Functional Foods and Smart Proteins

The article discusses the evolving relationship between society and food, focusing on the emergence of functional foods and smart proteins.

Functional Foods

• Enriched foods that enhance health or prevent disease.
• Examples include vitamin-enriched rice and omega-3-fortified milk.
• Technologies involved: 
  1. Nutrigenomics: Study of nutrition and gene interaction.
  2. Bio-fortification: Enhancing nutritional value of crops.
  3. 3D food printing and bioprocessing: Innovative food production methods.

Smart Proteins

• Biotechnology-sourced proteins to reduce reliance on conventional animal products.
• Categories include: 
  1. Plant-based proteins: Mimic animal meat and dairy using legumes, cereals, or oilseeds.
  2. Fermentation-derived proteins: Produced by microbial systems.
  3. Cultivated meat: Grown in bioreactors without slaughtering animals.

Nutritional and Policy Context in India

India faces challenges in achieving nutritional transformation while ensuring sustainability. The focus is shifting from food security to nutritional security to meet health and developmental goals.

• More than one-third of Indian children are stunted.
• Urban-rural divide in adult protein intake.
• Need for protein, antioxidants, and vitamins in diets.

Government and Industry Initiatives

• Recognized under India’s Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment (BioE3) policy.
• Funding and research by DBT and BIRAC in bio-fortified crops and smart proteins.
• Private sector investments by companies like Tata, ITC, and Marico.

Challenges and Global Context

• Regulatory gaps, limited infrastructure, and consumer perception issues.
• Japan and Singapore lead in functional foods and cultivated meat regulation, respectively.
• China and the EU are prioritizing alternative proteins.

Economic and Environmental Impacts

• Potential for India to become a major supplier in the global plant-based foods market, valued at $85 billion to $240 billion by 2030.
• Environmental benefits include reduced emissions and land degradation.
• Challenges include innovation lag and market concentration risks.

Recommendations

• National regulatory framework for novel foods by FSSAI.
• Inter-ministerial coordination and public-private partnerships.
• Workforce upskilling and public education.

Author: Shambhavi Naik, Chairperson at Takshashila Institution’s Health & Life Sciences Policy.