Ahmedabad, 10 December2018
Grahak Sathi (Dec-Jan 2019),
the National Consumer Magazine in Hindi published by Consumer Education and
Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad,recently released findings of its in-house
comparative product testing laboratory of ten popular brands of wheat flour.
We are happy to report that all brands conformed to
the parameters set by the Bureau of India
Standards (BIS) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
All brands were free from adulteration and contamination.
We tested the samples for the
following parameters – moisture, total ash, acid insoluble ash, gluten, alcohol
acidity, crude fibre and granularity. We also tested them for the presence of
the following adulterants and contaminants - excess sand and dirt, excess bran,
chalk powder, starch, insects and fungus.
KEY
FINDINGS (See
table for detailed results)
Ø The
moisture content in all the 10
brands were found to be complying with the mentioned BIS limit of Not More Than
(NMT) 13.0% by weight, and FSSAI limit of NMT 14.0% by weight, with results
ranging from 7.1-11.2%. Flour with excess moisture content is likely to be
attacked by microorganisms and insects. Over time, mould growth may develop.
Ø All
the brands complied with the BIS as well as the FSSAI limits for total ashof NMT 2.0% on dry basis by
weight. The ash of wheat flour consists principally of the phosphates of
potassium and magnesium. The ash content of wholemeal flour is much higher than
that of refined white flour.
Ø All
the brands conformed to the BIS and FSSAI limits for acid insoluble ash of NMT 0.10% by weight on dry basis. A high value for acid insoluble ashsuggests
the presence of dust, dirt, stones which get mixed during processing or are
present in the parent material as an adulterant.
Ø All
the brands had gluten levels within
the BIS limit of Not Less Than (NLT) 9.0% and FSSAI limit of NLT 6.0% by weight
on dry basis. Very low gluten content frequently results in dough deterioration
when machine handled and also in baking faults.
Ø Crude fibrewas
found to be within the BIS limit of NMT 2.5% by weightin all the brands,
ranging from 0.9-1.5%. Crude fibre gives an indication of adulteration of the
sample with extraneous matter of plant origin.
Ø All
the ten brands tested passed the test for alcoholic
acidity with results below the BIS limit of 0.1% and FSSAI limit of 0.18%
by weight. The acidity of flour increases during storage. Hence, alcoholic
acidity provides an indication of the age of the flour.
Ø All
the ten brands complied in the test for granularity.
The texture of wheat and milling conditions determine granularity.
Ø Adulteration and
contamination: None of the brands tested
positive for adulteration or contamination. The presence of excess bran or
chalk powder was not detected in any brand. Excess bran and/or chalk powder may
be added to wheat flour to increase the bulk of the product. Dirt and insect
infestation indicate a failure to maintain good sanitary conditions in grain
storage areas and mills and inadequate cleaning of grains.
Ø Labelling requirements:
All the brands complied with the FSS(Packaging and Labelling) Regulations 2011.
Wheat
Flour: Test Results
Brands
|
Rank
|
Overall Score1 (%)
|
Price/5kg (Rs.)
|
Moisture
(%)
|
Acid Insoluble Ash (%)
|
Gluten
(%)
|
Crude Fibre (%)
|
Limit
|
|
|
|
NMT2 13% (BIS)
|
NMT 0.1% (BIS)
|
NLT3 6% (FSSAI)
|
NMT 2.5% (BIS)
|
Patanjali
Whole Wheat Atta
|
1
|
86
|
160
|
7.1
|
0.01
|
12.6
|
1.4
|
Star Chakki Fresh Atta
|
2
|
85
|
180
|
9.1
|
0.01
|
12.7
|
0.9
|
AashirvaadShudhChakki Atta
|
3
|
83
|
175
|
9.3
|
0.00
|
13.6
|
1.3
|
24 Mantra Organic Whole Wheat Atta
|
4
|
81
|
260
|
7.5
|
0.04
|
13.6
|
1.3
|
Pro Nature100% Organic Whole Wheat Atta
|
5
|
74
|
280
|
10.8
|
0.03
|
13.9
|
1.1
|
Shakti Bhog Chakki Fresh Atta
|
6
|
73
|
190
|
9.8
|
0.03
|
11.8
|
1.0
|
Organic TattvaWheat Chakki Atta
|
6
|
73
|
280
|
9.3
|
0.01
|
12.2
|
1.5
|
Golden Harvest
Chakki Fresh Atta
|
7
|
71
|
210
|
10.4
|
0.04
|
13.8
|
1.2
|
Reliance Select
MP Wheat Chakki Atta
|
8
|
70
|
225
|
11.2
|
0.01
|
12.3
|
1.2
|
Pilsbury Chakki
Fresh Atta
|
9
|
69
|
175
|
10.6
|
0.02
|
12.5
|
1.3
|
Weightage (%)
|
|
|
|
25
|
25
|
25
|
25
|
Notes:
1The
Overall Score was calculated by giving the following weightage – Moisture – 25%,
Acid Insoluble Ash – 25%, Gluten – 25% and Crude Fibre – 25%. The parameters
Total Ash and Alcohol Acidity were not considered while rating because there
was not much variation in the test results among the brands. The parameters
Granularity, Test for Excess Bran and Test for Chalk Powder were not considered
for rating because the test results show that all brands conformed or the
adulterants were absent. Labelling was not considered for rating as all
manufacturers provided all mandatory information.
2 NMT=Not
more than
3NLT
= Not less than
Best Buy
Patanjali obtained the highest overall score
of 86 followed by Star Chakki Fresh
at 85 and Aashirvaad at 83
respectively. If we compare the prices per 5 kg of the product, Patanjali is the least expensive at Rs.
160. Hence, with the best score and least price, Patanjali is our Best Buy.
Previous
testing
The CERC laboratory had earlier tested 13 brands of
wheat flour and the results were published in Insight, May-June 2000. Problems with respect to quality and
labelling were observed then. Eight brands did not conform to alcohol acidity
limits indicating that they were not fresh. Three brands had insect matter and
11 out of 13 brands had excess sand and dirt. Moreover, the labelling was
inadequate with three brands not even having the expiry date.
Role
of gluten
Recently, there has been some fake news regarding
presence of so-called ‘plastic’ in wheat flour. It is gluten, a natural
component of wheat flour, which results in the elasticity of the dough. When
water is added to flour and mixed to form dough, the proteins interact to form
elastic, cohesive gluten. The presence of gluten also affects the chewiness of
baked products. People with intolerance to gluten should avoid consuming any
product with gluten.
Areas
of action
·
Consumers should be
made aware that it is always advisable to buy packaged food products instead of
loose products.
·
They should be informed
about simple household tests for detecting adulteration.
·
Wheat flour should be
made available in smaller packaging, say, 1 kg.
·
Regular monitoring of
loose as well as packaged products by regulatory bodies is necessary to ensure
safety and quality.
Grahak Sathi’s
conclusion
It is indeed heartening news that all the brands of
wheat flour tested proved to be good in terms of purity, freshness and overall
quality. They complied with the standards of FSSAI as well as BIS. Alcoholic acidity
was found below the maximum limit in all brands which indicates that they were
fresh products. None of the brands tested positive for adulteration or
contamination. Moreover, all brands conformed to the labelling requirements.
While it may be argued that branded wheat
flour is more expensive than the unbranded product, in the latter there is
always the danger of adulteration or contamination due to unhygienic handling
practices. That’s why it is always advisable for consumers to buy the packaged
product.
