India’s foodservice sector has a new partner in Anchor Food Professionals
Chefs in India’s rapidly-growing foodservice sector are the latest to benefit from Fonterra’s foodservice offering, following the launch of Anchor Food Professionals at the SIAL food innovation exhibition held in New Delhi.
The launch marks another step for the Co-op as it looks to unlock the value of dairy in the Indian market and develop new foodservice markets.
Fonterra Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific Judith Swales explains that as the world’s largest producer and consumer of dairy, India’s appetite for dairy is significant and shows no signs of slowing.
Over the next 7 years, demand for dairy from Indian consumers is set to increase by 82 billion litres – 7 times the forecasted growth for China. The country’s young population is looking to level up its dairy consumption with new products that meet their expectations of higher quality and better nutrition.
Anchor Food Professionals Chef Jaime Aserappa in action at the launch of Fonterra Future foodservice products in India
The Co-op’s dairy heritage coupled with uncompromising food safety and quality standards are a strong draw for consumers in the Indian market.
However, Judith explains that understanding the nuances of this dynamic market will be key to making an impact in India.
“We recognise that our expertise in dairy is just one part of the equation in the Indian market. If we want to make a difference, we can’t go it alone. In this diverse market, it’s essential to find the right partners with the market knowledge, industry expertise and infrastructure to reach our consumers.
“That’s why we’ve chosen to partner with Future Consumer. Through our Joint Venture, Fonterra Future Dairy, established in August 2018, we are taking a truly collaborative approach to bring new generation of dairy products to this rapidly expanding market.”
With the launch of Anchor Food Professionals, the Co-op aims to enable chefs in the Indian foodservice sector to create food that not only tastes and looks better but helps them to run a more efficient kitchen with better yield and less wastage, giving them the edge in the foodservice industry.
The Indian foodservice sector is set to grow at 9% each year until 2023, when it is predicted to reach a total value of over NZ$130 billion. Dairy is estimated to feature in 10 per cent of food served in restaurants, making it an essential component in the food landscape.
The first products in the range - Extra Whip Whipping Cream, Laminated Butter Sheets, Extra Stretch Mozzarella Cheese and Traditional Style Cream Cheese, will be made in New Zealand and exported to India.
The launch of the foodservice product range follows the launch of four consumer products from Fonterra Future Dairy’s consumer brand Dreamery in June this year.
The Dreamery Dahi (curd), UHT Toned Milk, Chocolate and Strawberry Milkshakes are currently available at over 1,100 Future Group Modern Trade stores across India, as well as 500 general trade stores in key cities including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
The response so far has been positive, with Dreamery’s Milk Shakes and UHT Toned Milk achieving more than 10% of sales in their respective categories in Future Retail Stores.
Future Consumer’s parent company Future Group is present in 26 of 31 Indian states with over 2,000 modern trade outlets and 5,000 public distribution outlets, as well as a nationwide cold-chain and ambient distribution network.