The onion peel that promises a sugar high

The government is putting its money where its sweet tooth is, the zero-sugar way. The consumer affairs ministry is working on a plan to bring to the market sweetener extracted from onion waste, two persons aware of the matter said. It will do this in partnership with a startup that won a government-run contest.

- Dhirendra Kumar & Puja Das

The proposal is in the approval stage, and the sweetener is expected to be available in the retail market by the end of this year, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

The ministry is funding the project of Karnataka-based startup ZestyOne, incubated at Yenepoya Technology (Mangalore), which was selected by the department of consumer affairs in 2022 through a grand onion challenge. Initial financial assistance of over ₹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.