US agribusiness giant Cargill has confirmed it is “seriously considering” re-entering India’s packaged food industry with cereals and other staple food products.

Cargill’s previous move into packaged food in India lasted only four years. In 2000, it launched its Nature Fresh line of wheat flour products but pulled the lines in 2004 when competitors such as Spencer’s released their own wheat flour brands.

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“We pulled the product after just a few years but continued to keep an eye on that space,” a spokesperson for Cargill India told just-food. “It is an area we are seriously considering.”

He insisted the Indian market for cereals and staples had evolved in the last seven years and that a relaunch would make good sense for Cargill.

There is still some uncertainty, however, over when Cargill will introduce products into the market.

Referring to a company representative’s recent comments at a food symposium in Kolkata about the development of new packaged food brands, the spokesperson said: “It would be a natural fit for [Cargill] to re-enter this category.”

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However, he dismissed reports that the company would soon be releasing new lines, saying that no date has yet been set.

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