Run-through
Driven by health awareness and the ‘Eat Right Movement,’ Indian packaged food business like Britannia, Nestle, and Tata Consumer are substantially minimizing sugar, salt, and fat in their items. They’re likewise integrating more wholegrains, millets, and important nutrients. This pattern reaches the drink sector, with low-sugar and non-alcoholic alternatives getting traction, showing a more comprehensive customer shift towards much healthier options.
Bengaluru|Kolkata: When over half of sodas offered in India have gone low or totally sugar-free(according to PepsiCo’s lead bottler Varun Beverages), can packaged food be left?
While low-sugar or sugar-free foodstuff might not be controling sales yet, business such as Britannia Industries, Nestle, Tata Consumer Products and Marico have actually driven a significant decrease in the level of sugar, salt and fat in their items. There is likewise a boost in wholegrains and millets, vitamins and micronutrients in the items of these business, consisting of ITC and AWL Agri Business, based on disclosures in their yearly, service and sustainability reports for financial 2025.
Biscuits significant Britannia stated in between 2018-19 and 2024-25, it has actually increased the wholegrain material in its items by more than three-and-a-half times and decreased the sugar and salt levels by 3.4% and 11.9%. Nestle India has actually cut sugar by 6%, salt by 10% and overall fat by 2.5% throughout classifications.
The business, which dealt with reaction over the sugar material in Cerelac, in 2015 introduced brand-new versions of the child food without any refined sugar. “While taste has actually traditionally defeated health, customers now desire both nutrition and pleasure,” stated Shashwat Goenka, vice-chairman at the RPSanjiv Goenka Group, which owns food retail chains Nature’s Basket and Spencer’s Retail. “This isn’t simply another pattern however a motion throughout all food classifications. From treats to desserts, individuals desire alternatives that fit their wellness objectives, however still please yearnings,” he stated in a social networks post recently.
Tata Consumer Products stated it has actually decreased sugarcoated in among its ready-to-drink variations by 30%.
It has actually minimized another by 20% given that FY24 and prepares to make more decreases. These actions have actually currently assisted it minimize using sugar by 2,900 tonnes in the last 2 years, the business said.In FY25, health and wellness-focused brand-new items comprised 29% of its overall offerings.
Marico stated it has actually minimized the quantity of salt by 20% in crucial items such as oats and millets under its Saffola brand name. It is strengthening the whole series of edible oils portfolio with fat soluble vitamins, as is rival AWL Agri Business. Marico is likewise utilizing oats, soya, millets, nuts and seeds, and honey in items to resolve noncommunicable illness, heart diseases and conditions affecting resistance.
To be sure, big food business are signatory to sector regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s ‘Eat Right Movement’ introduced in 2018 to combat way of life illness and enhance public health. General awareness and criticisms on social media about unhealthy packaged food have actually accelerated this pattern, market executives stated.
ITC stated while it is minimizing salt, sugar and fat without jeopardizing on sensory characteristics (such as taste), it likewise wishes to increase the level of nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber that are helpful for health.
ZERO-SPIRIT WHISKEY, LESS-UNHEALTHY SNACKS
This pattern is likewise discovering favour in the alcohol drink area. According to India’s biggest beer maker, United Breweries, its newest launch, Amstel Grande, has no additional sugar. The marketplace for no-alcohol-low calorie scotch and beers too is getting in cities, driven by Gen Z.
Rohit Pillai, director, item and development at beer brand name Bira91, stated there is a strong capacity in the low-calorie section within the alcobev area which is still nascent.
Zero-alcohol drink maker Sober Zero Proof Spirits creator Aditya Aggarwal stated the biggest sales factor is zero-spirit bourbon.
Treats maker Bikaji Foods chief running officer Manoj Verma openly informed experts last week that there’s absolutely nothing called healthy food. “You might state healthy treats. You might state less unhealthy. That’s a much better method to put that up,” he stated. Verma stated while business including his are taking actions to be future prepared, this market is still extremely specific niche.
