India Focus: Lee Kum Kee plans, Rage Coffee RTD strategy, Wellversed wellness ecosystem and more feature in our round-up

Sauce of growth: Lee Kum Kee craves bigger presence in SEA, India and Middle East​

Long-established sauces brand Lee Kum Kee says it is keeping up with the times through flavour localisation, and staying attuned to global trends by introducing heathier options and convenience sauces.

Claimed to be the inventor of oyster sauce more than a century ago, Hong Kong-based Lee Kum Kee today houses over 300 items under its portfolio of Asian condiments. 

“Currently, we distribute to more than 100 countries worldwide, with our home ground China as the biggest market. We hope to have a bigger outreach not only in this region, but all the way to India and Middle East,” ​Cheryl Chan, Regional Marketing Director of Lee Kum Kee, told FoodNavigator-Asia​.

‘Quality, affordability and convenience’: Rage Coffee on strategy to tempt Indian consumers to RTD coffee​

Delhi-based Rage Coffee has embarked on a ‘keep it simple’ strategy for its first RTD coffee launch as it seeks to tempt Indian consumers to the category and away from tea.

The firm has also outlined how it hopes to drive sales overseas, especially among the Indian diaspora in the Middle East, US, and wider Asia region.

‘Full stack wellness’: Indian brand Wellversed on ‘owning the ecosystem’ to understand the consumer​

Delhi-based digital retailer Wellversed says evolving from a distributor model to now also creating its own products has been key to gaining a more holistic understanding of the Indian consumer, as it outlines plans to expand its brand portfolio.

Founded in 2019, Wellversed is both a distributor and manufacturer of wellness products spanning supplements, functional foods, and personal care.

FSSAI conducts nationwide checks to crack down on food adulteration, starts new training centre to raise safety standards​

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) insists it is adopting a comprehensive approach to eradicate food safety issues in the country, including large-scale testings on key commodities like milk and dairy products.

At the inauguration of FSSAI’s new National Training Centre, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, emphasised that “there will be no tolerance for food adulteration in the country”.

“FSSAI has formed a team along with state authorities to crack down on those who indulge in such malpractices. Large-scale testings would be carried out across the country, and action would be taken according to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act 2006) against those found guilty,”​ he stressed.

Coffee resilience: Nestle says diverse ag strategies needed to tackle sustainability challenges in SEA​

Nestle has stressed that a range of regenerative agricultural strategies will be crucial to tackle coffee production and sustainability challenges in South East Asia.

The MNC detailed its view via the first progress report on its Nescafe Plan 2030.

This was first launched in 2018 with a focus on key coffee production markets.