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Indians abandon cereal with rising income

Study by JNU shows change in food habits across communities

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Coinciding with rising per capita income levels across the country, following economic liberalisation, Indians are changing their food habits. A world Food and Agriculture Organisation- sponsored study conducted by nine scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University led by Professor Amitabh Kundu has revealed that spending on cereals is declining consistently in food expenditure. Its share has gone down from 41% in 1987-88 to 29% in 2010-11 in rural India and from 27% to 22% in urban India for the same period.

The study, interestingly, also has a section on consumption pattern of food across religious groups. The share of cereal consumption is reported as the highest for Muslims followed by Hindus and Christians. Sikhs and others (like Jains and Buddhists) both in rural and urban areas are the smallest consumers of cereals. As Muslims are the poorest amongst religious groups, the cereal may be considered to be a poor man’s food in India. Consumption of egg/fish/meat was found highest among Christians, followed by Muslims and then Hindus and Sikhs. For Christians, and Muslims the figures are thrice and twice respectively to that of Hindus, both in rural and urban areas.

Of Sikhs, only 0.7 % in rural areas and 2.2% in urban areas consume egg/fish/meat. They are the largest consumers of milk, some three times that of Muslims and four times that of Christians. 

It is a known fact that the price of vegetables at times pulls down governments and is often used as a political tool to beat opponents. This is because vegetables are the most stable proportion of food in the consumption basket accounting for approximately 10% -12% of the household budget across religious groups, both in urban and rural areas.

Another pattern of change in habits in the post-liberalisation era is the increase in intake of processed food and dining out amongst all religious groups. The consumption of meat and beef has generally gone down in the country, but consumption of poultry is going up by 30%, mostly due to increasing health awareness. However, in the case of Muslims and Christians meat consumption has gone up significantly. Expenditure on milk is also the lowest in these communities. Significantly, researchers found increase in non-vegetarian consumption among Jains, albeit marginally. The community, is hitherto, known for its strict vegetarianism.

While alcohol and processed food has highest consumption by Christians, pulses are a favourite with Hindus. The study also found that poultry breeding is high in developed states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, and marginal in Bihar, Odisha and UP. The state of Haryana and Punjab over the years have shifted massively to fish and chicken, but the level remains very low.
Talking to dna, author of the report Prof Amitabh Kundu said his team found per capita consumption of beef more among the poor in both rural and urban areas in the states of AP, Kerala, West Bengal and UP. “The rural poor of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Assam and urban poor of Maharashtra also eat beef more than the national average as recorded in 2009-10,” he said.

Furthermore, beef consumption has increased in Assam amongst the poor across the state and amongst rural poor in Karnataka and West Bengal and urban poor in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The professor takes satisfaction that increase in the demand for dairy and poultry products has been sharp in the past couple of decades, reflecting the rising income levels and economic wellbeing.

Cereal: highest for Muslims, least for Sikhs, linked to economic well-being

Milk: highest for Sikhs, least for Christians

Pulses: highest for Hindus

Egg-meat-fish: highest for Christians followed by Muslims, least for Sikhs.

Alcohol and processed food: highest for Christians

Chicken growth high in AP, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Punjab (developed states) and low developed states of Bihar, Orissa and UP

Haryana and Punjab massively shifting to fish and chicken

High decrease of cereal consumption in West Bengal, Karnataka, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan

Rajasthan high growth in beef, but at a low base 

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