India, Dec. 13 -- Dr Vishal Sardeshpande from IIT Mumbai and his wife, Madhavi Sardeshpande, a scientist at NCL, were troubled by the inconsistencies in a product that has been a staple in Indian homes for generations.

Madhavi says, "Jaggery is something our grandparents trusted. But today, it depends on traditional processing methods that are inconsistent. Farmers struggle with unpredictable furnace performance, lack skilled labour, use excessive fuel, and often operate under poor hygiene conditions. This results in jaggery that varies in colour, texture, and sweetness from batch to batch."

What concerned them most was that jaggery-a symbol of purity-was often made using chemical clarifying agents, smoke-contaminated fuel, and outdated...