The National Mission on Edible Oil- Oil Palm Business Summit for states other than North Eastern States was inaugurated in Hyderabad on 28 December, by the Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar.

Aiming to give wide spread information on newly launched centrally sponsored scheme on edible oils, the Government is organizing business summits across the country.This is the second such summit of the Mission, the first was held in Guwahati for North Eastern states in early October this year.

Tomar said that he sees Telangana as an emerging leader in oil palm production.

Niranjan Reddy, Minister of Agriculture and allied Sectors, Govt of Telangana highlighted the effort of Telangana Govt for promoting oil palm plantation in the state and providing higher price to farmers for the FFBs (Fresh Fruit Bunches) of oil palm.

Chief Secretary of Telangana, Somesh Kumar expressed hope that the state would emerge as the largest oil-palm producing area in the country in 3-4 years. He outlined the state initiatives in this regard saying that Telangana has notified 26 districts for oil palm cultivation and 11 oil processors are operating in the state.

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Patients with mental disorders consume approximately 2-fold more sugar than age-matched healthy individuals, and patients with schizophrenia who consume more sucrose exhibit more severe symptoms. Despite accumulating evidence, it is still unproven that excessive sugar intake contributes to the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders among susceptible individuals.

A recent study by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science has revealed that the excessive intake of simple sugar at the age of puberty could be an environmental risk factor of psychiatric disorders.

During their experiments, the researchers observed that psychiatric disorders are associated with cerebral microvascular angiopathy in the brain caused by various environmental stresses, including metabolic stress.

Excessive sucrose intake during adolescence causes cellular damage in on-neuronal cell groups, inhibiting the uptake of glucose from the blood into the brain parenchyma, leading to dysfunctions of certain neurons that cause major symptoms of psychiatric disorders.

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Hyderabad-based startup Skippi Ice Pops has received funding of Rs 10 million for 15% equity in the 1st edition of Shark Tank India.

Led by Kabra Global Products, Skippi Ice Pops launched with an aim to introduce a fun new product in the F&B category by husband and wife duo, Ravi Kabra and Anuja Kabra.

The products are currently available for purchase in six flavours; Raspberry, Orange, Cola, Mango Twist, Bubblegum and Lemon.

Skippi Ice Pops is currently available in over 660 outlets in Hyderabad alone, 2200 outlets across India and continues to grow. It is priced at Rs 240 for paper box of 12 pops with 6 flavours and Rs 666 for a bag of 36 pops.

Ravi Kabra, Co-founder of Skippi Ice Pops said, “We plan to invest this amount to drive more innovation and introduce more refreshing flavours to the Indian market.”

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Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), under Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, is organising a one-day online workshop on ‘Intellectual Property with Emphasis on Food Processing’ on 19th Jan 2022 under the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative for the benefit of Entrepreneurs / Startups working in the area of Food Processing.

This Workshop would focus on Intellectual Property Rights in Food processing through the innovation driven industry where IPR skills are most essential. It is important to know more about IPR, Trademarks, Innovation Management, Patenting Laws etc. for the aspiring Entrepreneurs as it plays a key role in promoting economic growth of the nation.

The speakers selected are experienced in Patent Laws and at the same time experienced in food processing industry.

The workshop emphasises on Filing IPR: Necessary Guidelines and Steps; Patent Search Database; Impact of Innovation & IP in India: Case Studies; Commercialization of IP; Biodiversity Act with focus on Food Science; Patenting in R & D / Govt Academic Institutions: A perspective; and Case Studies related to Innovations in Food Processing.

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The Akshaya Patra Foundation collaborates with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to form ‘The Akshaya Patra Research Lab’. First of its kind lab run by a not for profit in the country and an academic institution, aims to conduct comprehensive studies in the areas such as child food security, community participation for social welfare, elimination of malnutrition, policy development, and advocacy for battling hunger.

In partnership with the academic strength of IISc, the Foundation aims to develop a knowledge epicenter with think tanks consisting of economists, philanthropists, research scientists, government officials, and global institutes for building its efforts towards global advocacy and ending classroom hunger and malnutrition.

Established under The Centre for Society and Policy (CSP) at IISC, the partnership has so far resulted in an evidence-based research study & published papers on Vaccine hesitancy analysis; COVID-19’s impact analysis on a child’s education and nutrition, psychology study of school children, water-food-energy nexus, and assessing human security crisis.

