FSSAI Guidelines for Cereals, Grains, and Derived Products

Overview of Cereals and Grains under FSSAI

FSSAI meticulously sets standards for the safety and quality of cereals and pulses, ensuring that these staple foods meet stringent criteria for consumer consumption. FSSAI standards for cereals and pulses encompass various aspects, including hygiene, purity, and nutritional content, aimed at safeguarding consumer health and well-being. FSSAI's regulations cover both raw cereals and pulses, as well as processed cereal products, ensuring consistency and adherence to safety protocols throughout the supply chain.

Cereals and cereal products encompass a wide range of food items derived from grains such as wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, and millets. FSSAI standards for breakfast cereals, in particular, outline specific requirements for nutritional content, labelling, and packaging, ensuring that consumers receive accurate information and high-quality products.

Additionally, FSSAI establishes standards for food grains, addressing parameters such as purity, moisture content, and absence of contaminants. Key food safety management practices, including storage conditions and traceability systems, enhance regulatory compliance and public health protection. We also emphasise gluten-free options and fortification standards to meet diverse dietary needs and uphold consumer rights

Introduction to Cereals and Grains under FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, specifically Section 2.4, provides an outline for the standards for FSSAI cereal products, pulses, and derivatives. These cover not only the grains themselves but also their processed forms like flours and cereal products. Furthermore, the regulations extend to cover standards for malted foods and flours derived from solvent-extracted edible oilseeds.

• Understanding Contamination Risks in Cereals

  Contaminants in food refer to substances inadvertently introduced during various stages of production, including agricultural and manufacturing processes, packaging, and transportation, due to environmental factors:

  • Chemicals from the Indian Pharmacopoeia must adhere to metal contaminant limits outlined in relevant monographs
  • Clause (1) notwithstanding,

FSSAI Regulations for Specific Cereal and Grain Products

To curb grain contamination, FSSAI regulations for specific cereal and grain products enforce stringent quality standards, including parameters for purity, safety, and labeling. These guidelines aim to protect consumer health by ensuring that cereals and grains meet specified criteria for hygiene, nutritional content, and permissible additives, thereby maintaining the integrity of the food supply chain. Here are some FSSAI regulation for some wheat and pulses based products:

• Wheat-Based Products

  • Moisture content must not exceed 14.0% by mass
  • Total ash content, on a dry basis, should not exceed 2.0%
  • Ash insoluble in dilute HCl should not exceed 0.15% on a dry mass basis
  • Gluten content should be not less than 6.0% on a dry mass basis
  • Alcoholic acidity, expressed as H2SO4 with 90% alcohol, should not exceed 0.18% on a dry mass basis
  • Crude fibre content should not exceed 2.5% on a dry mass basis
  • Granularity requirements stipulate that not less than 98% by mass of the material shall pass through a 500 micron I.S. sieve (35 mesh)
  • Uric acid content should not exceed 100 mg/kg

• Protein Rich Wheat Flour (Protein Prachur Atta):

  Protein Prachur Atta is a blend of wheat flour with solvent-extracted groundnut flour, soya flour, and whey protein powder, either individually or in combination, up to 15.0%. It must not contain added flavouring or colouring agents and should be free from abnormal flavours, odours, insects, mould, and impurities of animal origin. Here is a table of FSSAI standards for the same:

  • Moisture % by mass should not exceed 13.0
  • Acid insoluble ash, % by mass (on dry basis), should not exceed 0.1
  • Total Protein (N x 6.25), % by mass (on dry basis), should not be less than 15.0
  • Total Dietary Fibre, % by mass (on dry basis), should not be less than 7.0
  • Alcoholic acidity should not exceed 0.18%
  • Gluten, % by mass (on dry basis), should not be less than 5.0
  • Urease activity (pH units rise) should not exceed 0.02
  • Uric Acid should not exceed 100 mg/kg.

• Maida (Refined Wheat Flour)

  Maida, or refined wheat flour, is derived from FSSAI wheat standards grains through milling processes that remove the bran and germ, leaving a finely ground product. It must be devoid of abnormal flavours, odours, insects, and impurities of animal origin, including dead insects. Here is a table of FSSAI standards for the same:

  • Moisture content should not exceed 14.0% by mass
  • Total ash content should not exceed 1.0% on a dry mass basis
  • Ash insoluble in dilute HCl should not exceed 0.1% on a dry mass basis
  • Gluten content should be not less than 7.5% on a dry mass basis
  • Alcoholic acidity, expressed as H2SO4 with 90 percent alcohol, should not exceed 0.12% on a dry mass basis
  • Granularity should ensure that not less than 98% passes through a 212 micron IS sieve (70 mesh)
  • Uric acid content should not exceed 100 mg/kg.

