In Baba Ramdev’s footsteps, Markfed to launch noodles

Amaninder Pal

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 1

Apart from Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved, cooperative organisation Markfed is also planning to launch its own brand of noodles. The state government-run Markfed that is Asia’s largest marketing cooperative federation had asked the Food Craft Institute of Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology to make the recipe for the noodles, said sources.

Officials revealed that after undergoing at least four rounds of tests in October and November, the recipe had been finalised by Markfed. Sources said Markfed that is officially known as Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited will launch the new product under the brand name “Sohna Noodles”. The product will hit the market within a couple of months.

Officials said Markfed, the only state-run cooperative of the state that produces ready to eat (RTE) vegetables and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), would outsource the manufacturing to some private players. Its manufacturing is not yet up to scratch.

Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Managing Director, Markfed, said, “Currently, our focus is to launch breakfast products like rusks and biscuits that we are going to introduce soon. But soon, we will also manufacture noodles.”

A senior Markfed official requesting anonymity said, “We thought of manufacturing noodles after the sale of Nestle’s Maggi was banned in the country. We thought we missed out on an opportune moment to capture the market space. So now we have made this decision. Markfed will provide the formulation of the recipe, but the product’s manufacturing will be outsourced.”

Meanwhile, Markfed officials also announced today that the cooperative would set up a comprehensive food testing facility at Jalandhar, which would help manufacturers and exporters of such items to get their products certified.

“Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has already sanctioned Rs 15 crore to set up this lab in Jalandhar,” said an official spokesperson. A senior official said the lab would become operational before the end of 2017.