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On the principle of the cold chain network being demand driven, the increasing presence of MNC F&B brands such as McDonald’s, Dominos Pizza, and Baskin-Robbins - concepts which rely heavily on frozen food - will accrue benefits for smaller hotels and restaurants.
“Players will expand into newer markets in middle-tier and smaller cities across India, and offer high-value products at affordable pricing. Having established a presence in the top-tier cities, chains are now turning their attention to ... Chandigarh, Kanpur, Lucknow and Nashik to sustain volume sales growth,” the report stated.
Hotels upwards of four-star, at the top end of the food service ecosystem, are also heavily dependent on frozen food and face almost the same challenges as restaurants.
These operations have graduated from the basic French fries and meats to more exotic variations, driven by consumer demand and by the need to outdo their peers. Clyde Fernandes, materials manager corporate purchase, IHCL (Taj) says : “Salmon is now common.
The new demand is for racks of lamb and seafood; some restaurants even keep 25 different cheese varieties.” Pranali Mehta of Fortune Gourmet Specialties, adds: “The demand for Italian meats, Chilean sea bass, smoked bass, and French cheese, have increased.
The opening up of the domestic market has given us the opportunity to introduce new products such as a fish called basha, the black cod, and veal tenderloin, and brands such as Lemnos and Keells.” A feature on organic food by chef Michael Fernandes, had many arguing for its health virtues.
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Then, there are also some like Santosh Jori, executive chef at the Le Royal Meridien in Mumbai, who participated in the special report on cost management in an earlier issue of Catering Insight.
“For me, frozen fruits and vegetables are often more nutritious than fresh food, as they are processed and frozen within hours of being picked. Fresh produce may sit in storage for days, weeks, or even months, before being sold.
Their nutrient value depletes with time, which is not the case with frozen food,” he said. Le Meridien has recently introduced its new brand standards, in which cuisine is one of the three main pillars.
Their hotels are now compelled to use certain international products and absorb higher costs to meet these standards. Perhaps Jori has a frozen ace up his sleeve after all.
Stats and facts
A Rs374,000 crore industry directly employing 20-lakh workers, the Indian food processing industry accounts for 43% of the Rs880,000 crore of our overall food industry, and is slated to capture 50% by 2015.
At 43% in value terms, the Indian food processing level is much lower than most other countries. For instance, the total market size of fruits and vegetables is estimated to grow to Rs328,516 crore by 2015.
This segment contributes 23% to the overall Indian food industry. However, the food processing sector contributes a mere four per cent, despite India being the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables.
The marine industry, accounting for 13% of the total processed sector, is expected to grow to Rs52,279 crore by 2015.
Poultry produce is another prime segment expected to grow to Rs49,860 crore by 2015, and offers good opportunity for exports as well as domestic consumption.
India produces 450-million broilers and 30-billion eggs annually, with an estimated growth rate of 16% and 20% respectively. Currently, most of this produce is exported to the Maldives and Oman.
Despite being the world’s largest producer of food, India accounts for only 1.6% of the international food trade. The government plans to take this figure up to three per cent in the next few years.
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