• Protein Rich Refined Wheat Flour (Protein Prachur Maida):

  Protein Prachur Maida is a blend of refined wheat flour, soy flour, groundnut flour extracted using a solvent, and whey protein powder, either separately or in combination up to 15.0%. Soya flour content should not exceed 10.0%, and whey protein powder should not exceed 5.0%. It should not contain added flavour or colouring agents and must be free from abnormal flavours, odours, insects, mould, and impurities of animal origin. Here is a table of FSSAI standards for the same:

  • Moisture content should not exceed 12.0% by mass
  • Acid insoluble ash should not exceed 0.1% by mass on a dry basis
  • Total Protein (N x 6.25) should not be less than 15.0% by mass on a dry basis
  • Total Dietary Fibre should not be less than 3.0% by mass on a dry basis
  • Alcoholic acidity should not exceed 0.12%
  • Gluten content should not be less than 6.0% by mass on a dry basis

• Durum Wheat Maida:

  Durum wheat maida is produced from durum wheat grains through a milling process that eliminates the bran and germ, resulting in a finely ground product suitable for various culinary uses. It should meet quality standards, devoid of abnormal flavours, odours, insects, and impurities of animal origin.

• Other Key Grain Products

• Semolina (Suji or Rawa):

  Semolina, known as suji or rawa, is produced by grinding or milling clean wheat grains, with partial or complete removal of bran and germ, resulting in a finely ground texture. It must be free of strange tastes, smells, live insects, and contaminants derived from animals, including dead insects. Here is a table of FSSAI standards for the same:

  • Moisture content should not exceed 14.5% by mass
  • Total ash should not exceed 1.0% on a dry mass basis
  • Ash insoluble in dilute HCl should not exceed 0.1% on a dry mass basis
  • Gluten content should not be less than 6.0% on a dry mass basis
  • Alcoholic acidity (expressed as H2SO4 with 90 percent alcohol) should not exceed 0.15% on a dry mass basis
  • Uric acid content should not exceed 100 mg/kg.

• Besan:

  Besan, derived from dehusked Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum), is obtained through grinding. It must be free of unusual smells, scents, live insects, and contaminants of animal origin, including dead insects, and it must not include any additional colouring agents. It shall conform to the following standards, namely: -

  • Moisture content should not exceed 12.0% by mass
  • Ash insoluble in dilute hydrochloric acid should not exceed 0.3%
  • Alcoholic acidity (expressed as H2SO4) with 90 percent alcohol by mass should not exceed 0.18%
  • Protein content (Nx6.25) on a dry basis should not be less than 20.0%
  • Uric Acid content should not exceed 100 mg/kg.

• Pearl Barley (Jau):

  Pearl Barley, sourced from sound and clean barley grains, should have a whitish color and be devoid of fermented, musty, or other undesirable tastes or odors. It must be free from adulterants, insect and fungus infestation, rodent contamination, and contain no more than 1% other food grains by weight. Here is a table of FSSAI standards for the same: Here are the parameters expressed as sentences:

  • Total ash content on a dry basis should not exceed 1.0%
  • Ash insoluble in dilute hydrochloric acid on a dry basis should not exceed 0.1%
  • Crude fibre content on a dry basis should not exceed 0.5%
  • Alcoholic acidity (expressed as H2SO4) with 90% alcohol should not exceed 0.10%.
  • Barley powder is the result of grinding clean and sound dehusked barley grains. It must consist of at least 98.0% barley starches by weight.

• Maize

  Maize, the dried mature grains of Zea mays Linn, should be sweet, hard, clean, and wholesome, with moisture content not exceeding 16.0% by weight. Here is a table of FSSAI standards for the same:

  • Moisture content should not exceed 16.0% by weight, determined by heating at 130°C-133°C for two hours
  • Other edible grains should not exceed 3% by weight
  • Damaged grains should not exceed 5% by weight
  • Weevilled grains should not exceed 10% by count
  • Uric acid content should not exceed 100 mg per kg.

• Rice:

  Rice consists of whole and broken kernels from Oryza sativa L. It includes types such as brown rice (de-husked), milled rice (with part of bran and germ removed), parboiled brown rice (from parboiled paddy), and milled parboiled rice (from de-husked parboiled paddy).

