Talking food: Beyond the health hype
Category : Article
Appeared in the Consumer Life section of Economic Times, 21st September 2010
The article explores the Indian consumers’ relationship with health - rife with seemingly paradoxical situations, all with their own “consumer logic”
The article explores the Indian consumers’ relationship with health - rife with seemingly paradoxical situations, all with their own “consumer logic”
NEARLY 50% of all Indian adults in the 25-34 age group and 60% of those in the 35-44 age group “make conscious attempts to eat healthy”, according to a Datamonitor consumer survey. Many packaged food companies in India seem to agree, going by the intensification of efforts in the “eating healthy” space. From soya milk to oats, from sugar-free confectionery to low-fat milk, sweeteners, margarines, cornflakes, fruit juices, this space is buzzing with action. While the high visibility of packaged health products reflects the serious intent of companies, a closer look at the revenues of some of these brands show that the results have been mixed. Time perhaps to step back and ask a few basic questions. Are companies taking this whole business of “eating healthy” a tad too seriously? How interested is the average Indian consumer in health? What is “eating healthy”? Where do packaged foods fit in this context of health?
