Addressing Protein Deficiency in India. The Role of High-Quality Protein as an Ingredient.
“Protein Deficiency: A silent health crisis for India.”
Over 80% of the population struggles to meet their daily protein needs. These figures are particularly concerning as the recommended daily intake for an average Indian adult is 0.8 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. Still, the average consumption falls short at around 0.6 grams per kilogram.
This deficiency isn’t static. A recent study revealed an alarming decline in per capita protein consumption—a 4% drop in urban areas and a staggering 11% decrease in rural areas. Interestingly, even with a rich vegetarian tradition and access to pulses, legumes, and nuts, up to 91% of vegetarians in India and up to 85% of non-vegetarians are likely to exhibit protein deficiency.
India’s struggle against protein deficiency arises from a multifaceted interplay of dietary preferences and economic accessibility. The hurdles surrounding vegetarian and vegan choices in the country revolve around their quality and affordability. Presently, many brands are resorting to importing premium-grade plant proteins, which brings forth challenges like exorbitant costs and fluctuating prices, import tariffs, inconsistency in the supply chain and reliance on external variables.
Transforming India’s Protein Landscape with Local, High-Quality Solutions
PROEON is poised to tackle this challenge head-on. Our mission is to bridge the gap between superior-quality ingredients and affordability while ensuring the end consumers maintain nutrition and taste. With our innovative approach, we are confident that we can significantly impact India’s protein deficiency crisis.
There is vast, untapped potential to harness local sources for high-quality protein production and reduce import dependencies. The abundance of local legumes, lentils, nuts, and seeds presents a unique opportunity to create affordable and accessible high-quality protein for the larger population. This would address the protein deficiency crisis and promote local agriculture and economic growth.
Leveraging local resources to produce premium protein, thereby lessening reliance on imports, is a significant yet largely unexplored opportunity in India.
At PROEON, we understand that the cornerstone of outstanding food products lies in the excellence of their ingredients. We specialize in creating super-quality proteins, empowering food and beverage manufacturers to develop delicious, protein-rich, plant-based offerings.
As pioneers in ingredient innovation, we’ve created a new protein to meet these demands. Our new offering, PROEON PEANUT80, is a clean-tasting, affordable and accessible protein that serves as a vital bridge in addressing the nutrition gap. To learn more about PROEON PEANUT80 click here
Sources:
‘The protein consumption in diet of adult Indians’ by The Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB)
https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/indias-protein-deficiency-and-the-need-to-address-the-problem
https://righttoprotein.com/assets/pdf/Indias-Protein-Paradox-Study.pdf