The global market for fortified foods and nutritional supplements is heating up, with more and more marketers jumping into the fray. While the Indian market for processed foods has really taken off only in the last decade, Indian manufacturers have had no hesitation in jumping onto the health bandwagon, addressing both the domestic and export markets. Fortified Foods, Supplements and Health Ingredients, are all witnessing tremendous competition parallel to a rise in consumer demand.

The winners in this race will be those who can foresee the market as it grows, and understand what it is that the increasingly choosy consumers want. This event aims to provide such insights to mainstream food manufacturers who want to take advantage of these emerging segments, fortified food or nutritional supplement manufacturers and manufacturers of nutritional ingredients for the same.

“Traditionally Indians have continued to rely on home cooking where fresh foods dominate and many ingredients are bought loose. Processed and ready-to-eat food and beverages are still the new entrants in this market. But, as the disposable incomes rise, at least in urban areas, more and more consumers are gravitating towards store bought foods. Still, there is mounting concern about the nutritional content of such foods, and skepticism whether such foods can match the balanced nutritional properties of the traditional diet. Savvy marketers are now using nutritional ingredients as a selling plank, convincing consumers of the uniqueness as well as high health content of their foods”, says Aparna Singh, Program Manager, Chemicals, Materials & Foods Practice, Frost & Sullivan,

Historically, vitamins and minerals have been the only ingredients that have found acceptance in this market. Even in this arena, pharmaceuticals and recently the animal feed industry have been the largest users. Non-prescriptive usage of supplements is still low. These are however challenges that the industry needs to rise above. Newer segments are emerging in the market, which companies need to take advantage of, and sometimes create! Soya fortification, for example, is becoming a buzzword, as are fortified and flavored milk beverages. “Companies need to stay abreast of these trends, and rather than reinventing the wheel, also learn from the experiences of others, particularly from more developed markets”, adds Ms. Singh.