A message claiming iD Fresh Food, a Bengaluru-based company, that sells ready to cook dosa and idli batter, uses cow bones and calf rennet to create volume in their batter is viral on WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms.
iD Fresh Food's verified Facebook page rubbished the claims. Additionally, BOOM reached out to iD Fresh Food, who clarified the viral message.
"Some consumers have received a WhatsApp forward message carrying misleading, false and baseless information about iD using animal extracts in its products," the company said.
"iD uses only vegetarian ingredients to make its products. iD Idly Dosa Batter is made from rice, urad dal, fenugreek and RO-water only, which are 100% natural and vegetarian agri-commodities. There are no animal extracts used in any of our products," it further added.
Founded in 2005 by PC Mustafa and his four cousins, the company makes ready to cook Indian staples, including idli and dosa batters.
The viral message, which can be read below, claims that since the company is owned by Muslims, they only employ Muslim staff and is 'halal certified.'
Click here to view the post.
The same message was sent to BOOM's helpline number for verification. The forwarded message also includes a 2014 Hindu BusinessLine article which reported about iD Fresh Food (India) Pvt Ltd raising Rs 35 crore from venture capital firm Helion Venture Partners at that time. The article further states, "According to Spark Capital, it was the exclusive financial advisor to iD and assisted the company right from ideation till the deal was closed. The transaction was also structured to be completely Sharia compliant, one of the first of its kind in a transaction of this nature, according to Spark."
BOOM reached out to iD Fresh Food regarding the transaction of the company that was structured to be completely 'Sharia compliant'. Deepika Das, a representative of iD Fresh Food, in an email, told BOOM, "It's really unfortunate when people use religion as a means to create distrust and divide in society. All our transactions are above board and in accordance with the law of the land. Religion has never come in the way of business to us or our relationships with the customers."
The article, however, does not mention any information about its products being laced with cow bones and calf rennet, an enzyme extracted from the fourth stomach chamber of an unweaned calf.
Regarding the message stating that the company is 'Halal' certified, Das told BOOM, "Halal certification is for non-vegetarian foods. Our products are 100% vegetarian and therefore the question of Halal certification doesn't arise."
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iD Fresh Food released a clarification on its official Facebook page stating that the company does not use animal extracts in its products and term the allegations "false and baseless".
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iD Fresh had launched the world's largest batter factory on March 30 in Anekal at the outskirts of Bengaluru making an investment of ₹40 crore. According to a report by The Hindu BusinessLine , the factory has a capacity of making make batter for 3 lakh parotas per day and 24 lakh idlis per day. Home-grown brand, iD Fresh Food ended FY21 with ₹294 crore in revenue, up from ₹238 crore in FY20, registering a 23.5 per cent increase, stated the report.
The article has been updated to include iD Fresh Food's response.