Snapshots of Food Industry News
Sunfeast YiPPee! Launches New Instant Noodles Category
ITC’s Sunfeast YiPPee has launched instant noodles in a bowl in their QuikMealz segment. The company conducted several trials to ensure a superior instant noodle experience. The bowl used for the instant noodles has a broad container base which makes it extremely easy to mix and consume noodles. The bowl also has a lid to ensure no heat escapes the bowl in the preparation process so the noodles are evenly cooked. The superior format, coupled with delicious flavours will provide a ‘tasty’ noodle experience to consumers.
The product is available in two variants – Veggie Delight and Chicken Delight. It is targeted at young adults who seek both convenience and taste to match their evolving lifestyles. Consumers can now enjoy the noodles without much effort, by just adding hot water to the bowl of noodles. The product is available pan-India, across large format stores, modern trade and e-commerce. Both Veggie Delight and Chicken Delight will be available in a 70 gm SKU at the price point of Rs. 45 and Rs. 50 respectively.
Adani Wilmar to Set up New Plants Across Businesses
Gujarat-based Adani Wilmar, formed in 1999, has completed 20 years of operations of its flagship ‘Fortune’ brand which was launched on November 24, 2000 in Jaipur. Under the brand the company sells edible oils as well as food products such as wheat flour, besan, rice, pulses, sugar and soya nuggets. It is also into castor oil and personal care business under which it manufactures soaps. The edible oil business contributes around Rs 24,000 crore of the companies Rs.30.000 crore business.
The company is likely to see continued double digit growth where growth in food business would be higher than in edible oils. The company will set up its own manufacturing plants for edible oil, food segment like wheat flour, and personal care business to expand capacities. It has acquired a 55-acre land in Sonipat, Haryana where it will set up manufacturing plants for various products. Adani Wilmar will also invest more in mustard oil business and could foray into spices.
Hamdard Expands Portfolio with Launch of Natural Blossom Honey
Hamdard Laboratories India (Foods Division) has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of ‘Natural Blossom Honey’. The product follows the Hamdard ethos of natural products providing health benefits backed by quality and purity. True to this sentiment, the brand communication says “Hamdard Hai, Pure Hai.” Hamdard decided to launch honey as it is an essential health supplement with a range of benefits. It is a natural energy booster, enhances immunity, it is a natural antioxidant, provides relief in cough, and acts as a probiotic, amongst many other benefits. The honey is available in three different sizes – 50gm, 250gm and 500gm PET bottles at economical prices of Rs. 35 Rs. 110 and Rs. 199 respectively. The market will soon see various promotions across these SKUs. The product is now available in all major markets in the country.
D-Alive Unveils Organic Natural Dry Fruit Mithais
D-Alive Health Private Limited unveiled their range of organic, no sugar, no gluten, vegan, low carb and GI and 100 per cent natural dry fruit mithais during the festive season. The dry fruit mithais are not only good for health but help to provide nutrition. The range includes Shahi Kaju Barfi, Vegan Cashew and Rose Bites, Almond Cashew Praline, Vegan Walnut Peanut Butter Barfi, Energy Paak. The company was incorporated in 2017 and has been growing at 300 percent since inception.
The products are made with wholesome ingredients like organic nuts, organic spices, organic rose petals etc., the sweet taste comes from natural green stevia leaf powder specially sourced from Pondicherry. There are light notes of organic raw coconut sugar to give a complete feeling so consumers don’t miss any actual sugar. The products are available with leading retail chains and online shopping sites.
Kitchens Centre raises Pre-Series A funding from Village Global
Delhi-based shared kitchen start-up Kitchens Centre has raised an undisclosed Pre Series A from US-based Village Global. In April this year the company had raised a seed round of US$ 500,000 from Angel List India. The brand started operations with two locations in Delhi and over the course of one year have scaled up to 35+ locations across 15 cities pan India. The company has a network of 200+ kitchen units presently and works with over 50 F&B brands. The company is planning to expand further by adding more than 90+ new locations and 550 units in the next one year. Currently, the start-up is managing 100,000 sq. ft space with 50+ team members.
Kitchens Centre is a shared kitchen start-up that provides infrastructure and technology solutions for online food and FMCG brands. The company builds fully fitted, ready to move-in-kitchens, which are easier for brands to launch operations and/ or penetrate the market faster. The company aims to create an incubated ecosystem with integrated tech solutions, supply chain, logistics support and platform aggregation. Since the pandemic is still prevalent, the food delivery is expected to outpace dining/ at-restaurant sales in the next 9-12 months. Kitchens Centre is aspiring to partner with many more restaurants and food-tech start-ups to accelerate their growth story.
Tetra Pak Sees Bright Future as Demand for Packaged Food Grows
Tetra Pak is witnessing a surge in demand as the pandemic has increased customers’ preference for packaged food. Tetra Pak known best for its paper carton packaging for ‘Juices, Nectars, Still Drinks’ (JNSD) category is now seeing an increased demand for ‘safe packaging technology’ across the industry. The pandemic changed consumer behaviour as they began to show concerns about food safety. This brought to the forefront the need for access to safe and hygienic food packaging.
Though ‘JNSD’ category was hit during the lockdown, but sales are almost back to the pre-COVID period levels. However, during the lockdown ORS (Oral Rehydration Solutions) and hydration saw an increase during the lockdown and are continuing to show an upward trend. Another interesting category which is growing exponentially is the immunity boosting beverages. Even during the pandemic several F&B companies continued to launch new products especially in the in the immunity-boosting segment so packaging continued to be in demand. At present, the company works with over 160 customers including the likes of PepsiCo India and Amul.
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