Some of the long terms plans of the lab include: Impact assessment of Mid-Day Meals and developing a socio-human model to build scenarios that can cause positive social impact at a larger scale.

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Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal has inaugurated the Packaged Drinking Water Test Facility at National Test House (NTH), Ghaziabad.

With the inauguration of two equipment, – Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (UHPLC) and Ion Chromatograph (IC), NTH-Ghaziabad has added a feather in comprehensive quality testing facility for water. UHPLC is helpful for quantification of different organic compounds especially residual pesticides in drinking water samples.

Calling for a transformational change, Goyal said “we have a long way to go” in building quality assurance as the government promotes new technology such as technical textiles where nanotech is a critical element.

With the inauguration of two equipment, NTH-Ghaziabad has added valuable testing facility for water. The equipment UHPLC will be helpful for quantification of different organic compound particularly residual pesticides in water samples, whereas IC will be used for quantification of different anions particularly bromate in packaged drinking water.

All the NTH Labs, including Ghaziabad, have been integrated with the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) of BIS, which is a comprehensive online system developed for managing working of the BIS recognized labs via integrated and centralized workflow management system.

In near future NTH (NR), Ghaziabad will have latest facilities for food testing as well.

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MTR Foods, a food products company based in Bengaluru, has announced its foray into a new business segment with the launch of three authentic MTR Minute Fresh Batters- MTR Idli Batter, MTR Dosa Batter and MTR Signature Dosa Batter.

The company has invested Rs 25 crore in expanding its production facility and also for setting up a cold chain network. It has also created a new business vertical to take forward the fresh idli and dosa batter category.

Sanjay Sharma, CEO, MTR Foods, said, “The surge in this category post the lockdown cemented our decision to introduce the Minute Fresh range of idli, dosa and MTR Signature dosa batters this year.” He added that the company has set up a dedicated sales team that will cater only to MTR Minute Fresh. Starting with Bengaluru, the company is planning to foray into other cities gradually.

MTR Foods has been growing 5x in terms of revenue and its turnover is close to Rs 1,000 crore.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), headquartered in Austria, and Bengaluru-based St. John’s Research Institute (SJRI) have agreed to increase cooperation to better understand the underlying factors of complex nutritional problems.

The synergies of the IAEA and SJRI will allow tackling challenges countries face in nutrition.

Redesignated as an IAEA Collaborating Centre until 2025, the Institute will contribute to defining daily requirements of vitamin B12 and the dosages used in clinical supplementation and public health fortification programmes. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a widespread, growing public health problem globally with significant nutritional and clinical importance.

SJRI is working on developing a more accurate, non-invasive method to improve evaluating bone health of elder people and the responsiveness of interventions to prevent osteoporosis. To enable easier monitoring of child growth and body composition as part of bigger surveys, the Institute will develop and validate an App that measures length of under 3-year-old children, as well as body volume, body density and body fat in adults.

SJRI was designated as the first IAEA Collaborating Centre for Nutrition in 2010 and the designation was renewed in May 2016.

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In tune with the evolving preferences of the Indian consumers, Orion, one of the largest food companies of South Korea, has introduced two innovative products: Orion Strawberry Choco Pie, a Choco pie center-filled with the pulp of handpicked real strawberry, and the Ultimate Choco Chip, a large size cookie with real chocolate Choco chip.

The launch is in line with company’s expansion plans to introduce more products and get into new geographies and stores.

The Orion Strawberry Choco Pie- pack of six pieces is priced at Rs 90, and the 12-piece pack at Rs 180; while the Ultimate Choco Chip weighs 16.67 grams each – with 26% Choco chip content. A pack of six pieces of the Choco chip is priced at Rs 60.

Saurabh Saith, CEO, Orion India said, “It is one of the largest cookies available in the branded-packaged format in India, featuring an exquisite taste and aroma of Choco Chips and contains 26% real chocolate, one of the best in the industry. These innovations are born of Orion’s global expertise, R&D prowess and quick adaptation to Indian consumers’ preferences. India is Orion’s big strategic bet and company will continue to invest here following the approach of Make in India and Delight India.”

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In an effort to recognise the skills of the workforce, formally certify and link them to employment opportunities, Skill India Mission is conducting a special Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme for candidates in Semra and Yarna in Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh, under its SANKALP programme (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion).

