Health conscious consumers are gradually turning to healthy products like nutritional soya products in order to protect themselves from various fatal diseases Soya, a food product that is highly rich in protein,is gradually gaining huge popularity among consumers in the domestic market. This has been reflected by a poll conducted by FoodProcessing360 where a staggering 100% of the respondents have expressed that soya demand is rising due to its nutritional value as well as easy availability at reasonable rates.
“In India, consumers are steadily becoming health conscious. As a result, the demand for nutritious and wholesome diet is surging, especially among the young generation. Therefore, health drinks and low-calorie snacks are seen to have gained considerable acceptance among domestic consumers,” says Sanjay Chauhan, proprietor of Shobha Ltd, a small-sized soya supplier in Gurgaon, Haryana.
 Multi benefits of soya
Soya contains 16-18 types of protein and other vitamins that are vital for the development of the human body. In India, a huge section of the population follow a strict vegetarian diet; as a result, sometimes they are unable to obtain certain essential nutrients. By consuming soya products they would be able to supplement themselves with the required nutrients. Moreover, soya intake also reduces chances of several diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis and heart ailments, among others.
“Food manufacturers are also becoming increasingly aware about the nutritional values of soya ingredients. It has also been noticed that of late there has been a rise in the number of food processing players who deal in soya ingredients. Therefore, consumers are now provided with a wider choice of soya food products such as soya-based drinks, pastas etc.,” says Girish Rajan, director of Natural Foods, a mid-sized soya exporter in Bengaluru.
Soya production in India
Currently, India is recognised as the fifth largest producer of soya bean in the global market. The commodity is mainly grown in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, among others.
In order to further boost the demands of soya and soya-based ingredients, food processors have introduced various products such as tofu, soya nuggets and soya milk, among others.
Sabrina Mitchell |
