New Delhi, 23 February (IAS). The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set comprehensive group standards for millet through the 2nd Amendment to Food Safety Standards Regulations 2023, which will come into effect from 1st September.
Currently, the Food Safety Standards (Food Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 provide separate standards only for millet varieties such as jowar, whole and shelled millet (bajra), ragi and ambrosia.
FSSAI has now developed comprehensive group standards for 15 types of millet, including parameters such as moisture content, uric acid content, foreign matter, other edible grains, impurities, weevill grains, immature grains and dry grain limits. 8 Quality standards are specified to ensure the availability of high-quality (standardized) millet on the national and global markets.
In April 2018, millet was rebranded as a nutritional grain and 2018 was designated as the National Millet Year to raise awareness of millet and promote production and consumption. The 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2023 to be the International Year of Millet (KDAT 2023).
This provides an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing, better use of crop rotation and promote millet as a major component of the food basket.
Most millet crops are native to India and provide most of the nutrients required for normal functioning of the human body. Millet is rich in dietary fiber and micronutrients such as calcium, iron and phosphorus.
–IANS
SGK/ANM