The programme, implemented through Adarsh Gram Skill Camps (AGSC) aims to certify candidates in 100+ villages across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

On 14^th December, in Semra, over 100 candidates have been certified in Pickle Making Technician job role. Similarly, for 15^th December, 116 additional candidates are being certified as Pickle Makers and Traditional Snack and Savoury makersin Yarna.

Under Adarsh Gram Skill Camps project, weekly RPL camps are being conducted for 12 hours spread over 3-5 days, and every certified candidate receives Rs 500 as reward money post successful certification. The project aims to enhance the percentage of skilled workers by providing skill-based certification to more than 15,000 workers. Till date, over 2,200 candidates have been trained across 24 villages.

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Continuing the major momentum in the new category of sustainable ‘smart protein’ foods, plant-based milk startup alt foods, co-founded by Aman Khandelwal, Sweta Khandelwal, and Pavitra Khandelwal, has launched with two unique products – ‘original m!lk’ and ‘chocolate flavored m!lk’.

While this initial launch includes two flavors, the company plans on launching more plant-based milk flavors early in 2022.

Co-founder Sweta Khandelwal shares, “With exponential interest in plant-based diets, which is increasingly becoming evidence-driven, we are witnessing a huge shift in consumption where people have started to reject animal sources of food for plant-based sources instead.”

alt foods was Asia’s first plant-based dairy startup to make its way to the ProVeg Incubator accelerator program, a Berlin-based incubator offering expert mentorship and up to €250,000 in funding, in 2021. The Delhi-based company is uniquely positioned as their plant-based milk comes from a mix of grains and sprouted millets, in contrast to other plant-based milk companies that predominantly use soy, almonds, or oats.

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Ahmedabad-based Dishman Carbogen Amcis, a global outsourcing partner for the pharmaceutical industry, has announced the results of a new clinical research study which shows that oral 25- Hydroxyvitamin D3 (Calcifediol) was able to correct vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in patients with COVID-19 and that it resulted in improved immune function by increasing blood lymphocyte percentages.

The research was supervised by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Boston University School of Medicine and supported in part by a grant from Dishman Carbogen Amcis Ltd’s wholly owned subsidiary CARBOGEN AMCIS B.V.

“The COVID-19 pandemic hitting the world in early 2020 resulted in unprecedented global focus of R&D efforts and of solidarity in coping with the sudden and unexpected high need for intensive care beds, which didn’t hit all countries to the same degree”, said Arpit Vyas, Global Managing Director of Dishman Carbogen Amcis.

“It is important for us to play a role in this new challenge, not only for our corporate interests but to contribute to the possible future of the fight against COVID-19. Therefore, to follow up with this Clinical Research Study, Dishman Carbogen Amcis is currently conducting a second round of study in a larger scale in India”, he added.

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Bengaluru-based SLAY Coffee has launched India’s first digital grab and go coffee bar concept. It plans to launch 100 such coffee bars across Tier 1 metro cities in the next 12 months.

SLAY Coffee is a pioneer in the online coffee space and is well known for its packaging innovation, SLAYCase that enables spill proof delivery of coffee without loss of temperature.

With a footprint of over 150 cloud cafes across 15 cities and a vision to democratize great coffee experiences, SLAY Coffe’s Co-Founder Chaitanya Chitta said, “We are excited to bring a new age coffee experience to coffee lovers across the country. We are known for our wide range of great coffees, standout packaging, fair pricing and convenience. With SLAY Coffee Bars, we will replicate the same experience in the physical format while keeping simplicity at the heart of everything we do.”

Its Signature blend is made with 100% Arabica beans while its proprietary blend SLAY X is a celebration of Indian Robusta beans. The blend has the highest caffeine content among Indian coffees. All SLAY Coffee blends are roasted in small batches and the coffee is ground fresh upon order and handcrafted by skilled Baristas. The brand recently launched its first experience centre in Koramangala, Bengaluru.

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Scientists from the University of South Australia, in partnership with the University of Maine, examined the associations between yoghurt intake, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors, finding that yoghurt is associated with lower blood pressure for those with hypertension.

This study provides new evidence that connects yoghurt with positive blood pressure outcomes for hypertensive people.

