OSI Group, Aurora, Illinois, USA, which sells frozen meat patties, bacon, hot dogs, pizza, fish, poultry and vegetable products around the world, is setting its sights on the breakfast market in India with plans to launch French toast, omelettes and boiled eggs, according to Bhupinder Singh, chief executive of its Indian arm, Vista Processed Foods.
The company, which sells frozen food to Subway and Papa Johns, and is the sole supplier of such products to McDonald's in India and Middle East, already supplies 100,000 eggs from its farms in Pune and Hyderabad, and is aiming for a 20% growth this year. The launch of frozen omelettes, French toasts and boiled eggs is expected to boost egg consumption in India, which produces 61 million eggs a year, or 3.6% of global production Singh told the Economic Times that OSI hopes to boost its sales in the country to Rs 2.5 billion.
Consumption is rising 10-12% a year as eggs are seen as a daily dose of calcium, protein and fatty acids such as Omega-3 for a quarter of the people living in urban and semi-urban areas, which consume over 75% of the eggs produced in the country. Singh, a former national basketball player, sees a big business opportunity for Vista, which has been a global player for 55 years and operates in 17 countries. "Preparing breakfast or salad will be much more simpler as you just have to open the eggshell," he said.
