Does India need nutritional transformation?, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Functional foods and smart proteins are emerging as key components of India's nutritional transformation, addressing issues like stunting and protein deficiency.
• India's BioE3 policy recognizes functional foods and smart proteins, with the DBT and BIRAC initiating funding programs in these areas.
• In 2023, over 70 smart protein brands in India sold an estimated 377 products, including plant-based meat, eggs, and dairy alternatives.
• FSSAI is yet to issue definitive guidance on novel foods like cultivated meat or precision-fermented proteins, creating a regulatory gap.

India - Global Hunger Index Parameters (2023).png

Detailed Insights:

• India's focus is shifting from food security to nutritional security, emphasizing foods rich in proteins, antioxidants, and vitamins to meet health goals.
• Functional foods include vitamin-enriched rice and omega-3-fortified milk, utilizing technologies like nutrigenomics and bio-fortification.
• Smart proteins encompass plant-based proteins, fermentation-derived proteins, and cultivated meat, aiming to reduce reliance on conventional production methods.
• Other countries like Singapore (cultivated chicken approval in 2020) and China (prioritizing alternative proteins) are advancing in the smart protein sector.
• A national regulatory framework under FSSAI is needed to provide clarity on definitions, safety evaluation, and labeling for functional and alternative protein products.
• Public-private partnerships can help scale biomanufacturing infrastructure and indigenize critical technologies like precision fermentation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Functional Foods: Enriched foods promoting health or preventing disease.
• Smart Proteins: Proteins sourced using biotechnology to reduce reliance on conventional production.
• Nutritional Security: Providing food rich in essential nutrients to meet health and developmental goals.
• Biomanufacturing: Using biological systems to produce materials and products on a commercial scale.