Rise of Functional Foods

Context

Society’s view on eating is shifting – now the spotlight’s turning toward clever proteins along with useful foods meant to boost well-being while easing pressure on the planet.

Functional Foods

• These are everyday eats packed with extra nutrients to help you feel better – take rice boosted with vitamins or dairy drinks loaded with omega-3s, for instance.
• They use different techs – like nutrigenomics, which checks how food affects DNA; bio-fortification; making food layer by layer using 3D printers; also turning raw stuff into edible forms through biological methods.

Smart Proteins

• It’s about lab-made proteins meant to cut down on traditional farming methods – using science instead of livestock.
• These involve plant-made proteins – like reshaped extracts from beans, grains, or seed oils that act like real meat and milk – alongside proteins made through fermentation, where tiny organisms pump them out; also included is lab-grown meat, which uses animal cells bred in tanks instead of killing animals.

Need In India

• India’s nutrition scene is all over the place – more than 30% of kids don’t grow properly, while city and village folks eat very different amounts of protein. With people earning more now, attention should move past just having enough food toward eating better stuff, like foods packed with proteins, vitamins, or things that fight body damage.
• Achieving this means juggling diet needs alongside planet-friendly choices – shaping a food setup that weathers shocks while respecting climate limits.
• Fresh ideas – say, meals that do more than just fill you up or clever protein twists – can stretch further because they boost what we get from regular eating, yet don’t pile on environmental strain.

Status In India

• India’s moving forward step by step on functional foods and clever protein options through the BioE3 plan, backed by the Biotech Department along with BIRAC.
• Some new steps involve nutrient-boosted plants such as rice with extra zinc made by IIRR in Hyderabad; meanwhile, pearl millet packed with iron comes from ICRISAT. On another front, big companies – Tata, ITC, even Marico – are putting money into everyday foods enhanced with vitamins and minerals.
• The smart protein field’s growing – more than 70 labels now sell around 377 vegan options for meat, eggs, or milk, data from 2023 shows. Firms such as GoodDot together with Evo Foods drive new ideas; meanwhile, Zydus LifeSciences jumped into fermented proteins by early 2024.
• The DBT backed lab-grown meat studies at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.
• Still, clear rules from FSSAI along with facilities for mass fermentation and solid testing are major hurdles. Yet progress depends on these factors working together somehow.

Global Scenario

• Japan kicked off both the idea and rules for health-focused foods back in the 1980s. Meanwhile, lab-grown meat came later – Singapore led the way by greenlighting cultured chicken for stores in 2020.
• China’s pushing alt-proteins as part of feeding its people and driving new food tech, whereas the EU backs eco-friendly protein via its Farm to Fork plan.

Way Ahead

• To boost food safety, India should tap into functional eats along with clever protein options – these could bring big wins economically while helping the planet too.
• As the worldwide demand for plant-made foods might hit $240 billion by 2030, India stands a chance to become a top provider – creating work from farms through factories to delivery networks. On the flip side, proteins grown from natural sources can help cut pollution while easing pressure on land and water.
• Still, problems pop up – like weak rules, fake labels, not enough facilities, also doubt around food made in labs.

Source: The Hindu

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