With the world being hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the F&B industry has witnessed one of the most testing quarters due to pandemic-led closure of hotels, restaurants, theaters, malls etc which took a toll on consumption mainly.
In conversation with ChiniMandi News, Mr. Manoj Balgi – Head Procurement – Britannia Industries Ltd. shared his views related to procurement and consumption of sugar amid coronavirus pandemic. He said, “About 30-35% of the sugar consumption in India is out of home occasions / takeaway; this has taken a major hit during the pandemic. My estimate is that the total drop in consumption in this period is about 1-1.2 Mn T. Most of the festivals happen in the July-September period. Due to ongoing lockdown, demand pick will be slow till lockdowns ease and there is more movement of people.”
“We have always been focused on delivering the best of quality and the coronavirus pandemic is no different. Many sugar mills still do not adhere to the guidelines laid down by FSSAI on labeling. It’s been about 4 years since these guidelines came up. Though the compliance is increasing it is not 100%. The mills must adhere to the norms laid down by various government/regulatory agencies.” He added
Speaking on bulk buying by various industrial consumers in line with the strong rumors on the hike of Minimum Selling Price (MSP) he shared, “Considering the uncertainty of demand / tight liquidity situation in the market stocking that would have happened would be maximum 0.5-0.7 Mn T in the trade.
Of late, there have been many campaigns on sugar being unhealthy, speaking on how Britannia is coping with it and diversifying its products Balgi said, “Consumption of sugar in moderation is recommended and we do offer product choices to consumers with no sugar product variants under Digestive Brand (Essential, 0% digestive). We have been working to further offer these choices to consumers with a wider product portfolio. With the advancement in the ingredient technology, we will continue to evaluate consumer acceptance of products with optimized sugar content in the portfolio.”
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