Jul 2, 2018
Ready-to-eat foods are in demand
Due to changing lifestyles, the fad for heat-and-eat food items is catching on in the state despite concerns about quality and hygiene.
KOCHI: After packaged dosa and idli batter conquering the kitchens of Kerala, now it’s the turn of chappati and puri to make waves with small time entrepreneurs establishing mechanised units to make them, earning a profit close to Rs 6,000 a day. Industry experts say the cumbersome dough kneading process to prepare chappati has in fact fuelled the ready-to-cook chappati business in the state. The rapid mushrooming of small businesses to fill the rising demand has resulted in a manifold growth in this sector over the past few years, giving a stiff challenge to traditional large packaged food companies.
Take for example, Chappathi Point at Gandhinagar, holding the distinction of being one of the first mechanised chappati-making units in Kochi which kick-started its operations in 2014. With 15 exclusive outlets in the city, it sells more than 15,000 chappatis a day in Kochi. Such has been the rate of growth of this business in Kerala that they have opened manufacturing units and distribution centres in cities like Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. “Our total sales vary between 25,000 and 30,000 chappatis per day in Kerala,” said Anoop Chandran, proprietor of Chappathi Point.
The fast-paced lifestyle has resulted in people not wasting time on routine activities like cooking, making them turn to reliable packaged foods items,” said Chandran. He added the concept of opening their own distribution chain in the city has helped them retain a loyal set of customers who have come to trust the brand. Another unit Aaji’s Chappathi on Kaloor-Kadavantara Road in the city is the story of a young entrepreneur named Vishnu T Jairaj who ventured out in 2016. According to Vishnu, the demand is rising, but so is the supply with multiple units catering to the same coming up in the recent years.
He stressed the importance of standing out to make a difference. “As pre-cooked chappati has four ingredients - atta, water, salt and oil - we experimented heavily to get the right mix to make the tastiest chappatis. The usage of Sharbati atta sourced from Gujarat, which is considered best for chappatis, rice bran oil and the general avoidance of preservatives ensures our brand gradually becomes popular,” said Vishnu. Aaji’s also sells home-made dishes in the evening that go along with the chappatis and plans to make it a dine-in soon.
A sneak peek into the economics of these businesses reveals an initial investment of around R20 lakh to set up a pre-cooked processing plant. These highly mechanised units with just four employees can produce more than 5,000 chappatis or puris in a day. Most manufacturers sell a packet of 10 chappatis for R45-50, with their cost of manufacturing a packet standing anywhere in the range of R25-30. The healthy profit margin is a major attraction for many to set up a unit. Apart from individual customers, these units source orders mainly from hotels, retail stores, canteens and housing societies.
Kudumbasree estimates a total of 963 food processing centres run under its umbrella alone in the state. Small-scale industries catering to this segment which mainly provide employment opportunities to women receive various subsidies under different state and Central Government schemes.
The issue of food additives
Food adulteration is the talk of the town with state officials seizing large swathes of contaminated fish at various checkpoints across Kerala. What we fail to understand is preservatives are used in almost all food products to extend its shelf life. Claiming to be a victim of the excessive use of chemicals in pre-cooked chappatis, Noushad Saffron has started his brand of preservative-free products named Bread Basket in Kochi.
Saffron claims he consumed these contaminated chapattis regularly for little under a year, which caused damage to the liver, leading to partial cirrhosis. “Most of the manufacturers add things like sodium benzoate, glycerine and vanaspati that cause long-term damages to your body,” said Saffron. To ensure healthy products, Bread Basket claims to only make use of clinically-tested atta free of any additives sourced from Rajasthan, rice bran oil and UV filtered water. He said the unit and employees use all preventative measures to avoid contamination and use food grade reusable plastics for packaging.
Business establishments like Aaji’s and Chappathi Point say smaller units tend to mostly sell their items produced on the same day, so the need to add preservatives does not exist. Small businesses report a strict need-to-basis production. Any unsold inventory at the end of the day is generally sourced by local hotels and canteens at a discounted price. A fairly well-established packaged food venture in the city said when there are orders which require a shelf life of 3-4 days, lower than permissible levels of ascorbic acid are added. Ascorbic acid is allowed by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India to be added to food products to extend its shelf life.
When quality matters
Kochi: Of late, there has been an increase in the number of shops and food units selling half-cooked chappati, porotta, puri and pathiri. Though these ready-to-cook products are proving to be a big hit, many have expressed apprehensions over quality. Many consumers have raised doubts about the quality of the raw materials being used, hygiene of the production units and whether these businesses are registered. As per the FSSAI regulations, no person shall commence any food business unless he possesses a valid licence.
According to district food safety officer K V Shibu, every food processing unit has to register with the Food Safety Department. “Officials from the department will conduct a thorough inspection of the unit before issuing a licence,” he said. Also, frequent inspections are carried out to ascertain whether these units are following the FSSAI guidelines. “Samples are collected from food processing units at regular intervals and tested for contaminants, toxins, presence of banned preservatives and chemicals,” he said. If any unit is found not adhering to regulations strict action like cancellation of licence is taken, he added.
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