The first Tamil Nadu Agri-Business Festival was held at Nandambakkam, Chennai, on 8 and 9 July 2023, bringing together government, farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), researchers and industry to showcase innovation in agriculture and food. Food Research Lab (FRL), a unit of Guires Solutions Private Limited, was proud to be invited among the distinguished participants.
Guires Director Dr Radhika Ganesan, who leads clinical and scientific research operations at Guires, delivered an informative lecture on "Next Generation Protein Food". Drawing on FRL's research and formulation experience, she explained protein consumption patterns and consumer awareness in India, and why the country urgently needs new, accessible protein food choices.
Dr Radhika mapped next-generation protein market trends into four categories by market maturity. "Emerging" covers insects such as black soldier fly larvae and mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), culture-based and cell-based meat, and single-cell proteins other than mycoproteins. "Children" includes algae such as red seaweed and duckweed, and fungal proteins. "Adolescents" features pea, rice, corn and potato proteins, while "Matured" comprises soy, wheat, canola and mycoproteins. She also addressed the technical challenges of formulating alternative protein products, alongside the significant opportunities they present.
Her central message was a responsible one: before consumers are asked to switch to meat analogues, they must first have access to a basic, reliable source of protein. She urged the development of diverse protein-based products that help people meet their Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).
Before consumers switch to meat analogues, we must first give them a reliable, basic source of protein.
The session shared FRL's own market research on protein products available in India, together with products FRL has developed using protein as a source. The audience was introduced to ingredients that farmers could produce, including probiotics, nutraingredients, isolates, concentrates, resistant starch and plant-based extracts. Dr Radhika discussed production strategies and the innovative thinking farmers need to create new, sustainable and higher-value products.
The festival was also an excellent platform for FPOs to present products made from organic ingredients. The exhibition featured millet-based ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods, banana-based granola, moringa nutrition bars, dips, soups, millet and herbal teas, millet flakes, ready-to-cook upma and soaps made with organic ingredients.
Overall, the festival was a vibrant hub for knowledge exchange and networking, and attendees left inspired to drive innovation across agriculture and food. For Food Research Lab, it was a valuable opportunity to share honest, evidence-based insight and to learn from farmers and entrepreneurs working at the grassroots.
FRL is committed to formulating innovative, value-added products from organic ingredients, such as millet upma mix, millet ladoo, moringa gummies and protein-enriched pasta, that are loved by all age groups and meet real nutritional needs. We take pride in delivering high-quality, science-backed work that truly makes a difference. Our goal is to turn your dream concept into a commercial product, combining deep knowledge of ingredients and techniques with the integrity and care that help you make the right decisions.
