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Colours, flavours & fragrance sectors should focus on innovation and safety
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November 16 , 2014
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Colouring and flavouring agents , known as helping agents are used on a large scale in pharma, cosmetic and food sectors. In the pharma sector these are basically in active substances which bulks up the formulation, enhances the aesthetical value and ensures smooth palatability. Formulation development deals with this process. These agents increase the stability of the product and the market value of the product.
Flavouring and colouring agents not only used for enhancing the aesthetic value of pharmaceutical dosage form but also act as a supporting, protecting agent and indirectly influences the therapeutic efficiency by dealing with patients physcology.
Food flavours are ingredients added to food to intensify or improve its flavour. They are usually represented by a mixture of spices, herbs, taste components, and colours. Flavourings may contain flavouring substances, flavouring preparations, process flavourings, smoke flavourings etc.
The increase in the demand for aesthetically and palatable efficient medicines and foods has fuelled the demand for colouring and flavouring agents. Aesthetic value strengthens the demand for product and creates a concrete base for product in market in terms of sales. If the product comes under consumable category then elegance in the form of colouring value along with a compatible flavouring property is the right combination for success in the market.
Advances in research and development has helped in making food and pharma products more palatable and aesthetically significant. But along with the increasing innovations, regulatory requirements have also become stringent in order to check the unwanted adverse effects.
Chemically synthesized colours are easier and less costly to produce, and are superior in colouring properties compared to natural colourants. Synthetic colours are also highly concentrated, there are no limits on dosage level, and they are widely available.
However artificial food flavourings in certain cases can pose a health risk. Hence innovations and safety of the public should go hand in hand for the benefit of the society at large and for the unbridled growth of the industry.
At the same time fragrance industry in India which is still at a nascent stage is witnessing a steady growth. Its rising demand is largely driven by growing interest of lifestyle products among Indian middle class with high disposable incomes.
Growing at a compounded annual growth rate of over 40 per cent, the Indian fragrance industry is likely to reach Rs. 10,000 crore by 2015, according to an Assocham study. The Indian share is about 10 per cent of the global market, the population however is 17.8 per cent of the globe which is very promising.
The country's fragrance industry business is estimated at Rs. 3,000 crore. Unorganised sector accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the total fragrance industry business. The perfume market is growing at about 30 per cent and is poised at about Rs.1,500 crore.
The rising demand for fragrances from tier II and III markets is the real growth driver of this industry and as a result, companies are gradually shifting their focus from metros and exploring other markets and getting ready to launch a range of affordable deodorants, perfumes and colognes.
Evolving consumer preferences, lifestyle changes and increase in personal disposable incomes are some of the attributes that have led to significant growth in the deodorant category. The industry expects deodorant penetration to increase substantially from the current levels of 16 per cent metro penetration and about 10 per cent all-India urban penetration.
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TOPICS
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