Organic all the way

T. SINGARAVELOU

SNACK HEALTHY With organic food products PHOTO:

Whoever said rice or sugar has to look sparkling white to attract customers? Puducherrians have learnt not to go by mere looks and are now seeking food that is healthy, taking to natural brown Basmati rice and not-so-white sulphurless sugar. Organic food products have become the order of the day.

AuroAnnam, ‘for health of man and environment’, was, perhaps, the forerunner in the supply of organic food products. Started in 1999 to provide organic food to Aurovillians, AuroAnnam started supplying organic food (what they produce and source from other farms) to Puducherry. But soon, with other organic food suppliers cropping up, AuroAnnam had a lot of competition. “Our intention was not to compete, but to spread awareness about organic food,” says Mawite Tonsing of AuroAnnam. Awareness certainly spread, reason why exclusive organic food shops have sprung up. “Launching an organic food store is relatively easy in Puducherry, thanks to the European community here that is very aware of the benefits of organic food,” believes Bhupendra Maru of Bon Appétit that opened seven years ago.

The community has propagated organic food, and now, even locals buy groceries at Bon Appétit. “We try to fulfil the requirements for every meal, including dessert, for people of all ages,” elaborates Maru. The shop has tie-ups with 14 European firms that supply organic products such as baby food, baby oil and gluten-free pasta.

Food Breaks and Orgo Land on Thiagaraja Street is among the only shops in Puducherry selling organic fruits and vegetables. The owner also ran an organic food restaurant along with the shop, when they first started, but had to close it down because of lukewarm response. Things have changed a lot since 2004, and Energy Home on Chetty Street is an example. All day long, the place bustles with customers, who not only buy organic food products, but also sit down for a herbal juice or ragi dosa. “Lifestyle diseases set in because of chemical-infested food. The best way to offset it is through organic food,” says S.S. Manikkam of Energy Home. Despite all this, the fact remains that organic and health foods are thought of as being meant for a ‘niche’ market. In an attempt to integrate them into the mainstream, many supermarkets in Puducherry now stock organic products such as tea, oats, biscuits, jam, muesli, rice and honey. “We plan to open an exclusive ‘organic counter’ soon,” says R. Baskar, Manager, Nilgiri’s Supermarket, Puducherry.

Competing with branded, non-organic products in bright packaging isn’t easy. However, brands such as Organic India have gained visibility. Fabindia has its own range of Organic India products. Apart from select groceries, its organic range consists of salad dressing, fruit conserves, clover honey, jellies and seasoning.

AuroAnnam goes a step further, using eco-friendly packaging materials such as bamboo, glass and handmade paper to make attractive containers for its organic products. The only thing that works against organic products is, perhaps, the cost, but one must take into account the difficulty in sourcing them and the limited availability “Organic products cost 25 to 50 per cent more than their conventional counterparts, but it’s a small price to pay for good health,” insists Manikkam. And, by the looks of it, it is a cost Puducherrians may be willing to pay.

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