Reimagining the idea of processed foods
A Chennai-based food technologist, with the help of farmers, has pioneered a movement of consciously processed foods and given a completely new dimension to the idea of healthy eating.
Perceptions can sometimes be far from reality. For Maria Jenita, the veil began to lift during countless visits to farms for her doctoral research. It became amply clear to her that the hands that toiled the most were getting rewarded the least.
“I saw first-hand how small-scale farmers struggled to get fair value for their organic produce. Their produce was often undervalued in the market due to higher costs stemming from lower yields and expensive organic inputs like natural fertilisers and manual weeding,” shares Maria Jenita, popularly known as MJ.
That humble beginning has led to an impressive portfolio of value-added products that are made by incorporating techniques like sprouting, slow drying, cold pressing, stone milling, and ceramic grinding–methods that not only minimise nutrient loss but also enhance their bioavailability.
As a food technologist, she recognised that even as modern food processing techniques were enhancing the shelf lives of products, they often stripped foods of their natural goodness.
Also read: She chose harsh farm life over a 6-figure American paycheck
An entrepreneur is born
Her heart, full of empathy and respect for the farmers, along with her mind, brimming with ideas for mindful food processing, helped her meticulously join the dots. She founded Goodness Farms in 2018 to ensure the farmers get compensated fairly while the consumers receive truly wholesome food.
Working closely with the farmers, Jenita first set out to make food systems more sustainable and resilient. As many were already practicing organic farming, they were further encouraged to adopt regenerative practices that focus on soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable water use. By choosing crops that nourish the soil, Goodness Farms’ farmers created a self-sustaining ecosystem where nature and agriculture work harmoniously.
One of the biggest challenges MJ faced was convincing the farmers to shift from hybridised, high-yield varieties to indigenous crops and to adopt intercropping over monocropping. “Many were hesitant because these crops take longer to mature and don’t fetch high prices in conventional markets,” she explains.
To address this, Goodness Farms took a hands-on approach. It set up patented cold-pressed oil machines at a government food grain warehouse in Tiruvanamalai district of Tamil Nadu and trained the farmers to operate them.
“We showed them that by processing their own produce–rather than selling raw grains–they could earn more. To ensure economic stability, we also introduced contract farming with a shareholding model, giving farmers ownership and a consistent income. This built trust and made them more open to adopting sustainable practices,” adds MJ.
The Goodness Farms family has since unified over 38 organic farmers, patented multiple processing methods, and created products that subscribe to India, US, and EU standards.
Reaping the inherent goodness of products
That humble beginning has led to an impressive portfolio of value-added products that are made by incorporating techniques like sprouting, slow drying, cold pressing, stone milling, and ceramic grinding–methods that not only minimise nutrient loss but also enhance their bioavailability. From sprouted flours, to flakes, to cold pressed oils and more. The underlying philosophy remains steadfast, preserving the inherent goodness of grains, seeds, and nuts.
For instance, the sprouted quinoa flakes are made by soaking the grains for an optimised time to reduce anti-nutrients like phytic acid and improve nutrient bioavailability. They are then sprouted to unlock their vital nutrients The grains are frequently rinsed to avoid any fermentation, thus preserving their natural freshness. Finally, they are pressed into flakes with patented iron rollers and gently roasted to lock in flavour.
Rooting for the indigenous
Goodness Farms has been championing several hyper-indigenous crop varieties like black and green gram, cow peas, red jowar and emmer wheat to name a few. Each one of them has a unique profile.
Also read: From day-care to soil care – Chhattisgarh woman teaches natural farming
Like the drought-resistant moth beans that are yet to attain the superfood status due to difficult harvest and lack of mainstream promotion. Or the antioxidant-dense Karuppu Kavuni, an indigenous black rice variety, with an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) that is four times that of blueberries. And there are products like moringa honey and ghee from the indigenous Umblacheery cow breed that are unique as well.
Traditional wisdom supported by scientific principles
Maria Jenita is using science to naturally counter the challenges that are coming her way. For example, to address concerns regarding traces of arsenic in rice varieties, though found in very negligible amounts in the southern part of India, she deployed two measures–phytoremediation and parboiling.
In the former, the natural capabilities of specific plants such as duckweed, known for absorbing contaminants including arsenic from the soil, was brought into play. At the later stage, the scientifically proven parboiling process was used to maximise the transfer of essential nutrients from the husk to rice grains while minimising arsenic transfer.
Another case in point is using material science, fluid mechanics, and aerodynamics to create sprout-activated popped ragi flour.
The size of India’s organic food market is all set to cross USD 2000 million. Even though terms like ‘organic’ carry a lot of weight, they are used loosely by marketeers trying to milk health trends. “Not all cold-pressed oils are cold-pressed. Real cold-pressing machines must run below five RPM,” says Jenita.
There are indeed a lot of technicalities involved in the process of cold-pressing. Goodness Farms, on its part, has factored in several metrics to get it right. Applying the principle of bull-driven oil extraction to its mechanised model, it chose to use Indian almond wood for its optimum density, ceramic grinding teeth, and medical-grade stainless steel drums, thus paying great attention to details about temperatures, pressure, and seed moisture. It even uses coconut water during processing to extract more oil in less time.
Road less travelled
“Many consumers are still accustomed to ultra-processed foods, so educating them on the benefits of consciously processed products has been an ongoing effort. Also, complying with food safety regulations while staying true to traditional, chemical-free processing can be complex, especially when standards are designed for industrial food production,” says Jenita.
As a food technologist, entrepreneur, researcher and guest lecturer at Centre for Food Technology at Anna University, Maria Jenita has certainly taken the road less travelled. Her journey of helping people access consciously processed foods is dotted with challenges that she is enduring with resilience, grit, and determination, values she has imbibed from the soil and the brave hearts that till it with hope each day.
Also read: How an Andhra woman inspired her village to adopt natural farming
The lead image at the top shows Maria Jenita. She is a food technologist, entrepreneur, researcher and blogger. (Photo credit: Goodness Farms)
Kiran Yadav is a Delhi-based freelance journalist.
