TC has relaunched Kitchens Of India, its ready-to-serve (RTS) food brand that caters to the upmarket consumer. New �dishes� have been announced along with changes in pricing and packaging. This is the first major change since the gourmet cuisine brand�s launch in August 2001.

World over, the ready-to-eat category has three types of products. First are the �chilled� products - packaged foods that are maintained at 0-4 degree Celsius (normal refrigeration), having a shelf life of around seven days (under refrigeration). Then there are �frozen� products, that are maintained at a temperature of minus 18 degree Celsius (to be stored in the deep freezer) and have a shelf life of around two months. Last but not the least are those categorised as �ambient stable products�, which require no refrigeration and have a shelf life of up to two years. The bulk of the Indian RTS foods fall under this category and ITC has two brands here - Aashirvaad (medium priced) and Kitchens Of India (high priced). Both have RTS meals as well as cooking pastes. ... more