The world is getting more health conscious about the food
it eats, and India is leading the way. Product packaging in
India is getting more elaborate each year, and recent
research quoted in the Hindustan Times suggests that Indian
consumers actually take time out to study what is written on
product packaging before taking a decision on which brands
they buy.
Phrases like organic, no additives/preservatives,
antioxidant, gluten-free, etc. are increasingly appearing on
product packaging, and the intelligent Indian consumer is
very much aware that he wants to stay as far away as
possible from toxic chemicals in his daily consumption.
The branded food market according to Britannia is now a
whopping Rs. 1,10,670 crore, and growing. Companies like
Britannia and Dabur are looking to ride the wave and claim a
lion share of this massive market by appealing to a
knowledgeable consumer. Britannia's managing director Vinita
Bali went as far as saying, "We decided to eliminate what is
not healthy. We removed trans-fats from all our recipes."
The internet is a primary source of knowledge for India's
much smarter consumer, who has decided that the best way to
manage a far from conducive lifestyle is to at least ensure
that she eats healthy.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/Features/Food-gets-health-conscious/Article1-944597.aspx
Keywords: organic food, packaged, preservatives,
antioxidant
 |
LED Diwali Lights |
The latest part of our mini-series on steps you can take to celebrate a "Green Diwali" brings us to the fun-filled family activity of decorating one's house with lights.
Being quite literally the "Festival
of Lights", it is impossible to rely solely on diyas and
candles to light up our lives, and hence the socially
conscious shopper will need to find a way to ensure that
the lights she uses don't end up hurting either the
environment or her Diwali budget.
Diwali lights usually adorn our
houses for a very brief period of time, and so one is at
times a bit conscious not to spend too much money on
them. Traditionally though the process begins with
digging up last year's lights, and finding more often
than not that half the bulbs are either broken or don't
work anymore. It is hence better to spend that little
bit extra to ensure that one buys a quality product
which can be used for a few years, rather than shelling
out money on a product that one needs to consistently
replace.
The solution lies in LED Diwali
Lights, which not only come in many different colours,
but can easily last a decade, all the while emitting no
radiation and very little heat, making them not just
perfect for your home, but a good gift too!
Tags: Diwali, Light, LED, bulb
One of the common misconceptions about Organic Food is
that it is an expensive option that only the rich will ever
indulge in. The reality couldn't be further from the truth.
While the price of organic food products might be marginally
higher than that which is produced through other
agricultural methods, the benefits and nutrient value of
organic food corrects that perceived anomaly in a heart
beat.
Additionally, as the world turns closer to Organic Food,
and mass production reaches critical levels, the cost of
Organic Food is likely to reduce significantly thereby
increasing the long term benefits even further.
The challenge, however, for all agriculture dependent
economies, such as India, is to reach that threshold level
at which the benefits of mass production can be passed on to
the consumer. How do we speed up this process? Simply by
buying organic.
And what are the immediate benefits that we are likely to
incur - cleaner food that has not be ruined by toxic
pesticides, nourishing food that is grown on healthy soil
that is not ruined by weeds or crop-destroying insects, one
that has not been synthetically created using additives.
The sooner the world begins giving back to the planet,
the sooner we'll start enjoying all the benefits of it.
Tags: Organic Food, nourish, soil, pesticides, cost