Fallacy to think Indians are leaning towards healthy foods

By Ankush Chibber,30-Apr-2013

Fallacy to think Indians are leaning towards healthy foods

I chanced upon a press conference at a five-star Mumbai hotels the other day. I had turned up for a meeting with an old acquaintance, but on my way out I saw a board pointing to a conference for a food product launch at the ballroom. Naturally, this was too much of a draw to miss.

Not really. I had two hours to kill and it was 38C in the shade outside. 

Now this food maker was claiming to launch what would be a game-changer in the Indian jams category. The company, which has European roots, was announcing the launch of sugar-free jams straight from its international range. 

I will be honest here and tell you that I had never heard of anything like it—after all, what is jam without sugar? I had never seen them on the shelves and neither had I ever chanced upon anybody who had consumed any. Thankfully, the firm’s representatives were at hand to help me out of my arrogance. 

Sugar-free jams, they said, were just the right product for the Indian jam market, which is currently dominated by just a couple of players. These jams, the official said, have a ready market in India where eating healthy is catching on and people don’t want to compromise on health and fitness. People want to look good and this jam would not augment their love handles like regular, sugary jam does. The new, young Indian, they said, would love this jam.

Hold ‘em healthy horses, please. 

In the last two years of reporting on the food and beverage sector in India, I have heard this statement too often—that Indians are starting to eat healthier foods. This viewpoint comes on the back of a booming economy driven largely by an overworked young workforce that is falling prey to lifestyle diseases thanks to its increasing purchasing power. To fix it, they are all destined to buy healthier foods. 

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