FMCG firms cut down on sugar

Timing it with World Diabetes Day, Dabur India has partnered with the AYUSH Ministry to launch its GLYCODAB tablets. As India is among the top three countries with a high diabetic population, companies have started offering products or variants that either help in effective management of diabetes or prevention of such lifestyle diseases.

Durga Prasad Velidindi, Head of Marketing - Ethicals, Dabur India, said: “In India, patients prefer herbal and botanical extracts as medical interventions due to their ‘nature’ properties.”

The firm said the tablet is an advanced product developed for the effective management of diabetes and is part of the comapny’s mission to transform traditional knowledge of ayurveda into a contemporary healthcare option.

In fact, in the past 2-3 years, several companies have come out with diabetic-friendly products in categories such as biscuits, atta and edible oils. For example: Adani Wilmar introduced Fortune Vivo diabetes care oil, and ITC launched Aashirvaad Sugar Release Control atta variant. Analysts say that while the segment is still small, the trend is expected to get more pronounced in the coming years as consumers look to prevent such lifestyle diseases.

Deoki Muchhal, MD of food major Cargill India said: “Our Leonardo Olive Oil range serves as an ideal companion for any diabetic, as a part of their diet plan. Also, as a future initiative, we intend to introduce new product offerings in edible oil brands, wheat derivatives (sooji and dalia) and vegetable proteins. We are soon going to create edible-oil products suited for local consumption, to enable housewives to cook, maintain health quotient and manage the taste.” Most of the global beverage, snacks and confectionery firms have set targets to cut down on sugar and calories in their products.

Moreover, even makers of indulgence products such as ice-creams are looking at sugar-free and healthier offerings. Nitin Arora, MD, Creambell, said: “We offer zero-sugar ice-creams, which we are looking to expand with more premium flavours that have sugar-free fruit inclusions. At the same time, we are also working on ice-creams that use ‘monk fruit’ as a substitute to sweetener.”

Abhishek Sharma, President, pladis India, known for its McVitie’s brand, said FMCG firms want to ensure they have products in their portfolio that keep them relevant to consumers looking at healthier options. However, he added that while conversations around health and wellness may take a lot of “consumers’ mindspace,” it does not yet take enough “stomach space,” indicating that it may take longer for such categories to become significant in size.

COMMENT NOW