18-07-2025
How Kolkata researchers are turning potato, fungi into protein sources for Indians
India may be one of the world's largest producers of legumes and other protein-rich crops, the country is still alarmingly to a recent survey by the Indian Market Research Bureau, a staggering 73% of Indians do not consume enough protein, and only about 10% meet the daily dietary problem is more than just nutritional, it's deeply economic, cultural, and
But a team of scientists in Kolkata might be onto something the Food Technology and Science Institute (FTSI) under TCG CREST, researchers are quietly developing plant-based proteins from potatoes and fungi that could radically transform how India meets its nutritional protein absorption scores rivalling, and even exceeding, those of meat and imported soy isolates, their work is poised to reduce India's dependence on expensive protein imports like pea and soy, most of which currently come from INDIA NEEDS NEW PROTEIN SOLUTIONSIndia's protein crisis is a paradox. While the country grows a wide range of protein-rich crops, bioavailability or how well our bodies can absorb these proteins remains a huge Parthasarathi Bhattacharya, head of FTSI, explains it plainly: 'We're protein deficient mainly for three reasons: we don't consume enough protein-rich foods, plant-based proteins are harder for the body to absorb, and animal protein remains expensive for many.'This gap is especially critical for vegetarians, who make up more than 50% of the population, and for the remaining population, many of whom cannot afford animal-based protein sources within our staple vegetarian foods like dals and pulses, bioavailability is low.'The pulses that generally we consider as the protein source, India is importing a major chunk. But the challenge with majority of the pulses is that we are not able to absorb 100% of the protein that are present in pulses,' Dr. Bhattacharya tells NEW ERA OF PROTEIN: POTATOES AND MYCOPROTEINSAt FTSI's state-of-the-art research facility, the team is rethinking how we approach protein. Their biggest breakthrough? Using two unconventional sources: potatoes and fungi.'We use fungi because it's very easy to grow in a controlled environment. We are trying to bring in some of the high protein mushroom, not for extraction purposes, but readymade in the form of tofu or in the form of paneer kind of shape.'These high-protein fungal foods will not be harvested in traditional fields but created via solid-state fermentation in bioreactors—offering cleaner, scalable, and more controlled production potatoes, a commonly available and underutilised crop, are proving to be a protein is one of the second largest vegetable crop in the country. There's a high potential that we can convert this potato into a milk format,' says Dr. Bhattacharya. 'The protein that are present in potato is extremely good protein. Its conversion ratio is as good as meat.'FTSI is already experimenting with potato-based milk and ice creams that are not only high in protein but also appeal to modern consumers looking for indulgence without POSTBIOTICS, AND SMART NUTRITIONOne of the biggest hurdles with plant proteins is absorption. FTSI's solution goes beyond working on ways to make proteins more bioavailable through probiotic and postbiotic enhancements, essentially engineering food that works with your gut. Postbiotics are the beneficial compounds produced when probiotics (the "good" bacteria in your gut) digest and break down food or ferment fibres in your intestine.'We make those protein bioavailable using some different probiotic bacteria. We also use postbiotic, we use some of these dietary fibres that help these probiotic bacteria to attach into the gut,' explains Dr. team is also applying artificial intelligence (AI) to study how gut microbes produce helpful molecules under different conditions.'We are also initiating our work on the application of AI and machine learning (ML) in postbiotic molecule identification and development.'advertisementThis intersection of biotechnology, food science, and AI is where the institute believes the next generation of nutrition will A HOME-GROWN PROTEIN INDUSTRYThe economic implications of this research are profound. Currently, India imports nearly 70% of the protein isolates used in supplements and functional foods, mainly from China, Australia, and Canada. This not only drives up prices but leaves the domestic market dependent and vulnerable.'There are not too many large scale protein manufacturers. It comes mostly from China, so this is an opportunity for an industry to enter into large-scale protein manufacturing other than whey protein,' Dr. Bhattacharya team is already developing products like vegan protein bars, no-sugar shakes, fibre-enriched gummies, and even protein-rich kulfis that combine indulgence with nutrition.'Even if there are some indulgent foods like ice cream, we want to remove that fear that it's not good for our health. So it's more that the theme is you take more of this ice cream, and you become healthier.'A VISION FOR FUTUREThe team isn't just developing lab experiments, it's creating a pipeline for commercially viable, nutritious foods made in India, for by the TCG Group, Dr. Bhattacharya and his team are working to turn these innovations into consumer products, making GMP prototypes that could change the game for India's protein Indian diets already rich in fibre, the addition of high-performance, bioavailable proteins could create balanced, functional foods suited to Indian palates and a country grappling with nutrition inequality, rising lifestyle diseases, and a population that's both price- and health-conscious, the answer might just be sitting in our potato baskets and mushroom trays, transformed not by tradition, but by science.- Ends