According to the study, this is because dairy foods contain a range of micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are involved in the regulation of blood pressure.

Researchers say that future observational and intervention studies should continue to focus on at-risk individuals to examine the potential benefits of yogurt.

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Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Andhra Pradesh, collaborating with other institutes, have demonstrated how the concept of nanotechnology can be used to develop food packaging materials that enhance the shelf-life, maintain quality, retain flavour and colour of packed food materials.

Nanoparticle-based materials offer a greater advantage over conventional and non-biodegradable packing materials by enhancing the functional properties of foods such as bio-availability, taste, texture, flavor, and shelf-life. Additionally, nanomaterials in the form of sensors can be employed to maintain the temperature, detect pathogens, pesticides, toxins, and other chemicals in packed foods.

The research also discusses the role of various government agencies in addressing the safety issues, bringing the legislation and regulations on the use and application of nanomaterials. It highlights how bio-based polymers can be blended with nanoparticles to make more efficient and effective packing materials.

Researchers have also emphasized on how confidence can be built among the consumers by maintaining transparency in evaluating the effects of nanoparticles on humans and the surrounding environment and accentuated how researchers and industries should develop products that can easily get public acceptance. If the safety and security issues get addressed, nanotechnology will revolutionize the food processing and packaging industry to a great extent and minimize food wastage.

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The Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Sudhanshu Pandey during his recent visit to Maharashtra inspected the paddy procurement centre- Kardha in Bhandara district to oversee the paddy procurement being done in the state.

It was informed that a new testing method of rice has been introduced by the government to know the age of the rice which would encourage paddy procurement and help the farmers.

The Secretary Food emphasised to give impetus on setting up fortified rice manufacturing plants especially in and around paddy procuring districts of Gondia, Bhandara, Chandrapur since the government has chalked out a plan for issuing fortified rice through Public Distribution System (PDS) in future as announced by the Prime Minister.

He also emphasised on promoting solvent extraction plants for manufacturing rice bran oil in the procuring Districts. He advised the government of Maharashtra to work on crop diversification especially the production of millets as the year 2023 is being declared as the International Year of Millets by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

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GRM Overseas Limited, Panipat-based basmati rice exporters and a niche consumer staples player, has announced the set-up of its Food Tech Fund under the aegis of its subsidiary GRM Foodkraft (GFK). The purpose of this fund is to invest in food tech companies which strategically fits into GFK’s Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) product offerings.

Additionally, the company has made its maiden investment from this fund and has picked up a 5% stake (pre-money) in Bengaluru-based startup Tobox Ventures (GoKhana). This strategic investment will help GFK to leverage GoKhana’s network to introduce its high-quality product basket directly to GoKhana’s corporate catering partners and their customers. Furthermore, this partnership will extend new Direct-To-Consumer product offerings from GFK to GoKhana’s customers under D2C model.

Atul Garg, Managing Director said, “GRM will continue to focus on diversifying from private label Basmati rice offerings to build its own high margin brands. The company is strategically expanding in domestic market by pushing its presence both in general trade and modern trade through its own 10X brand, leveraging the strong distributor base enjoyed by the core business.”

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According to a recent study conducted by researchers at West Bengal State University, Vidyasagar University and Indian Statistical Institute in West Bengal, higher percentages of stunted and underweight children are in rural areas compared to children in urban areas in India.

Higher percentages of stunted and underweight children are found among households of poor wealth index category. In India, the percentage of underweight children is higher in Hindu religious group, and the lowest percentage of stunted children is observed among children belonging to other religious group.

The study has also revealed that mother’s educational attainment has statistically significant influence on nutritional status of children. Mother’s occupational status also plays an important role in determining the nutritional status of children, mothers engaged in agricultural work are more likely to have stunted children in India than not working mother and the result is significant. Chance of getting underweight is higher among children of mother’s engaged in agricultural work and it is highly significant in case of India.

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Jalandhar-based startup Oxie Nutrition has launched White Chocolate Peanut Butter, one of the most awaited new products for fitness enthusiasts in India. This butter is an unexplored and unprocessed food product that includes white chocolate compound and roasted peanuts, turned into a paste.

It is an excellent source of protein and is low in carbs. Besides being a delicious alternative to conventional butter, it’s also rich in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.

The FDA-approved product is priced at Rs 299 and will be available across India.

