Wot’s that dot? FMCG cos fall in line with rule on animal products

Namrata Singh in Mumbai

With the arrival of the “brown dot”, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies have already initiated the process of complying with the recent ruling on mandatory imprinting on food packs containing non-vegetarian ingredients a brown dot to signify the same to the consumer. The ruling covers food products which may be of animal origin such as gelatine, certain vitamins or animal origin, etc. and covers food items such as cakes containing eggs, certain flours containing vitamins of animal origin, jellies, etc.

According to a Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) spokesperson: “All products of HLL — whether they are for Home & Personal Care or Foods & Beverages — except a few, are completely vegetarian. The only exceptions are Cassatta (has a cake part made of egg), Knorr Chicken Soups and Rex Jelly Crystals. We have always clearly mentioned on their packs that they contain ingredients of animal origin.” Knorr and Rex became part of HLL after the merger of International Bestfoods.

Companies have already started moving into the market, albeit initially with stickers of brown dot, before they fully align their manufacturing processes of imprinting a brown dot on non-vegetarian products.

Says Britannia Industries CEO and managing director Mr Sunil Alagh: “Britannia has complied with the recently issued notification on mandatory imprinting of the brown dot. In our case, only cakes fall under the non-veg category due to the presence of eggs in the recipe. Cake lines are exclusive and our products with the brown dot as per mandatory requirements have started moving into the market.” All other Britannia products — such as biscuits, bread, butter, ghee, dairy whitener, flavoured milk, cheese — are made from 100 per cent vegetarian ingredients, says Mr Alagh. Cakes form a
marginal two-three per cent of the company’s turnover.

Says the HLL spokesperson: “We do not use ingredients of animal origin, barring the exceptions we have mentioned, because an overwhelming number of our consumers is vegetarian. In mass consumption products, used by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, we find that using vegetarian or chemical ingredients makes operations simple.”

Indicating, through a logo, whether a product is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, in HLL’s view, is a move in the right direction. “It is a reassurance from manufacturers to consumers that the product they choose is as per their preferences. It should deter unscrupulous manufacturers from violating consumers’ faith and belief,” the spokesperson adds.

Mr Alagh says that with the brown dot on packaging, the consumer is bound to ask/check the significance and awareness would grow in the market. “At the same time, it is important that the consumer should see only one kind of brown dot which he should identify as non-veg food. All other products not having a brown dot automatically get classified as vegetarian food,” says Mr Alagh.

Kellogg India managing director Mr RC Venkateish says: “All Kellogg products manufactured in India are 100 per cent vegetarian. We are, therefore, not impacted by the notification and will not be required to print the brown dot.”

Marico Industries’Sil Mayonnaise has been impacted by the new ruling. The company has already taken the initiative to imprint a brown dot on this product, says Marico Industries CEO (health care) Mr Pranab Datta. “All our other products are vegetarian and do not require a brown dot,” Mr Datta says.

Meanwhile, industry observers point out that food companies would also be looking at alternative ingredients to replace non-vegetarian ingredients in products. Says Mr Alagh: “Britannia continuously works on new product developments which include egg replacers also. Whenever the time is right, such products will be looked at for market launch. However, as long as we use eggs in cakes we will continue to comply with the mandatory brown dot.”