Amid growing scrutiny of processed food in the country, a senior official of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries on Wednesday asked the industry to take a cue from international standards, even if they have to “compromise a little” on profit margins.
“Sometimes we say ‘we meet Indian standards’, but there is an international standard, which is better. Speaking at the 15th edition of FICCI Foodworld India, Anita Parveen, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, said that sometimes profit margins have to be reduced slightly to meet them.
“If Europe can have a food standard (standard) where a product has zero sugar, why do we need anything else?” Parveen asked.
In April, Swiss investigative agency Public Eye found that Nestlé, a global packaged food company, added sugar in the form of sugar or honey to its Nido and Cerelac ranges sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Talking about the changing consumption patterns in the country, Prashant Peres, Co-Chairman, FICCI Food Processing Group and Managing Director, India and South Asia, Gelanova, said that consumers are now more aware of nutritional nutrition and are actively looking for its benefits. Products that do not compromise on taste.
“It’s a paradox that companies have to find the answer to how to find the right balance to deliver to the consumer,” he added, adding, “The commitment to protein, low sugar, etc. will see an uptick in the next few years. We need to find a balance.”
Perez said they have reduced the amount of added sugar in their products by nearly 22 percent since 2019. He added that the new technology would help companies further reduce sugar in their products.
Addressing the stakeholders, the secretary said that the industry should stand up for itself by developing quality products, and hyper-processed food does not become a cause of diseases.
“Processed food will continue to exist, it will still be consumed, but let’s ensure that its quality is not questioned,” he said.
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