Aroma Fresh’s first outlet opens in Trivandrum

TechnoparkToday.com(July,2013)>> The first outlet of Aroma Fresh, an innovative pesticide-free food products chain, opened in Kerala’s capital city – Trivandrum.

Renowned actress Suhasini inaugurated the chain’s first store in Sasthamangalam and the brand was launched at a ceremony attended by Kerala Minister for Agriculture Shri K P Mohanan, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Shri Anoop Jacob and Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Adv. K Chandrika.

‘Aroma Fresh’ is a social commitment initiative of Aroma Horticulture Products Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Aroma Group of Companies that has operations in India and the Middle East.

The store stocks GAP-certified, pesticide-free fresh farm products such as fruits and vegetables and other food products all of which are grown on Aroma’s own facilities using eco-friendly precision farming techniques or outsourced farms that are required to follow the company’s strict quality and production protocols.

“It is heartening to see that organic farming traditions that we had been following for ages before the arrival of chemicals-intensive agriculture is now making a comeback,” said Shri K P Mohanan, who launched the Aroma Fresh logo. “We must produce our own food and we must make sure they are poison-free.”

He said the state agriculture department is planning to brand pesticide-free food as ‘safe-to-eat’ to increase their value in the domestic and exports market and to support and encourage farmers who follow organic farming practices.

Shri Anoop Jacob, who launched the Aroma Fresh website said he hoped the company’s initiative was a key step towards Kerala achieving self-sufficiency in food production.

“It is a sad fact that our state today produces less than 15% of the food it needs. Our excessive dependence on other states means we are forced to buy whatever is available in the market,” he said. “Aroma’s project is something we should be proud of; it gives us a choice to buy food that is healthy and safe.”

Adv Chandrika lauded the initiative saying a return to natural, organically grown food should help people stay healthy and keep diseases at bay.

Other dignitaries at the function included Shri G S Jayalal MLA, Councillor Shri Sasthamangalam Gopan, actress Smt Suhasini, environmental activist Dayabai, film director Blessy, Kerala Agricultural University