UNIBIC Foods Appoints CEO

UNIBIC Foods, one of India’s fastest growing FMCG companies announced the appointment of Naveen Pandey as its Chief Executive Officer. Naveen will be responsible for leading the strategic direction and growth journey of the Company.

FMCG Companies are Strengthening Rural Distribution Network to Combat the Low Consumer Sentiments

Like most sectors and indeed the larger economy, the FMCG companies to have not remained insulated from the effects of the pandemic, an outbreak which only seems to have resurfaced with greater ferocity and vehemence in recent days in the form of the so-called second wave.

Blue, Purple, and Healthy

Blueberries are flowering plants, whose height range from 10 centimeters to 4 metres. They can be aptly described as prostate shrubs. These plants or shrubs produce berries, which teem with health benefits.

Minimising Trans Fat Usage

The tussle between appearance and substance is an old one. And in the modern quick-fix mode of operations, this age-old debate has only become more intense.

Packed to Perfection

The pandemic has made the people more aware of consuming healthy food products, which are untouched by hand. Health is high up on the priority list and there is thus a leaning towards baked food, which is considered to be more nutrient. The bakery industry is thus seeing an increasing demand for its products. However, since the consumers are also insisting on products untouched by hand, packaging is assuming an increasing role in bakery products. Bread, biscuits and other products which are mechanically packaged are being preferred. There is thus an increasing demand for packaging material in the industry and the demand for this is expected to continue. Ashok Malkani examines the market for packaging bakery products and also other types of material that are needed by the industry.

You are never late with Choco-Late

The sweet and soothing chocolate is everyone’s favourite not only on Valentine’s Day but throughout the year. Chocolate, which is used in all types of desserts like cakes, candies, puddings et al., is also believed to be good for health. The cocoa beans in the chocolate contain dopamine, phenylethylamine, caffeine, and anandamide, which is considered to be a happy neurotransmitter in the brain. Anandamide, called the bliss molecule, makes you feel happy and blessed. No matter this much loved sweet has become popular globally and the World Chocolate Day is celebrated on 7th July every year. Ashok Malkani examines various aspects of the beloved sweet, chocolate: Its usage in desserts, the different types of chocolates, its health benefits, etc.

Work Smart, Work Hard!

Hamza Patel, Managing Director, AP Group

“Whatever you do, do it with determination and passion”

Chef Manikandan Sivamoorthy, Pastry Chef, JW Marriott Mussoorie

From Farm To Fork ... Opportunities In Dairy Industry

Dairy industry provides ample opportunities for new entrepreneurs to explore, as it makes its way from the farm to the dining table. Today milk comes in various forms. Besides the raw milk, one has low fat milk, fat free milk, flavoured milk, organic milk, lactose milk et al. Besides milk, an entrepreneur also has the option of entering any of the value added dairy products like cheese, butter, ghee, etc. All these dairy products also need packaging, which is another segment that entrepreneurs could explore, besides the machinery needed by the industry. Ashok Malkani examines all segments of the industry available for the enterprising entrepreneurs who desire to enter this industry.

India's Burger Market Has Promise

The global popularity of burger is complemented by its over hundred-year-old legacy. However, all said and done, the history of burger is not very old as compared to that of many other famous food items of the world.

Life is Yummy … with Desserts

Be it chocolates or cakes, sweets are always a favourite with people of all ages. Sweets have been a weakness with people from primordial days. A fondness for sweets is what endears desserts to the populace. If one looks at it scientifically, one finds that it was probably a fondness for sweets that gave people, in history, the energy and, possibly, saved their lives. Being able to taste sweetness might have helped our ancestors to identify energy rich food, which played a critical part in their survival. This fondness for sweets is what makes desserts an obsession with people. Ashok Malkani examines the love for desserts and analyses the modern concept of them being harmful to your health. He also looks at the trends during the New Year.

Milk Magic Enters Indian Consumer Market

Jayshri Gayatri Food Products (JGFP), one of the leading dairy product manufacturers in the Central India, has now forayed into the Indian domestic consumer market with its dairy products brand ‘Milk Magic’. The company has a strong foothold in the B2B segment of the domestic as well as the export markets over the years.

The Cultured Yogurt

Yogurt is a semi-solid, processed and fermented milk product, mostly prepared from cow’s milk. Yogurt is produced by the act of bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make this dairy product are known as ‘yogurt cultures.’ Although milk from various domestic animals are used for yogurt production, but most commercial yogurt production units across the globe now use cow’s milk to maintain a consistent taste. However, yogurt can be prepared with any type of milk; be it from cow, buffalo, goat, and sheep. But nowadays, soymilk is also seen as a new-age component for commercial yogurt preparation.

Walnuts on the menu!

To appease the taste buds of their health-conscious clientele, hoteliers & restaurateurs are opting for walnuts to add flavour to every course from savoury appetisers to hearty entrées and desserts.

Design & Decorate Cakes Well!

Fresh edible flowers make gorgeous and easy cake decorations. Look for lovely colourful flowers such as sweet violets, lavender, honeysuckle, rose petals, bachelor’s buttons, johnny-jump ups, and calendulas just to name a few. Pile on these flowers on a frosted cake or even just a plain cake.

