Real food · Better health
For centuries Indians have eaten fermented food every day. We take traditional Poongar red rice, ferment it with Lactobacillus reuteri, and pack it into a cup that's ready when you are.
Heritage
Long before anyone said "probiotic", fermented foods were part of everyday meals. They were easy to digest, kept well without a fridge, and fed the gut without anyone calling it that.
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PAZHAYA SORU · LAST NIGHT'S RICE, SOAKED AND FERMENTED BY MORNING
Cooked rice soaked in water overnight in a clay pot. Its water, neeragaram, was the farmer's morning drink.
Rice and urad dal batter left to rise overnight, which makes it lighter and easier to digest.
A black carrot and mustard seed drink, fermented in the sun each winter.
A steamed cake of fermented gram flour batter, eaten at breakfast and as a snack.
Fermented millet porridge, often ragi, served cool through the summer.
Rice batter fermented with toddy or yeast for its soft, lacy centre.
Rice fermented in water and eaten with curd and greens on hot days.
Fermented greens and soybean, central to the cooking of the hills.
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The fermentation lab
Our grandmothers waited overnight. In controlled fermentation at 30–37 °C, L. reuteri multiplies in the cooked Poongar rice while acidity rises. Drag the slider or press play.
Our first product · by mbg Shakthi
An instant, probiotic-enriched Poongar rice porridge. Traditional red rice, fermented with Lactobacillus reuteri and dried into a fine powder that becomes a warm bowl of kanji in under a minute.
A traditional red rice of Tamil Nadu, long valued in women's diets. Unpolished, so it keeps its bran, fibre and minerals.
Add hot water and stir. Clean label, no artificial additives, gluten free, and suitable for every age.
Complex carbohydrates and resistant starch · soluble and insoluble fibre · polyphenols and anthocyanins · iron, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins · natural prebiotics that feed gut bacteria.
Developed in collaboration with the Department of Food Technology, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai.
Technical process
Fermentation and probiotic enrichment happen in one controlled step, so every batch is stable and reproducible.
Traditional Poongar rice, chosen for its nutrition and fermentation stability.
Cleaning, destoning, washing, soaking and draining.
Cooked soft, then cooled to a temperature the culture thrives in.
Inoculation and controlled fermentation build a high viable count, better digestibility and flavour.
Spray dried, milled and sieved into a fine instant powder.
Moisture-barrier packs for long shelf life. Hygienic, safe and easy to prepare.
Add hot water, stir and eat. Suitable for all age groups.
Inside the body
Produces reuterin, which inhibits E. coli, Salmonella, C. difficile and H. pylori.
Supports tight-junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin) and lowers intestinal permeability.
Helps balance Treg/Th17 cells, raising IL-10 and lowering TNF-α and IL-6.
Produces short-chain fatty acids and influences bile acid, lipid and glucose metabolism.
Produces GABA and is studied for effects on stress, anxiety and sleep.
Helps keep vaginal microbiota balanced and inhibits uropathogens.
Benefits are based on published research on L. reuteri and Poongar rice. Poongar Kanji is a food, not a medicine, and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. During pregnancy, lactation or medical treatment, please check with your doctor.
Commercialisation
Why now
Our vision
To make whole-food nutrition the default choice: simple, affordable and rooted in our culture.
Partner with us
We're looking for investors, strategic partners and leaders who care about functional foods, gut health and preventive nutrition.
Currently raising
₹2 crore