Pulses and Legumes: Standards and Regulations

• Whole Pulses

  The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 (Schedule 4) and any further instructions issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, must be followed by the product. It also needs to fulfil Appendix B's microbiological criteria. This standard guarantees that whole, shelled (de-husked), or split pulses are free of added colouring material and hazardous or noxious seeds. The standard extends to mixed pulses covered herein. The following types must adhere to the pulses regulations outlined by FSSAI:

  • Lentil (Masur) - Lens culinaris Medik or Ervum lens Linn
  • Black gram (Urd) – Phaseolus mungo Linn
  • Green gram (Moong) - Phaseolus aureus Roxb., Phaseolus radiatus Roxb
  • Bengal gram (Chana or Chickpea) or Kabuli chana or Chhole or Hara chana - Cicer arietinum Linn
  • Red gram (Arhar) – Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp
  • Horse gram (Kulthi) – Dolichos biflorus
  • Field bean (Black, Brown, White), Sem - Phaseolus vulgaris
  • Dry peas (Matra) – Pisum sativum
  • Soybean – Glycine max Merr

Processed Cereal and Grain Products

• Breakfast Cereals and Flours

  • Corn flakes are derived from dehulled, degermed, and cooked corn (Zea mays L.), processed through flaking, partial drying, and toasting. Permitted ingredients may be added, meeting standards outlined in regulations. They should exhibit crisp, uniformly-sized flakes with a golden-brown colour, free from contaminants.
  • Custard powder is obtained from maize (Zea mays L.) or sago/tapioca, with or without additional edible starches from arrowroot, potato, or sorghum vulgare, along with optional salt, milk, and albuminous matter. Permitted colours and flavours may be included, with the powder being free from foreign matter, rancidity, and undesirable odours.
  • Soya, containing a minimum of 20% protein on a dry basis, is supplemented with lysine from legumes and pulses to address cereal deficiencies but may lack methionine, which can be added. Soya used must have low levels of phytoestrogens.
  • Groundnut is derived from clean, degermed kernels, decuticled after mild roasting, and processed via expulsion followed by solvent extraction or direct kernel extraction. It should display a whitish to light brown colour, uniform composition, and be free from rancidity, odours, impurities, insects, fungus, rodent contaminants.
  • Sesame flour is produced from clean, decuticled sesame seeds, extracted through solvent extraction or direct pressing. It should have a white or pale creamy white colour, uniform composition, and be free from rancidity, odours, impurities, insects, fungus, rodent contaminants.
  • Coconut flour is obtained from fresh coconut kernels or dried copra, processed using food-grade hexane for oil extraction. It should exhibit a white or pale brownish-yellow colour, uniform composition, and be free from rancidity, odours, impurities, insects, fungus, rodent contaminants.
  • Cotton seed flour is derived from solvent extraction of oil cake immediately after single pressing, sourced from high-quality cotton seeds free from contamination. It should have a white or pale brownish colour, uniform composition, and be free from rancidity, odours, impurities, insects, fungus, rodent contaminants. Here's the standards outlined by the FSSAI:

• Pasta, Macaroni, and Malt-Based Foods

  Pasta products are made from a blend of ingredients, including suji, maida, rice flour, groundnut flour, tapioca flour, edible soy flour, or other cereals mentioned in sub-regulation 2.4. These ingredients are kneaded into dough and processed through extension or other methods. The product may have various additional ingredients, such as milk powder, fruits, vegetables, or their extracts, either individually or in combination. Pasta versatile formulation allows for the creation of a diverse range of pasta products tailored to different tastes and preferences. Here is the regulation for the same:

  • Malted Milk Food
  • Malt Based Foods (Malt Food)
  • Rolled Oats

Additional FSSAI Regulated Starchy Foods

• Starchy Food Products

  • Arrowroot: Arrowroot refers to the isolated and refined starch extracted from the rhizomes of plants known as Maranta arundinacea or from Curcuma angustifolia. This purified starch serves various culinary and industrial purposes due to its unique properties.
  • Biscuit: Biscuit encompasses a wide range of baked products, both leavened and unleavened, with or without coatings, and filled partially or entirely. Examples include wafer biscuits, coated wafers, cookies, crackers, filled biscuits, enrobed biscuits, sandwich biscuits, and cream biscuits, including variants with reduced fat or sugar content. Here's the standards presented in a table format:
  • Ash insoluble in dilute HCl, % on dry mass basis, should not exceed 0.1.
  • Acidity of extracted fat (as oleic acid), %, should not exceed 2.0.