased because of greater hypercaloric food supply and a sedentary lifestyle. Main diet-related pathologies that share a common pathogenic denominator of low-grade inflammation are obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration. In view of their capacity to exert anti-inflammatory responses, functional foods and nutraceuticals may represent a novel therapeutic approach to preventing or attenuating diet-related diseases. In particular, activation of regulatory intestinal T cells and homeostatic control of the gut microbiota have the potential to minimise low-grade inflammation in diet-related diseases.

6. Treatment for Cancer:

The primary source of vitamin A is beta-carotene, and it has anti-oxidant properties that help prevent cancer and other diseases. The most active antioxidants are beta-carotene, among other carotenes. Alpha and beta carotenes tend to provide defence against lung, colorectal, breast, uterine and prostate cancers, along with gamma carotene and the carotenes lycopene and lutein68, which do not convert to vitamin A. The most popular form is B-Carotene and can be found in fruits and vegetables with yellow, orange, and green leaves. These may include cabbage, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges, and squash throughout the winter.

Conclusion:

Nutraceuticals have shown their health benefits and the potential to avoid diseases, which should be consumed according to their recommended appropriate intake. Nutraceuticals and functional foods have become a multi-billion dollar sector in the global economy. Nutraceuticals play a significant role in clinical growth in the present self-medication scenario. But their effectiveness depends on their efficiency, purity, protection and efficacy being sustained.

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/

 

The recent outbreak of COVID has changed people’s behaviour in many ways, which has even affected the growth of the various market in the right way; being the largest exporter, consumer, and producer of spices, India accounts for half of the global trading in this sector.

Industries such as pharmaceuticals, indigenous alternative medicine, cosmetics, resin, and natural colour use spices in a considerable amount. Any interference in the domestic and global supply chain throws an adverse impact on the supply and production of vital industries and workers involved in spices’ processing and output.

Growth of Immune Boosting Spices during the Pandemic:

Customers across the globe are showing a massive interest in building their immunity and safeguarding their health. India, known as the king of spices, has a vast history of trading with China and Rome’s ancient civilization. The people in large amount has started using the zest with anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties like never to prevent the infection. Some spices double in rate, and many of the herbs have gone out of stock. Since the virus outbreak, there is an increase in the sale of black pepper, garlic, dry ginger, and turmeric.

Export Trend Moves Up:

The observation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has shown that there is increasing use of spice in the world after the outbreak of a pandemic, which gave a massive rise in exports of Indian spices, by 23 % in dollar terms and 34% in rupee terms in June this year 2020, report by ASSOCHAM. It was found that chilies were the most exported zest from India in the fiscal year, 2020. With an anticipated volume of over 484 thousand metric tonnes. Cumin followed while turmeric ranked third.

Since May 2020, there is a surge in export and the resumption of cardamom e-auction, which has facilitated better price realization by the cardamom growers. The growing trend in exports in the auction prices rose by Rs 600, Touching an average of Rs 1615 per Kg. Around 100 tonnes of cardamom valued at Rs 25 crore have been exported to Saudi since May, the largest customer of Indian cardamom.

Some of the Immune Boosting Spices:

For building immunity, it is necessary to have a balanced diet with the inclination towards immunity boosters.

Garlic:

The bioactive ingredient of garlic, i.e., allicin, is released when the garlic is cut or chopped into pieces. Research has shown that allicin helps in reducing the common cold by 63%. Garlic is used as traditional medicine by major civilizations such as Egyptians, Chinese, and Babylonians since ancient times.

Turmeric:

The bioactive agent of turmeric, i.e., curcumin, acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. AYUSH recommends that turmeric powder, basil, and grated ginger are the best immune boosters when consumed daily.

Ginger:

The bioactive compound of ginger, i.e., Gingerol, traditional medicine, is extensively used to cure asthma, coughs and colds, and gastrointestinal complaints. It can be taken either in juice or in tea, or in the form of a dried powder.

Black Pepper:

Pepper acts as a remarkable natural remedy for nasal congestion and sinuses, providing immediate relief. It has been found by research that including black pepper, powdered, or crushed daily, can strengthen the body’s defence, and can improve overall health.

 

Source:-

1. www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2020/aug/12/covid-19-spice-it-up-urge-experts-to-boost-immunity
2. www.fnbnews.com/Ingredients-and-Flavours/growth-of-immune-boosting-spices-during-the-pandemic