‘Atta’ And ‘Maida’ Are Different, FSSAI Tells Companies; Directs Them To Brand Products In A Way Buyers Are Aware

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed packaged-food companies to label atta as whole wheat flour and maida as refined wheat flour to help consumers make better choices, reports The Hindu BusinessLine.

This decision was taken in public interest as it was observed that companies had sold both atta and maida under the same term, ‘wheat flour.’

FSSAI has stated that “using the term wheat flour for maida on the label of the food products does not convey the exact nature of the ingredient used for manufacturing various food items to the consumers as well as enforcement officials.”

The regulator has asked firms to comply with these requirements by April 30 (2019) and food safety commissioners of states/UTs have been directed to not initiate legal action against errant companies until the threshold date.

Growing Market

In India, branded wheat flour market is expanding rapidly; and as per the latest data (2018), while around 60 per cent of households in the country purchased wheat, 25 per cent bought loose wheat flour and the rest 15 per cent bought packaged wheat flour.

ITC’s Aashirwad atta is the leading player in India’s wheat flour market with around 28 per cent share in the branded segment. It is also exported to 32 countries, including the US, Canada and the Middle East, targeting the Indian diaspora.

Also Read: Hygiene In, Newspapers Out: FSSAI Releases New Food Packaging Norms, Will Come Into Effect From 1 July