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FSSAI specifies comprehensive group standard for millets
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Tuesday, 28 February, 2023, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has specified a comprehensive group standard for millets vide Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives), Second Amendment Regulations, 2023 notified in the Gazette of India and the same will be enforced w.e.f September 1, 2023.
Millets are group of small-grained cereal food crops that are highly tolerant to drought and other extreme weather conditions and require low chemical inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides. Most of millet crops are native of India and they provide most of the nutrients required for normal functioning of human body. Millets are also gluten-free; low in Glycemic Index (GI); and rich in dietary fibre and micronutrients, including calcium, iron, phosphorus. Millets should ideally be an integral part of our daily diet. FSSAI guidance note ("Millets - the nutri-cereals") provides more information about nutritional composition and benefits of consumption of Millets.
In order to create awareness and promote production & consumption of millets, in April
2018 millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals” and “2018” was designated as the National Year of Millets. Later, The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). International Year of Millets (IYOM) – 2023 will provide an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing and better use of crop rotation and promote millets as a major component of the food basket.
Currently, individual standards for only a few millets like Sorghum (Jowar), Whole and decorticated Pearl Millet grain (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi) and Amaranth are prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
FSSAI has now framed a comprehensive group standard for 15 types of millets specifying 8 quality parameters i.e. maximum limits for moisture content, uric acid content, extraneous matter, other edible grains, defects, weevilled grains, and immature and shrivelled grains, so as to ensure availability of good quality (standardised) millets in domestic and global markets.
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