Hindustan Unilever Sees No Market For Organic Foods In India

Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) regional category vice president for food products Sidharth Singh said his company does not see a demand for organic foods in India. For example, while the company plans to use eggs from cage-free chicken in its Hellmann’s brand of mayonnaise in Western Europe and North America, it has no intention to do so in India, where consumers find organic foods too expensive. Trends that drive consumption patterns in the country include self-regulation by the food industry, increase in popularity of health foods, blurring of lines between food categories, and consumers’ desire to eat their favorite restaurant foods at home. As part of the industry’s move toward self-regulation, many companies have agreed to refrain from advertising foods that are not healthy for children.