India’s Kathalfy Offers Clean-Label Products With Jackfruit as a Hero Ingredient – vegconomist

Kathalfy is an Indian company producing a range of clean-label jackfruit-based products, including pancake mixes, burgers, chips, pickles, and curries.

The range is made with organic and minimally processed ingredients; for example, the burgers contain up to 77% jackfruit, combined with red kidney beans, cornstarch, wheat gluten, and natural seasonings. The brand aims to promote conscious living and healthier lifestyles by offering plant-based versions of traditional foods.

Kathalfy’s products are shelf-stable and can be stored at ambient temperatures — important for the Indian market, where the infrastructure to transport frozen products is often lacking and many consumers do not have a freezer.

“Naturally available resources”

Kathalfy was founded by Aman Chhabra, who frequently enjoyed jackfruit throughout his childhood but struggled to find the fruit at restaurants, markets, and other vendors. India is the world’s largest jackfruit producer, but a significant amount of the crop currently goes to waste due to a lack of processing capacity.

In recent years, the Indian government has attempted to address this by investing in new processing facilities. It follows increased demand from Western countries, where jackfruit is increasingly being eaten as a meat alternative. Earlier this year, another Indian brand, Wakao Foods, began exporting its jackfruit-based products to the US in what was said to be India’s largest ever shipment of meat alternatives.

“We believe that nature already provides us enough resources that food need not be developed artificially in labs. Minimal processing of naturally available resources to make it a hassle-free experience and fit for human consumption is what we continue to work towards. We encourage people to really know their food and to always read the label when it comes to packaged food,” said Chhabra.

All Kathalfy products are available from the brand’s website.