India Food Stats

Food Brand acquisitions are reshaping the Food Industry in India: * British multinational confectionery company Cadbury was a constant constituent of The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index (FTSE 100) from the index's 1984 inception until the company was bought by Kraft Foods in 2010. In 2012, the confectionery business of Kraft became Mondelēz International, of which Cadbury is a subsidiary. The Indian subsidiary of Cadbury has come to be known as Mondelez.   * The popular bread brands Modern & Harvest Gold are owned by  Grupo Bimbo , a Mexican multinational food company which operates in over 33 countries. * In 1994, Heinz bought the Complan brand from Glaxo.  In 2019, the Ahmedabad-based Zydus Wellness acquired Complan, Glucon-D, Nycil  brands from Heinz . * Hindustan Unilever acquired GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health India for Rs 31,700 crore in 2020 and got ownership of Horlicks, Boost brands.  * Norwegian group Orkla ASA acquir...

I analyzed 55 products (with known nutrition facts as of April 24, 2024) in the Breakfast Cereals category of the India database of Open Food Facts - the 'Wikipedia of food'. The data, which has been obtained from Open Food Facts and subsequently cleaned, is available on GitHub in CSV format . You can also view that curated dataset with the Flat Viewer tool .  Here are my findings and fun facts I discovered - * Flattened rice flakes, commonly known as "poha" or "beaten rice," have long been a popular breakfast item in many regions of India. Traditionally sold loosely in retail stores, these rice flakes have recently made their way into branded breakfast cereal offerings, such as those by Tata Sampann. Poha is appreciated for its nutritional value, versatility, and ease of preparation, making it a staple in Indian households and an increasingly popular choice in the global breakfast cereal market. * Flattened rice flakes are produced by parboiling, rolling, ...

Founded by Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM,  NutritionFacts.org  is a science-driven nonprofit organization that offers easily digestible and complimentary updates on the most recent nutrition research.  Through concise videos, blogs, podcasts, and infographics , the platform promotes informed dietary choices. Dr. Greger, a renowned physician and best-selling author, is a distinguished expert on nutrition, food safety, and public health matters. Featured in CuriosityStream's Prescription: Nutrition documentary, he says, 'The leading causes of death and disability are largely chronic diseases now, but 80% of them are completely related to diet and lifestyle." Tips from the website: * Vitamin D3 from plant or animal sources may be preferable to D2 sourced from fungi. * Taking vitamin D with the largest meal of the day improves absorption * If you’re overweight, you may want to instead take 3,000 IU supplemental vitamin D and even more if obese. * Vitamin D from the sun is bette...

Food laws of many countries require some or all of the following major 14 allergens to be declared: Cereals containing gluten; i.e., wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt or their hybridized strains and products of these Crustacean and their products Milk & Milk products Eggs and egg products Fish and fish products  Peanuts Tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts) and their products Soybeans and their products Sulphur dioxide and sulphites Sesame Celery Lupin Mustard Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters) There are several other allergens besides these. Almond flour is among the most common grain- and gluten-free flours available . However, foods free of gluten, soy or genetically modified ingredients may contain lupin. Being aware of allergen information and avoiding cross-contamination is especially important for those involved in a food business Allergens and traces differ in their origins. Allergens are ingred...

An X user shocked the internet in a viral thread about “applejuiceification and the illusion of choice”, pointing out that most mixed juices and smoothies are mainly made from apples. The post examined 13 juices in a supermarket, finding that most contained 50%+ apple juice, despite not mentioning apple in the product name. Examples included a Naked passion fruit, mango, and guava smoothie with 62% apple juice, and an Innocent pink dragon fruit and lychee drink made from 70% apple juice.  The Guardian consulted food experts who explained how and why juice manufacturers often use cheap, abundant apple juice as a base, even when the product is marketed as a different fruit flavor. Apples provide a sweet-tart taste profile that consumers find palatable, and using apple juice allows companies to maximize profit margins. The experts noted that there are only two ways for food companies to make more money - sell more or use cheaper ingredients. Apple juice is a "double win" as it...

‘My Plate for the Day’ representing proportions of different food groups is a model suggested by ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition for healthy eating to meet energy requirements of ~2000 Kcal -

I analyzed 55 products (with known nutrition facts as of April 5, 2024) across 22 brands in the Milks category of the India database of Open Food Facts - the 'Wikipedia of food'. The data, which has been obtained from Open Food Facts and subsequently cleaned up, is available on GitHub in CSV format . You can also view that curated dataset with the Flat Viewer tool .  Here are my findings and fun facts I discovered - * In India, dairy products are a primary source of protein for vegetarians, and Ayurveda, an ancient system of medicine, recommends daily milk consumption. * Dairy products, especially milk, were consumed on the subcontinent at least from the Vedic period  (1500 – 500 BCE).  * The mid-20th century witnessed the White Revolution, or Operation Flood , led by Dr. Verghese Kurien , transforming India into the world's largest milk producer. A breakthrough in making skim milk powder from buffalo milk helped Amul, a major dairy cooperative, successfully compete agai...