Harman Virk, Co-Founder and CEO, Oxie Nutrition, said, “Post the success of Chocolate Peanut Butter, we are proud to launch Oxie Nutrition White Chocolate Peanut Butter which is keto-friendly and has a greater ratio of healthy fats and protein with very little carbs. The goal is to reboot more calories from fat than from carbs. It has 70% less sugar, that is, refined sugar-free, which lowers sugar cravings and adds flavour to the butter with real white chocolate chips. High on protein and low on calories, this product fulfils all of the consumption criteria that any Indian fitness fanatic seeks.”

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In a quest to formalize the unorganised sector and upskill the street food vendors, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has announced to skill the street vendors of East Delhi and make them eligible for e-cart licenses, improving the hygiene conditions in food preparation and aesthetics of vending.

The initiative will be implemented under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0.

The objective of this programme is to provide relevant skills to the Street Food Vendors, leading towards better services to consumers, more opportunities to vendors for revenue generation, awareness on regulations and stipulated rules, in return providing better services to the local bodies.

In its pilot phase with East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), Skill India aims at upskilling 2,500 vendors, aged between 23 to 55 years.

Under the initiative, the Street Food Vendors will be educated on health and safety standards, safety provisions under COVID-19 protocols, effective communication techniques with staff and customers, new-age skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy, digital payments and e-selling. The vendors will also be supported with loans under the Mudra Scheme.

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Nandu’s has announced its entry into the Hyderabad market, as part of its pan-India expansion strategy. With one store already operational at Addagutta Society, Kukatpally and a second one at KPHB Colony, Kukatpally, ready for launch in a week’s time, the Bengaluru-based brand plans to set up five new stores by December 2021. Over the next year, 15 more Nandu’s stores are slated to be launched across Hyderabad.

Nandu’s aims to set up 300 stores across the country in the next four years with the intention of transforming the hyperlocal meat purchasing experience for discerning meat lovers in India.

As part of its expansion, Nandu’s plans to recruit a 150+ strong member team to deliver the brand experience successfully in Hyderabad’s key markets as it expands its store footprint across the city.

The omni-channel, fully-integrated, farm-to-fork meat brand will make its entire range of products – fresh chicken, mutton, fish and seafood, ready-to-cook / eat, ready-to-cook biryani kits, and heat-and-eat products – available in its stores across Hyderabad.

In keeping with the brand’s commitment to responsible operations, Nandu’s goal is to embrace 100% plastic-free, eco-friendly packaging by 2023.

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The capacity of the new milk powder factory at AmulFed Dairy, which is a unit of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), has gone up from 35 lakh litres per day to 50 lakh litres following an investment of Rs. 257 crore. The expansion makes it Asia’s largest fully automated dairy.

The new butter plant triples AmulFed Dairy’s butter manufacturing capacity from 40 tonnes per day to 120 tonnes. The plant has been built with an investment of Rs. 85 crore. A new robotic high-tech warehousing facility, that will allow the dairy to store 50 lakh litres of long-life milk in carton packaging in high-density storage, has been built at a cost of Rs. 23 crore.

The new poly film packaging unit doubles the plant’s capacity from 20,000 tonnes per annum to 40,000 metric tonnes, making it the biggest poly film manufacturing plant in India. The expansion has been undertaken with an investment of Rs. 50 crore.

Speaking after the inauguration, Amit Shah urged Amul to start preparing its blueprint for the next 25 years when it will turn 100.

The Union Cooperation Minister also said that many farmers have turned to organic farming, and urged the GCMMF management to help develop the infrastructure for testing, distribution, and marketing of organic products to fast-track their adoption.

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Bengaluru-based startup Salud Beverages is now launching 3 more pour-and-enjoy variants – A Watermelon & Mint G&T 2.0, Salud Strong (Classic English Juniper-crafted gin), and Salud Sonic (a classic Japanese mix with an Indian twist highlights this low-sugar gin refresher).

With the introduction of these three new offerings, the brand strengthens its portfolio of easy-to-drink beverages.

Salud’s key investors are Prasad Vanga from Anthill Ventures, Rana Dagubatti, actor and an active investor and UrbanI, speed scaling partner. Salud was founded by Ajay Shetty, ex-banker turned entrepreneur who successfully sold his previous wine venture, to lead and build a whole new lifestyle brand.

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