Now Reading: Wheat body asks FSSAI for crop-specific testing guidelines
-
01
Wheat body asks FSSAI for crop-specific testing guidelines
The Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to release wheat-specific, risk-based sampling and testing guidelines and a due-diligence checklist for grain processors.…
The Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to release wheat-specific, risk-based sampling and testing guidelines and a due-diligence checklist for grain processors. In a letter to FSSAI chairperson Punya Salila Srivastava and CEO Rajit Punhani, WPPS chairman Ajay Goyal said the reform should cover representative sampling, risk-based frequency, clear maximum residue limits and shared upstream information.
Goyal also proposed a joint technical working group including FSSAI, multiple ministries, accredited labs and grain scientists. He urged FSSAI to publish a consolidated pesticide MRL map for wheat, adopt a risk-based aflatoxin surveillance framework, and run a two-season national wheat surveillance pilot before revising any pesticide or mycotoxin limits. WPPS said it supports FSSAI initiatives and offered to back a national pilot so future regulation is based on Indian evidence.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The WPPS represents organised millers who must comply with FSSAI standards while competing with the unorganised sector that often faces weaker enforcement. Its call for a joint working group and a surveillance pilot signals that the industry sees regulatory uncertainty, not just the rules themselves, as the bigger cost. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI sets both science-based standards and enforcement protocols. A crop-specific guideline would be a departure from the current general framework and could set a precedent for other commodities like rice or pulses. The real outcome to watch is whether FSSAI convenes the technical working group before the next rabi marketing season, which starts in April.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
