The onion peel that promises a sugar high

livemint.com:

₹5 lakh and prize money of ₹75,000 have been provided to the firm, the second person cited above said. As per the plan, the startup will manufacture the product and make it available at government fair price shops like Kendriya Bhandar stores. The product will also be available in retail stores under the nutraceutical category, the persons cited above said.

A process called caramelization, where sugar or sucrose is heated and takes on a brown hue and sweet flavour, is used to extract sweetener from onion peels, the first person said. The product is in the preparation stage and teams of the consumer affairs ministry and food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) have already evaluated the process. The final product will be offered in various formats, including liquid, granules, cubes, patches and powder to suit consumers' daily routines, the persons added.

Queries sent to the spokesperson and secretary of the consumer affairs department, and the chief executive officer of FSSAI remained unanswered till press time. The government’s move has a health motive. India is home to 101 million people with diabetes, according to data from Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Union Health Ministry.

And sugar, while not directly responsible, does contribute significantly to the mitigating factors towards the disease. The belief is that sweeteners, especially natural ones such as the onion-based sweetener, are relatively healthier than conventional, refined sugar because of their natural sugar content and probiotic characteristics. “Most sweeteners are generally recommended as safe.