Indian biscuit maker takes aim at soy market

By Ankush Chibber, 09-Jan-2012

Maker of the Priya and Priya Gold brands of biscuits, Kolkata-based Priya Food Products is set to enter India’s packaged soy food products market.

Priya Food Products targets India's processed soya market

The company announced last week that it would enter the market first with packaged soy bean chunks, to be branded as Priya Soya, which would be initially be sold in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.

According to the statement, the company has set up a soy manufacturing plant in Dhulagarh Food Park near Kolkata, which would this month start producing 3,000 tonnes of soy chunks per annum.

Priya Food Products managing director, G P Agarwal, told local media recently that it expected to get 25% of the market share in the first year of its operations thanks to growing demand in eastern India
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Are you doing any food business ? . Please read on....

Are you doing any food business? Please read on.......


The Food Safety and Standards Act,2006 has come into force with effect from 5th August,2011. It defines a Food Business Operator (FBO) as a person engaged in the business of food manufacture, processing, packaging, transportation, distribution, storage and import etc. and includes food services, catering services and sale of food or food ingredients. ........  read on

Sudan 4 found in India-made chilli powder product

By Ankush Chibber, 05-Jan-2012

 A chilli spice product manufactured in India and exported to the Middle East has been found to be contaminated with a potentially carcinogenic toxin.

Chilli powder manufactured in India found with high levels of toxic ingredient

According to the Spice Board of India, the authority had in November conducted raids on the manufacturing facilities of Eastern Condiments, a Kerala-based manufacturer and exporter of spice products to the Middle East.

During these raids the authority had found high levels of the additive ‘Sudan4’ in consignments of curry powder that were set to be exported, an official at the board told FoodNavigator-Asia on the condition of anonymity.

Sudan 4 is a red dyes used for colouring oils, waxes, petrol and floor polishes, and is said to cause cancer because of which it is banned for use in food products in some countries. .... read more.

Indian edible oil processors want change in 2012

By Ankush Chibber, 03-Jan-2012

 The Indian edible oil industry is banking on a slew of corrective measures in 2012 to revive its fortunes after the last year ended on a downhill thanks to changes in the Indonesian palm oil tax structure.

Industry is calling for land diversification policies to be put in place to battle cheaper imports, tax breaks, and a ban on consumer palm oil products coming into the country.

India was negatively impacted by Indonesia's decision to slash the maximum export tax on refined, bleached and deodorised palm oil (RBD) to 10%, while the rate for crude palm oil was left at 22.5%.

As a result, Indian food industries began importing more of RBD palm oil for the festive season in India, which stretched from October to the New Year, putting local refineries in trouble 

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India extends Chinese milk ban

By Ankush Chibber, 02-Jan-2012

 China will have to wait another six months before it can export its milk products across the Himalayas after India extended the ban on these food items.

According to a notification from the Indian Directorate General of Foreign Trade, (DGFT) the ban on the import of milk and its products from China will extend until at least June this year.

India banned the import of these food items in 2008 when the melamine milk contamination scandal broke in China, which affected over 300,000 children, and was implicated in the death of up to 12 infant deaths.

The DGFT said the ban, which was set to end on December 24, would be extended to June 24, 2012. The prohibition would cover milk and products including chocolates and confectionery preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient ...  read more
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Indian Tea industry set to boom, says study

By Ankush Chibber, 02-Jan-2012

The Indian tea industry – the world’s biggest – Is set to almost double in just three years – leaping from US$3.7bn to US$6.3bn by 2015 as health benefit awareness rises, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Its study showed India has 600,000 hectares under tea cultivation, on the back of which the domestic tea industry is growing at an annual growth rate of 15%.

“Awareness about health benefits associated with moderate intake of tea is another significant factor behind this upsurge in its demand as now more and more people are familiar with healing properties of tea,” ASSOCHAM secretary general D.S. Rawat said in a statement to FoodNavigator-Asia                    

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Wish you all a very Happy New Year -2012.

Wish you all a very Happy New Year -2012.