'Proof on the front': Indian start-up ReNewtra adopts front-of-pack labelling as concerns over transparency grow

All its products are printed with a QR code on the front packaging.  

Once consumers scan the code, they will be able to see the list of ingredients used in the products and the scientific evidence regarding the functionality of these ingredients. 

The brand is debuting three products this month, including a capsule for addressing skin ageing arising from sun exposure using lycopene as the active ingredient.

The other two products are a clean-label plant protein with postbiotics and a gut health product containing postbiotics. 

ReNewtra’s founder Shilpa Khadilkar was previously with DKSH and worked on nutraceutical formulation. Prior to that, she was with functional ingredient firm Enovate Biolife where she oversaw international marketing. 

Speaking to NutraIngredients-Asia, ​she said that the goal of ReNewtra was to renew the way nutritional products were formulated and presented in India.

This includes renewing the way ingredients in products are being labelled.

“ReNewtra is a combination of the terms 'renewing' and 'nutrition', so the idea is to renew nutrition in India. ​

“I want to renew how product labelling is done, how product formulation is done, and the types of ingredients that are being used.”​

In fact, she hopes that the industry could adopt the “front-of-pack” labelling (FoPL) that was brought up by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2022.

Back then, the FSSAI said that there was a four-year grace​ period for companies to do so, starting from year 2023. Companies will need to include “warning labels” for packaged foods, including clearly stating the sugar, salt, and fat content. The products will also be rated based on their nutritional information.  

“Recently, we also saw that there was an independent study which said that 70 per cent per cent of protein powders in India were mislabelled,”​ she said.

She was referring to a study conducted by Dr Cyriac Abby Phillips, which found that nearly 70 per cent of the 36 popular protein supplements were mislabelled.​

Some products advertised their products as containing protein higher than the actual amount. There were also cases where fungal toxins, pesticides, and heavy metals were detected.  

In April, India’s MDH and Everest also came under fire​ after some of its spice products were stopped in Hong Kong for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide. Singapore subsequently ordered a recall of the Everest spice mix and advised against its consumption.

The products, while popular in India, are also exported to Europe, Asia, and North America.

These developments have brought a huge reaction from the Indian society, which is already increasingly concerned about food transparency and safety issue, said Khadilkar.

“This is a big issue, there’s a lack of truly transparent clean label brands in India. This is why I wanted to bring information on ingredients and scientific evidence to front-of-the pack.”​

One of the people urging for transparency in India's food and nutrition industry is Revant Himatsingka, an Instagrammer who is also known as the "Food Pharmer".

He came under spotlight for calling out on food companies which he said were masquerading sugar drinks as healthy. One of his Instagram posts published on December 2023 claimed that his actions have led Cadbury to cut 15 per cent sugar in its Bournvita drinks.

“This fight isn’t against Bournvita. The fight is against any company which sells junk food but markets itself healthy! The fight is to get 140 crore Indians eating healthier!”​ he said in the post.

Against the recent developments, Khadilkar believes that now is the time for ReNewtra to join the scene.

“In India right now, there is big movement going on about the ‘read the label’ movement. People are getting a lot more aware about how to read a nutrition label.​

“This is driven by the food influencer Food Pharmer, such that even the MNCs have had to change their labels and health claims…And this is primetime news in the country,” ​she said.

In May, it was reported that the FSSAI was clamping down​ on e-commerce sites selling Bourn Vita and Horlicks' products as “health drinks” or “energy drinks”. 

Addressing mislabelling ​

Khadilkar said that she has worked on ReNewtra and its product formulations for the past three years.

The products, manufactured by Gangwal Healthcare, are targeted at health enthusiasts across different age groups.

One of the products, a clean-label plant protein, is said to contain no additives, as well as "no ​INS (international numbering system for food additives) number, no e-numbers, no gums, no emulsifiers,”​ she said.  ​

One of the issues with the existing clean label plant-protein products is that some of them contained maltodextrin. 

Maltodextrin is not perceived as “clean” as it could cause allergic reactions. High intake could also cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Some companies have since developed alternatives​ to replace it.

“Even though there protein powders that are labelled as 'clean', I often see on the back of the label that most plant proteins contain coconut milk powder, which in turn contains maltodextrin. However, this is not disclosed on the label. ​

“Also, most plant proteins are sweetened with monk fruit extract in India because that’s a natural sugar substitute. However, monk fruit extract is often combined with the artificial sweetener erythritol, but this is again not disclosed on the label,"​ she said. 

“The problem is not about adding ingredients. The problem is about mislabelling…These are the gaps that I have seen and are areas where I think require a transparent labelling system,” ​she said.

ReNewtra's products will be launched this month on e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Tata 1mg, while its plant protein will also be available in grocery stores.