Wheat Products Promotion Society Urges FSSAI to Formulate Crop-Specific Testing Guidelines

The Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) has approached the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with a formal request to issue wheat-specific, risk-based sampling and testing guidelines. Alongside these regulatory frameworks, the society has called for the publication of an operational due-diligence checklist tailored for grain processors.

In a letter addressed to FSSAI Chairperson Punya Salila Srivastava and CEO Rajit Punhani, WPPS Chairman Ajay Goyal emphasized that while health-based food safety standards must remain fully protective, reforms are necessary within the control and enforcement architecture. He outlined specific structural needs, including representative sampling, risk-based testing frequencies, clear maximum residue limit (MRL) status, shared upstream information, statutory confirmatory or referral testing, and a practical due-diligence framework suitable for an aggregated agricultural supply chain.

To facilitate these changes, Goyal proposed the establishment of a joint technical working group. This body would comprise representatives from the FSSAI divisions of Science & Standards, Regulatory Compliance, and Quality Assurance, alongside the Department of Food and Public Distribution, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, FSSAI-notified accredited laboratories, grain scientists, and WPPS members.

The recommendations detail several operational parameters for wheat and wheat flour. These include defining commercial lots, incremental and aggregate composite sampling, sample retention, risk tiers, testing frequency, and escalation triggers. Furthermore, Goyal suggested publishing an operational due-diligence checklist aligned with Section 80 for grain processors. This checklist would cover approved suppliers, traceability, storage and moisture control, and fumigation and pest control records.

Additional proposals include creating a consolidated commodity-pesticide MRL map for wheat and wheat flour, which would feature applicable legal notifications, MRLs, pesticide registration status, and explicit clarity on the currently enforceable Chlorpyrifos MRL. The WPPS also recommended developing a standardized 'Wheat Safety Data Passport' or minimum data set for organized suppliers, warehouses, mandis, farmer producer organisations, and public agencies.

The submissions further cover a risk-based aflatoxin surveillance framework with intensified testing where prior history indicates higher risk, as well as a scientific review of infestation terminology and measurable categories in wheat flour. Before considering any numerical revisions to pesticide or mycotoxin limits, the society suggested conducting a two-season national wheat surveillance pilot project across major producing regions, storage systems, and supply channels. The WPPS also proposed a dedicated Wheat Safety Due-Diligence Code of Practice aligned with Codex, FSSAI food-safety management requirements, and Section 80.

Concluding the communication, Goyal extended full institutional support to FSSAI initiatives and offered assistance in executing a national surveillance pilot to ensure future regulatory refinements are grounded in Indian evidence and measured risk.

"The agricultural supply chain involves complex, fragmented networks where regulatory clarity is vital for both compliance and business operations. Proposing structured frameworks like risk-based testing, standardized safety data passports, and joint technical working groups helps bridge the gap between policy enforcement and ground-level processing realities. For grain processors and agricultural enterprises, proactive engagement with regulatory bodies ensures that future compliance standards are both scientifically sound and practically implementable." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes