The first Tamil Nadu Agri-Business Festival took place in Nandambakkam on July 8th and 9th, 2023, showcasing innovations and advancements in the agriculture and food sectors. Among the distinguished participants, the Food Research Lab (FRL), a Unit of Guires Solutions Private Limited, was invited to attend the event. Dr. Radhika Ganesan, Clinical and Scientific Research Operations Head at Guires Solutions, delivered a highly informative lecture on ‘Next Generation Protein Food.’ Her presentation offered valuable insights into protein consumption patterns and consumer awareness in India, shedding light on the urgent need to introduce new protein food choices.
During her lecture, Dr. Radhika emphasized the next-generation protein market trends and classified them into four categories based on their maturity in the market. These categories included ‘Emerging,’ comprising insects (e.g., black soldier fly larvae, mealworm tenebrio molitor), culture-based and cell-based meat, and single-cell protein other than mycoproteins. ‘Children’ included algae (Red seaweed, ducksea weed) and fungal proteins, while ‘Adolescents’ featured pea, rice, corn, and potato proteins. The ‘Matured’ category comprised soy, wheat, canola, and mycoproteins. She also addressed the technical challenges involved in formulating alternative protein products, while highlighting the immense opportunities present in the market.
Dr. Radhika stressed the importance of providing a basic source of protein to consumers before they switch to meat analogues. She urged the development of diverse products using protein as a source to meet the basic Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) requirement.
The presentation included FRL’s market research findings on various protein products available in the market and their own products developed using protein as a source. The audience was introduced to a range of ingredients that farmers could produce, such as probiotics, nutraingredients, isolates, concentrates, resistant starch, and plant-based extracts. Dr. Radhika discussed strategies for production and the innovative thinking approaches required by farmers to produce new and sustainable products.
The festival also provided an excellent platform for Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs) to showcase their innovative products formulated from organic ingredients. The exhibition featured a diverse array of food products, including millet-based ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook options. Some highlights included banana-based granola cereals, moringa-based nutrition bars, dips, soups, millet and herbal teas, millet flakes, and ready-to-cook upma. The event also featured an impressive display of soaps made with organic ingredients.
Overall, the TN Agri-Business Festival served as a hub for knowledge exchange and networking in the agricultural and food industries. The engaging lectures, product exhibitions, and interactive discussions left attendees inspired and motivated to drive innovation in the agriculture and food sectors.
It was a golden opportunity for the Food Research Lab to share their insights and learn from the interactive exchange of information. The Food Research Lab is committed to formulating innovative value-added products from organic ingredients like millet-based upma mix, millet Ladoo, moringa gummies and protein-enriched pasta. The team ensures that the products are loved by all age groups and meet nutritional requirements. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality products that truly make a difference. Our goal is to make your dream concept a commercial product, integrating our strong knowledge of ingredients and techniques to help you make the right decisions.
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