Desserts by Puratos India

Well, this question raises many more questions in my mind! On one hand we want us to have a balanced healthy diet and on the other hand we want it to be delectable as well. We also want food to be quick and hygienic. How can all these wishes together produce a food that takes care of all aspects.

Flower Bruffin by Puratos

Most of these questions were answered in the workshop organized by Puratos, a leading global food ingredient company. Puratos showcased the result of research of survey Taste tomorrow 2015. The survey was to determine consumer trends in baked goods industry.

Release of the report was at Taj Mansingh in Delhi. Four keynote speakers (Chef Manjit Singh Gill, ITC hotels. Sandeep Gugnani, Head of Supply Chain, Dunkin Donuts, Dev Lal – Bakers Circle, Chef Varun Inamdar- Chef, Chocolatier ) addressed the gathering. I attended the session by Chef Manjit Gill and Sandeep Gugnani.

Chef Manjeet Gill addressing the gathering

Session by Chef Manjeet Gill hosted by Puratos

In the session, Manjeet Gill educated us on six types of tastes- sweet, salty, punjent, bitter, sour and astringent. He mentioned that spicy is no taste. Spicy simply means full of spices. It can never mean chilly which is mostly used as a misnomer these days.

Manjeet advised that to be able to prepare a tasty dish, one should know the taste of raw ingredients along with the usefulness of that ingredient in the dish. One should never just put spices and ingredients for the sake of it unless it adds value to the food. Secondly, one should be happy while cooking the food. The mood of the cook reflects in the food.

He said there are six gastronomic seasons and our taste buds change as per the season. During monsoons for example, we want to eat salty food so we prepare pakoras etc. During winters, our body requires sweet, sour and pungent food.

The session was highly informative. I was glad to be the part of it.

Sandeep Gugnani speaking at the session by Puratos

Session by Sandeep Gugnani

Sandeep Gugnani emphasised on the freshness of food. In QSRs, where the food is enclosed on a cabin like patties, pastries, doughnuts etc, the food doesn’t seem to move and hence is called dead food. We don’t know about its freshness. There are no traces from where the food has come from.

Sandeep mentioned consumers these days have become more aware, they want food to be prepared on the spot in front of them. Consumer needs to know ingredients, spices and souls being used to cook their meal in front. They are ready to spend extra time sand money for a healthy, hygienic and fresh food. He mentioned about Chipotle restaurant chain in U.S. where Mexican food is cooked in front and the consumer has choice to customize it. The preparation tasked time but people are fine with it.

This session by Sandeep was very educative and I could actually related to the customer reaction as he mentioned.

Overall, it was an informative event and I am glad to be a part to it so I could pass it on to you.

Reports on ‘Taste tomorrow 2015’ by Puratos

1. Consumer preferences of baked food was based on 3 key criteria: freshness, health and taste.

2. 62% consumers believe that food will be more diverse in India by the year 2025.  Consumers also believed that food will be more innovative and tastier, more convenient and ready-to-eat to mirror lifestyle changes in India by 2025.

3. Upto 46% consumers in India expect food to be healthier and of a better quality by 2025. The preferences are clearly veering towards fresh, healthy and organic.

4. 74% of consumers in India tend towards reading labels in detail. Along the same lines are indicators that some food materials are being now being considered ‘power’ ingredients because they offer the perfect balance of taste and health. 86% Indian consumers find whole-grains and whole-meal to be healthy and 75% feel it adds something to taste also.

5.76% of consumers would appreciate a live bakery where they can see freshly baked items on the spot. Additionally, and perhaps not so surprisingly, 80% of consumers in India feel chocolate adds taste to patisserie products.

The survey concludes that consumers have become more empowered and articulate over the last few years. They want to have a say in the products they consume and have more means than ever before to do so, particularly with the growing trend of social media.

About Puratos Food Ingredient Pvt. Ltd.:

Puratos is a leading global food ingredient company that entered India in 2008. Headquartered in Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium, Puratos has a presence in over 68 countries via local subsidiaries. With a full range of innovative products and application expertise in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sector, Puratos products and services are sold in over 100 countries around the world. Puratos helps customers in delivering nutritious, delicious food leveraging new technologies and innovations in ingredients across countries of presence.

Nidhi KM

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