Industry representation · 21 August 2026
Wheat food-safety controls: what WPPS has asked FSSAI to clarify
A member-focused ARFMA reading of WPPS representation WPPS/FSSAI/2026/17 on pesticide residues, mycotoxins, infestation, representative sampling and documented due diligence in the wheat supply chain.
Status first: this does not change the law
The Wheat Products Promotion Society (WPPS) submitted this representation to FSSAI's Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer on 21 August 2026. It asks FSSAI to develop a clearer, wheat-specific and risk-based compliance framework. It is an industry request—not an FSSAI order, amendment, exemption or relaxation.
Member mills must continue to follow the presently enforceable Food Safety and Standards requirements unless FSSAI issues a formal clarification or Gazette notification. In particular, figures appearing in FSSAI's September 2024 draft pesticide-MRL revision must not be treated as operative limits.
Regulatory figures recorded in the representation
These figures are reproduced as WPPS states them. For pesticide residues, the original Gazette notifications and amendments—not a draft or compendium alone—control where there is any inconsistency.
- Total aflatoxins: WPPS cites a maximum of 15 µg/kg for cereals and cereal products.
- Aflatoxin B1: WPPS cites a maximum of 10 µg/kg.
- Chlorpyrifos in Foodgrains: WPPS says the notified text available through FSSAI/India Code lists 0.05 mg/kg.
- Chlorpyrifos in Milled foodgrains: WPPS says the same notified text lists 0.01 mg/kg.
- Draft figures only:FSSAI's September 2024 draft proposed 0.5 mg/kg for wheat and 0.1 mg/kg for wheat flour. The representation expressly records that the revision remains a draft.
WPPS therefore asks FSSAI to publish one authoritative, continuously updated commodity-pesticide map identifying the enforceable MRL, source notification, registration status, tolerance or default rule and effective date.
The member case described by WPPS
WPPS records that a July 2025 Food Analyst report on pre-packed fortified wheat flour found Chlorpyrifos at 0.024 mg/kg. The laboratory applied a maximum of 0.01 mg/kg and reported the sample non-conforming/unsafe.
In the same report, Total Aflatoxins were below the reporting/quantification level of 1.0 µg/kg against the cited maximum of 15 µg/kg, and living and dead insects were absent. The case therefore concerns a pesticide residue—not an aflatoxin exceedance or infestation finding.
WPPS does not claim that the laboratory used an incorrect legal limit. It uses the case to demonstrate why processors, laboratories and enforcement authorities need an authoritative MRL map and a clearly documented confirmatory or referral path.
What member mills should do now
- Continue applicable finished-product testing. The representation records the FSSAI licence condition requiring every category or type of finished food product to be tested against applicable standards at least once in six months through an NABL-accredited or FSSAI-notified laboratory.
- Maintain approved-supplier records, purchase and source documents, vehicle and lot identification, storage history and downstream traceability.
- Record grain moisture, warehouse conditions and every fumigation or pest-control treatment, including the chemical, dosage, operator and date.
- Use a written incoming-lot sampling plan based on risk and representative sampling. Retain sealed reference samples where practicable.
- Intensify checks for damaged grain, excessive moisture, long storage, insect activity, adverse climatic conditions or a supplier with earlier failures.
- Preserve laboratory reports, sampling records, investigation, product-hold decisions and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) evidence.
- If a result is marginal, unexpected or disputed, obtain immediate professional advice on the statutory split-sample, appeal and referral-laboratory procedures under Sections 46-47 before any applicable deadline expires.
- Do not rely on the 2024 draft Chlorpyrifos figures unless and until they are formally notified.
What WPPS wants FSSAI to establish
- A joint technical working group involving FSSAI, DFPD/FCI, agriculture and pesticide-registration authorities, MoFPI, laboratories, grain scientists and WPPS.
- Wheat-specific definitions and procedures for commercial lots, sublots, incremental and aggregate samples, retention, risk tiers, testing frequency and escalation.
- An operational Section 80 due-diligence checklist and a standard Wheat Safety Data Passport for source, moisture, storage, fumigation and relevant test information.
- Clear surveillance and safety declarations for publicly procured or stored wheat, and timely use of confirmatory and referral testing.
- Risk-based aflatoxin surveillance, scientific infestation terminology, rapid-screening capacity and a two-season national wheat-surveillance pilot before numerical limits are revised.
- Recognition or development of a WPPS Wheat Safety Due-Diligence Code of Practice aligned with Codex, FSSAI food-safety management requirements and Section 80.
सदस्य मिलों के लिए संक्षिप्त हिन्दी विवरण
WPPS ने 21 अगस्त 2026 को FSSAI से गेहूँ और गेहूँ आटे के लिए risk-based sampling, स्पष्ट pesticide MRL mapping, traceability, due diligence और confirmatory testing व्यवस्था की मांग की है। यह केवल उद्योग का representation है; इससे वर्तमान कानून या residue limit में कोई बदलाव नहीं हुआ है।
- 2024 draft में दिए गए Chlorpyrifos limits को लागू सीमा न मानें।
- प्रत्येक finished-product category/type की लागू मानकों के अनुसार कम-से-कम छह महीने में एक बार NABL-accredited या FSSAI-notified laboratory से जाँच जारी रखें।
- supplier approval, lot traceability, moisture, storage, fumigation, sampling, retained sample, laboratory report और CAPA records व्यवस्थित रखें।
- सीमांत या विवादित result मिलने पर Sections 46-47 के split sample, appeal और referral-laboratory उपायों के लिए तुरंत विशेषज्ञ सलाह लें।
সদস্য মিলসমূহৰ বাবে চমু অসমীয়া বিৱৰণ
WPPS-এ ২১ আগষ্ট ২০২৬ তাৰিখে FSSAI-ক ঘেঁহু আৰু ঘেঁহুৰ আটা বাবে risk-based sampling, স্পষ্ট pesticide MRL mapping, traceability, due diligence আৰু confirmatory testing ব্যৱস্থা প্ৰস্তুত কৰিবলৈ অনুৰোধ কৰিছে। এইখন কেৱল উদ্যোগৰ representation; ইয়াৰ ফলত বৰ্তমানৰ আইন বা residue limit সলনি হোৱা নাই।
- ২০২৪ চনৰ draft-ত দিয়া Chlorpyrifos limit-সমূহ কাৰ্যকৰী সীমা বুলি নধৰিব।
- প্ৰতিটো finished-product category/type প্ৰযোজ্য মানদণ্ড অনুসৰি কমেও ছমাহত এবাৰ NABL-accredited বা FSSAI-notified laboratory-ত পৰীক্ষা কৰাই থাকিব।
- supplier approval, lot traceability, moisture, storage, fumigation, sampling, retained sample, laboratory report আৰু CAPA record সুশৃংখলভাৱে ৰাখিব।
- সীমান্তৱৰ্তী বা বিতৰ্কিত result পালে Sections 46-47-ৰ split sample, appeal আৰু referral-laboratory ব্যৱস্থা সময়মতে ব্যৱহাৰ কৰিবলৈ তৎক্ষণাৎ বিশেষজ্ঞৰ পৰামৰ্শ ল'ব।
Important limitation
This ARFMA note explains the supplied WPPS representation; it is not an independent verification of every legal or technical citation and is not legal advice. Section 80 due diligence is a fact-dependent statutory defence, not an automatic exemption. The original Gazette text, current FSSAI requirements and the facts of each mill and sample control.