Health meets indulgence: ITC's push for better snacking with Sunfeast Farmlite's sugar-free cookies; Aims to redefine consumer expectations in snacking

There’s a quiet shift happening in the way India snacks. Less about cutting things out entirely, more about tweaking what stays on the plate. And somewhere in that in-between, ITC Limited’s Sunfeast Farmlite is adding something new to the mix, a sugar-free cookie range that doesn’t feel like a compromise.It’s part of the larger “Help India Eat Better” push, but the thinking here is fairly simple. People are rethinking sugar, not pleasure. So the new cookies lean into both. There are two variants to start with, Choco Nut and Hazelnut & Oats, both positioned as indulgent without the usual baggage. They’re a source of protein, contain no trans-fat, and in the case of the Hazelnut & Oats, are also lactose free.What’s interesting is how the brand is framing “better-for-you”. Not as restrictive, but as something that still allows room for taste. As Suraj Kathuria, Vice President (Marketing), Biscuits at ITC, puts it, the idea is to make mindful snacking feel just as satisfying, not like a trade-off. That balance is where the food science comes in. Shantanu Das, who heads Food Sciences at ITC, talks about working backwards from what consumers expect, the same texture, the same bite, and building a sugar-free version that doesn’t lose those markers. It’s less about announcing innovation, more about making it seamless enough to not notice the difference.The format follows that thinking too. Single-serve packs, designed to keep the texture intact, and sized for everyday snacking rather than occasional indulgence.The cookies are already making their way onto quick-commerce platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto, in 100g packs priced at ₹100.It’s not a dramatic pivot, just a subtle recalibration. The kind that meets you where you are, mid-snack, trying to do better, but not at the cost of enjoying it.