BUSINESS

Thirst for probiotic drinks rising in India

By Abhijit Roy, Commodity Online
June 06, 2007 11:41 IST

As India's younger generation becomes more and more health conscious, consumption of healthy drinks particularly probiotic products are growing rapidly.

According to a survey conducted by M/s Euromonitor International, a radical change is taking place in India over the consumption of probiotic products.

The survey reveals that branded yoghurt, curd and cultured milk, lassi are growing at a rate of 14 per cent and 33 per cent respectively.

Leading players in India, who are engaged in probiotic products are Amul, Nestle, Mother Dairy and Britannia.

The survey also projected a mammoth Indian consumer market growth. Among food products, value added milk products and especially probiotic products are
expected to top the list.

India is becoming an attractive destination for investments in

this sector, report pointed out.

It noted that global food market is estimated at around $2.5 trillion per annum, which is growing currently at a rate of four percent per annum.

The growing health-conscious in newer generation has paved the way for varieties of weight reducing, low-cholesterol, high fibre, nutrient-rich food products in recent times. And the demand of these products has increased manifold.

The report also suggests that overall global growth rate in food and beverage products would vary significantly within regions and categories. In the beverage category, yoghurt-based drinks topped the list, which showed double-digit growth.

Some of the dairy beverage products can be enriched with active ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids, cholesterol-lowering ingredients and probiotics besides micronutrients.

Abhijit Roy, Commodity Online

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