Dry fruit, bakery products in demand

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 18

Apprehensive of adulteration in sweets, people now prefer giving healthy and low-fat items as gifts on Diwali.

Dry fruits and bakery products are most in demand these days.

A number of city residents say that diseases such as diabetes and hypertension have gripped many people due to which people have become more health conscious.

Gurpreet Singh, a city resident, said, “One can easily see a number of sweets stalls in various parts of the city. The food items displayed at such stalls are not covered. Shopkeepers don’t even wear gloves.”

Besides, a number of cases of adulteration of sweets and other food products have also been reported during the festive season, he said.

In these circumstances, they are left only with the option to purchase dry fruits and bakery products, he added.

Harmeet Kaur, another city resident, said, “The new generation is not very fond of sweets and prefers chocolates, confectionary items and dry fruits. It is better to spend on such items as the traditional ones usually go to waste.”

Harpreet Singh, owner of a shop, said, “Considering the rising demand for low calorie biscuits, cakes and other bakery items, we have stocked sufficient quantity to cater to the customers.”

Kirandeep Singh, another shopkeeper, said, “Over the years, we have seen a drastic change in the market. Earlier, people presented sweets as gifts to their relatives but nowadays, even a middle class family prefers to gift a pack of dry fruit. So we have stocked sufficient quantity of dry fruit.”