Diabetic? Amul's got the chocolate for you

Saumya Joshi, 40, is diabetic and has been off chocolates for almost five years. But soon he will count himself as a chocolate consumer once again.

The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns the Amul brand, is all set to introduce sugar-free chocolates across the country, targeted at diabetics. This comes soon after the company had launched sugar-free ice-cream.

India has become the diabetes capital of the world with almost 35 million people suffering from the disorder. And their population will continue to grow at a fast pace, say experts, because of Indian dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle. As a result, diabetics are slowly emerging as a distinct market segment for the country's FMCG companies.

"Diabetics have their own distinct food consumption habits. It is a market that has been newly discovered," says a senior executive of an FMCG company that has launched a mass-consumption product especially for people suffering from diabetes.

"Despite being diabetic, many people love chocolates. We decided to introduce sugar-free chocolates, in line with our sugar-free ice-cream. The product will be available in the domestic market soon," says GCMMF managing director, B M Vyas.

The company has already test-marketed the product with a promising response. A couple of months back, GCMMF stocked gift packs containing sugar-free chocolate, priced at Rs 40, in select large retail stores in a few cities. Encouraged by the feedback, it has now decided to market the chocolates nation-wide.

Amul's move could prompt Nestle Nutrition, a Nestle company, to bring its products to India. Nestle's Nutren Balance cereal bars control blood glucose by slowing glucose absorption, an offering that could appeal as a healthy snack option to diabetics.

Canadian company Innovative Life Sciences has also developed 'heart chocolate', a product that it claims lowers cholesterol levels and is particularly beneficial for people with Type-2 diabetes, as it contains no sugar.

There is enough evidence to suggest that Indian consumers are turning health conscious and are looking at healthier options. FMCG companies have seen the low-calorie variants of their products doing well in the market place.

For instance, Coca-Cola's Diet Coke and Pepsi's Diet Pepsi have notched up brisk sales ever since their launch. Nestle too has launched a zero-calorie variant of its mouth-freshner, Polo.

Meanwhile, several pharmaceutical companies are developing products specifically for diabetics. CD Pharma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of European probiotic maker VSL Pharmaceuticals, has also developed a technology for probiotic pasta for wheat or gluten intolerant people, which it is keen to market to food majors across the globe.

K S Chadha, country manager, CD Pharma said, "We are finalising talks with major FMCG companies to market the product we have to offer."

Mumbai-based Alkem Health Foods has announced big plans for launching health food options and low-calorie sweeteners under the Majesta brand.

Companies are also looking at providing options for lactose intolerant people. Yakult-Danone India's probiotic drink Yakult, which would be launched in India by December, is gluten free and can be consumed by lactose intolerant people.

NEW AVATAR

India has become the diabetes capital of the world, with 35 million people suffering from the disorder. As a result, diabetics are slowly emerging as a distinct market segment for the country's FMCG companies

The company has already test-marketed the product with a promising response. Encouraged by the feedback, it has now decided to market the chocolates nation-wide

Amul's move could prompt the likes of Nestle Nutrition, a Nestle company which offers a number of healthcare and nutritional supplements internationally, to bring its products to India.

FMCG companies have seen the low-calorie variants of their products doing well in the marketplace