The Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) has emphasized the importance of positioning wheat as the primary food crop in India to meet the country's future food requirements.
Recently, the WPPS organized a one-day seminar focusing on the role of wheat in India's pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-2, which aims to achieve zero hunger by 2030.
As per the media statement, the seminar aimed to provide key recommendations to policymakers, industry stakeholders, and research institutions in order to accomplish SDG-2 and ensure long-term food security.
One of the primary recommendations was the aggressive promotion of wheat in State-sponsored food programs. By amalgamating wheat into these initiatives, India can make significant progress towards achieving zero hunger by 2030 and ensuring food security for its population.
Whole Wheat Flour
In terms of wheat consumption, the seminar suggested that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should promote the consumption of whole wheat flour over refined flour. Whole wheat flour offers greater nutritional benefits and should be encouraged for mass consumption.
Additionally, the seminar recommended the utilization of bio-fortified wheat varieties or wheat-soy/wheat-pulse composite flours to address nutritional deficiencies by ensuring an adequate supply of macro and micronutrients. These approaches address nutritional deficiencies in the target population by improving the delivery and bioavailability of vital nutrients.
Recognizing the increasing demand for convenience foods, the seminar also highlighted the need to develop special flour specifications.
These specifications should cater to emerging areas such as frozen doughs, refrigerated and frozen finished goods, and other evolving segments, thereby expanding the market for wheat-based products.
