The Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) has urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to issue wheat-specific, risk-based sampling and testing guidelines and to publish an operational due-diligence checklist for grain processors, according to a letter reported by The Hindu BusinessLine on August 26, 2026. WPPS Chairman Ajay Goyal sent the letter to FSSAI chairperson Punya Salila Srivastava and CEO Rajit Punhani, stating that health-based food-safety standards should remain fully protective.
Proposed reform: control and enforcement architecture
Goyal said the reform requested is in the control and enforcement architecture. The letter said:
The reform requested is in the control and enforcement architecture: representative sampling, risk-based frequency, clear MRL (maximum residue limit) status, shared upstream information, statutory confirmatory/referral testing and a practical documented due diligence framework for an inherently aggregated agricultural supply chain.
The proposal includes defining commercial lot, incremental and aggregate or composite sampling, sample retention, risk tiers, testing frequency and escalation triggers for wheat and wheat flour, according to the letter.
Who is affected
The guidelines would apply to grain processors, organised suppliers, warehouses, mandis, farmer producer organisations and public agencies. WPPS also sought the creation of a joint technical working group comprising FSSAI (Science & Standards, Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance), 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.
Compliance obligations and the MRL map
The letter called for an operational due-diligence checklist aligned with Section 80 for grain processors, covering approved suppliers, traceability, storage and moisture control, fumigation and pest control records. Goyal also asked FSSAI to publish and maintain one consolidated commodity-pesticide MRL map for wheat and wheat flour, with the applicable legal notification, MRL and pesticide registration status. The letter specifically requested clarification of the current enforceable Chlorpyrifos MRL for wheat and wheat flour.
In addition, WPPS proposed the development of a standardised "Wheat Safety Data Passport" or minimum data set for organised suppliers, warehouses, mandis, farmer producer organisations and public agencies.
| Proposal | Key details |
|---|---|
| Risk-based sampling guideline | Define commercial lot, incremental and aggregate/composite sampling, sample retention, risk tiers, testing frequency and escalation triggers |
| Operational due-diligence checklist | Aligned with Section 80; covers approved suppliers, traceability, storage and moisture control, fumigation and pest control records |
| Consolidated commodity-pesticide MRL map | Legal notification, MRL and pesticide registration status; clarify enforceable Chlorpyrifos MRL |
| Wheat Safety Data Passport | Minimum data set for suppliers, warehouses, mandis, farmer producer organisations and public agencies |
Surveillance, pilot programme and code of practice
WPPS urged FSSAI to adopt a risk-based aflatoxin surveillance framework for wheat, with intensified testing where prior history indicated higher risk. The letter also requested a scientific review of infestation terminology and measurable categories in wheat flour. Before any numerical revision of pesticide or mycotoxin limits, WPPS suggested a two-season national wheat surveillance pilot project covering major producing regions, storage systems and supply channels.
The society also said a WPPS Wheat Safety Due-Diligence Code of Practice aligned with Codex, FSSAI food-safety management requirements and Section 80 could be considered.
Next steps
Goyal extended full support to FSSAI initiatives and offered to support a national surveillance pilot so that any future regulatory refinement is based on Indian evidence and measured risk, according to the letter.
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