Bakels India Opens New Baking Centre

Bakels India's newly opened Baking Centre at Mumbai is an innovative “experiential space” that will enable Craft, Artisanal, and Industrial Bakers to get the best out of a creative environment to develop & test new product concepts using a broad array of Bakels’ world-class ingredients. Spread across 5000 sq.ft., it will also serve as the new headquarters for Bakels India. It joins the elite group, becoming only the 9th baking centre in Bakels worldwide.

Gelato - Heavenly Dessert

Gelato can be simplistically described as an ice-cream with less fat. But like all simplistic definitions, it doesn’t have completeness. Though gelato is often erroneously referred to as the Italian word for ice-cream, but there are differences between gelato and conventional ice-creams. Many a time people can’t make out the difference between gelatos and regular ice-creams. However, though Indians are largely ignorant of the nuances of gelato, but that doesn’t stop them from appreciating its heavenly taste.

Just Make It Naturally Sweet

Despite the powerful health conscious wave among the middle and upper middle income segment of India during the recent years, sugar still remains one of the chief ingredients of India’s bakery industry.

Wrap it up!

Packaging has become an important factor during the pandemic. People prefer to buy big brand packaged food products as they believe that these are more hygienic with less usage of human hands. They believe that packed under hygienic conditions, untouched by human hands, these packaged bakery products are less likely to spread the dreaded disease. The manufacturers’ objective of packaging food products is to protect it from spoilage or deterioration due to physical or chemical damage. Packaging, thus, not only ensures hygiene, by preventing tampering, but also helps in keeping the food from decaying. Besides this, it also provides product information and makes it look more presentable and appetizing. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the different types of packaging material available for bakery products and how they aid in increasing the products’ shelf life. New technologies have been adopted to enable bakery products maintain their freshness. He also takes a look at the future of bakery packaging to enable those desirous of entering the bakery packaging field, or starting a new bakery, keep abreast of the new emerging trends.

Simple Yet Elegant

Chef Salonika Bansal, Pastry Chef & Founder Crimsyn Patisserie

Breakfast Cafes

Can Have Bright Future

Apple a Day

Apple is a widely consumed edible fruit, which is borne by the apple tree (Malus domestica).

Annual Chef Awards & Summit by Indian Culinary Forum

The raging Covid- 19 pandemic has not deterred the community of chefs from the Indian Culinary Forum to celebrate their annual flagship event of Chef Awards and Knowledge Summit.

A growing… Loaf Affair

Since the beginning of recorded time, bread has been considered as “staff of life”, since it is consumed at all times of the day. During the pandemic the demand for bread from large bakeries has increased as it is believed to be more hygienic than staple food from F&B outlets. Bread from reputed bakeries has become popular with consumers of all ages. The health benefits of bread are also numerous. Epidemiological studies have shown whole grain products reduce type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease as well as cardiovascular mortality. Besides the health benefits it is a food that can be consumed at any time of the day. This convenience victual is becoming increasingly popular with the millenials, nuclear families and even the elderly as it provides hassle free meal, without the laborious process of cooking. Ashok Malkani views the popularity, variety and health benefits of this bakery product.

All About Bakery Business

India’s bakery industry is one of the biggest contributors to the country’s processed food industry. According to the latest report by IMARC Group the Indian bakery industry touched $ 7.9 billion in 2019. The market value is projected to reach a value of $ 13.3 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 19.1% during 2020-2025. These figures are likely to tempt entrepreneurs to enter the industry, which is also popular with n several female bakers. However, there are several aspects of the business which needs to be examined by industrialists before entering this field. Ashok Malkani examines a few of them like the growing awareness and preference of people for healthy products which are gluten free as well as the lack of skilled labour and other problems. One can also opt for the franchisee route.

Sugar Or Sweeteners, For Bakery Products?

Bakery industry contributes a great deal towards satiating one’s craving for sweets. With an array of cakes, chocolates and cookies, it definitely helps in satisfying your sweet tooth. However the health conscious millennial, and even the elderly, are become averse to consumption of refined sugar. So how does the bakery industry cope with this dilemma? Are the bakery chefs keen to shift from sugar to other forms of sweeteners? Ashok Malkani tries to find whether sugar is really harmful to health and how the bakery products can continue to spread sweetness around.

Common Mistakes that Occur While Baking

Baking is one of the most subtle arts which requires meticulous precision not only in the ingredients but also cooking temperatures and techniques. The balancing act is, often, intimidating but it can be overcome if one is cautious and goes about the process of baking assiduously.

Nothing Nutty About it

Cashew nut is regarded as a popular dry fruit with wide applications in food preparations, though it is neither a fruit and nor a nut, if one were to analyse scientifically.

Progressive Technology

Antarctica Equipment, since last two decades has created an image of a leading manufacturer, offering solutions for the commercial refrigeration and kitchen equipment. At Antarctica, the passion is always augmented by drive to be better technically on every aspect of the refrigeration process that makes an impact for the end user.

Smaart Eats Introduces Smaart Rice Straws in the Indian Market

Smart Eats believes that plastic waste has been choking the planet.