Our Story
The legacy of National foods

Established in 1970 by Sanjay Joshi’s grandfather. Quality, reliability, Customer satisfaction and trust.

Our legacy. A history of great flavour.

Established in 1970, as a traditional grinding mill by the Late Shri Punamlal S Joshi with a capacity of just 10 kg per day over three decades back. National Foods has evolved into India’s first and largest Hing processing plant, manufacturing premium quality asafoetida, with a capacity of over 3 tons per day.

We are one of the largest raw hing suppliers to other hing units across the country and have become renowned for premium quality hing powder and hing granules across the country.

National Foods has come a long way. With 50 years of experience, Currently run by the third generation of the Joshi family, National Foods continues to build upon a legacy of trust, quality and reliability. These are the essential values that have empowered the growth of National Foods, and these very values will continue to guide its journey into global markets, with various varieties of ‘Hing’ that have become synonymous with the exotic aroma, taste and flavor that they impart to the delicacies.

Our Manufacturing unit

Built on a sprawling 40,000 sq. ft area in a pollution-free zone near Baroda, the infrastructure at National Foods is top of the notch.

It is here that India’s largest and fully automatic plant for hing processing is up and running, daily, round the clock and an AGMARK-approved laboratory with excellent control equipment and testing facilities for humidity, drying temperature, mixing time, and machine operations augment manufacturing at the plant.

A dedicated packaging unit with an impressive range of ultra-modern packaging machines ensures timely packing, organized dispatch, and speedy delivery.

Our Manufacturing unit is one of the few in the country to use a special, scientific process called Cryogenic Grinding.

Cryogenic grinding involves cooling materials below specific temperatures using a cryogenic fluid which has a ton of benefits while majorly minimizing loss of essential oils to maintain aroma and taste.

With Precise technology and an informed workforce We help to create the country’s topmost range of Hing or asafoetida products, like hing paste, compounded asafoetida lumps and asafoetida granules.

Hing is our
north star!

We pour all our love and energy into the thing we do best.
And know best. Hing from National Foods.

Starting with a capacity of just 10 kg per day over three decades back, National Foods has evolved into India’s first and largest Hing processing plant, manufacturing premium quality asafoetida, with a capacity of over 3 tons per day. Currently run by the third generation of the Joshi family, National Foods continues to build upon a legacy of trust, quality and reliability. These are the essential values that have empowered the growth of National Foods, and these very values will continue to guide its journey into global markets, with various varieties of ‘Hing’ that have become synonymous with the exotic aroma, taste and flavor that they impart to the delicacies.

Hing with Cryogenic Grinding

When it comes to Our Manufacturing unit National Foods is one of the few manufacturers in the country to use a special, scientific process called Cryogenic Grinding.

Cryogenic grinding involves cooling materials below specific temperatures using a cryogenic fluid.

Advantages of this process:

  • • No heat generation
  • • Minimal residual stress
  • • No clogging or gumming
  • • Prevents oxidation
  • • Minimal loss of essential oils to maintain aroma and taste
  • • Lower grinding costs
  • • More uniform particle distribution
  • • Fine grinding; higher grinding capacity
  • • Helps to conserve power
  • • Clean and pollution-free environment.

Asafoetida has been used in cooking for over centuries. Used to harmonize the myriad tastes of food into a cohesive whole it is renowned for its digestive, laxative, and carminative properties.

Director’s Details
Our purpose and values

For generations, we have helped create delicious meal times around the country.

Director’s message

Our ultimate goal is to bring forth the health benefits of Hing to the world while continuing to provide quality products to our customers.

There is too much to this spice than what the world knows and I’m passionate to throw light on its medical benefits!

Research centre

National Science research Centre is the world’s first Hing research center. Our teams of dedicated researchers have worked on development of hing drops, paste and Hing sprays. A newer concept to consumption of regular hing.

We have applied for 5 patents of which we have already received provisional certificates. Our samples have been sent to NABL accredited laboratory to certify our reliability.

With this we have researched and extracted essential oils of asafoetida that have proven to be helpful in treating colon, liver and pancreatic cancer. We have also collaborated with different institutions like Nirma University, National Chemical lab (NCL), Navarachana University and inToX pvt ltd.

Our USP is that all our research developments and compounds are natural and targeting specific common diseases without any preservatives or chemicals.

We look forward to bringing the health benefits of hing to the world!

Certifcation

The Process

Asafoetida is extracted from the Ferula plants which have massive taproots or carrot-shaped roots, 12.5-15 cm in diameter at the crown when they are 4-5 years old. Just before the plant’s flower, the upper part of the living rhizome root is laid bare and the stem cut off close to the crown.

Today, the most commonly available form is compounded asafoetida, a fine powder containing 30% asafoetida resin, along with rice flour or Maida (white wheat flour) and gum arabic. ... They yield a resin similar to that of the stems. All parts of the plant have a distinctive fetid smell.

A pinch of hing.

All that you need to launch a culinary adventure.

At National Foods the entire process of manufacturing Compounded Asafoetida, right from start to finish is an intricate, scientific process.

The 5 main steps are:

Step 1
Soak in water

The pasty mass of asafoetida is soaked in water.

Step 2
Mixing

Using the Mixer Grinder, a combination of ingredients are mixed in the required proportion; then the slurry of soaked asafoetida is added and mixed well.

Step 3
Milling

The compounded asafoetida is transformed into powder form using a Milling machine.

Step 4
Tablet Form

Generally, asafoetida is in powder form but additionally, you can produce the Compounded Asafoetida or Hing tablet by using the Tablet making machine.

Step 5
Packaging

The hing is then packed with the help of advanced Packaging machines; to maintain its moisture content and quality polythene bags are used for packaging.

Our Vision

Our Vision is “to see a world united by flavour—where healthy, viable and tasty go together." To make our presence as a globally recognized name on the forefront of convenience foods is our mission.

Why Hing is our passion

Quite a foodie following.

Asafoetida or Hing is undoubtedly indispensable in Indian cooking, especially in dals and curries.
And the benefits are without a doubt, impressive.

Good source of antioxidants

The plant compounds in asafoetida help to protect our cells against potential damage caused by unstable molecules, or free radicals. Conditions like chronic inflammation, heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes can benefit from the intake of asafoetida.

May be good for digestion

One of the most common uses of asafoetida is helping with indigestion. Asafoetida has also been shown to help boost digestion by increasing the activity of digestive enzymes. It could, therefore, increase the release of bile from the liver, which is needed for the digestion of fat.

May help reduce symptoms of IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic gastrointestinal (GI) condition that’s characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating, gas, and constipation, diarrhea, or both.
Due to its potential effects on digestion, asafoetida could help reduce symptoms associated with IBS.

Other possible benefits

Due to limited studies on asafoetida it is not possible to correlate the impact that this spice has on our bodies. But centuries of using this flavour enhancer suggests that it may have additional benefits:

  • • Antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial effects.
  • • Lowers blood pressure.
  • • Anticancer effects.
  • • Protects brain health.
  • • Eases Asthma symptoms.
  • • Lowers blood sugar levels.
Milestones
1970

Started National Foods
First Factory started

2001

2nd factory started

2002

GOT ISO certificate

2016

Expansion of National Foods with in-house QC Lab.
Extraction of essential oil from asafoetida.

2017

Developed Hing drops/paste and even have patents too.

2019

Developed Digestive Oil, basically for no-vegetarian, to help in easy digestion without bloating.
Developed pre-biotic and pro-biotic hing powder.

2020

Successfully isolated components from Hing using latest technology which are unique and even patents have also been applied.