Editorial

Linda Brady Hawke
Publisher

Dear Readers,

Healthy eating is no longer just a fad but a conscious decision. The food processing industry recognizes that as customers become more and more aware of their physical and emotional well being, it is necessary to provide healthier eating options and choices. The May edition of Food Marketing and Technology acknowledges this global trend and throws light on the use of healthy oils. We cover olive oil and soybean oil in our Ingredients section. There is an interesting article on ragi as a potent functional food. The author provides useful insights into how this rather ‘unfashionable’ grain can become a vital ingredient in the food processing industries’ bid to provide healthier alternatives in foods such as flour, noodles and cookies.

Sustainability of resources seems to be the new buzzword as far as environmentally conscious companies are concerned. But the issue raises a rather interesting debate across the supply chain. Is the cost of sustainability too high? And will consumers be willing to accept the cost? Is there a conflict here as companies have to spend their economic resources on PR campaigns and certifications? We examine the issue in close detail in our Marketing segment.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries released its annual report for the year 2011-12. The government has chalked out several important programmes in order to give a fillip to food processing industries in the country. A well-acknowledged fact is that the industry has been unable to develop at a faster pace mainly due to the lack of infrastructure facilities. The annual report indicates that the ministry is well aware of the bottlenecks vis-a-vis infrastructure. In its bid to correct the situation, the ministry has sent proposals to the Planning Commission. We carry excerpts of the proposal from the annual report in order to understand the various loopholes that it seeks to plug. Our Processing segment focuses attention on the frozen dairy industry and the constant search for new and better ingredients to improve flavour and texture.

Stricter environment norms as well as rising consumer consciousness mean that food packaging has to be environment friendly. Innovations and developments in this regard are the main thrust of all packaging R&D. Our Packaging segment takes a look at not just sustainable packaging but also provides an overall view of the various kinds of packaging that are suitable for the food segment.

Enjoy the issue!

Linda Brady Hawke
Publisher