Indian millets are likely to dominate the global nutri-cereals platter soon with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), a UN food standards body applauding domestic standards on millets at the same time accepting the Government’s proposal for the development of international standards for the superfoods.
The Food and Safety Standards Authority of India’s proposal for the development of global standards for at least 15 types of millets including finger millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, proso millet and little millet as group standards as in the case of pulses was unanimously endorsed in the 46th session at FAO in Rome in Italy, said an official from the Union Health Ministry.
The meet is being attended by representatives from 161 member countries, including the European Union (EU), said the official.
The CAC, an international food safety and quality standard-setting body created by the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN with 188 member countries, currently has standards for sorghum and pearl millet.
The Indian delegation led by FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao had proposed international group standards for millets not only considering that 2023 has been declared as the “International Year of Millets” but also reflecting on the growing international trade in these products, he said.
With the CAC endorsing the proposal, work on the submission of project documents and development of draft standards will now be initiated by India, he said dding that the move will set the benchmark in highlighting millet and its benefits worldwide.
Presently, India is exporting millets to 139 countries across the globe with export value at USD 64 million in FY 2021-22 while there has been an increase in export of millets by 12.5 % during April-December 2023 as compared to the same period last year.
The group standards on millets framed by the FSSAI for 15 types of millets, which specify eight quality parameters, including maximum limits for moisture content, uric acid content, extraneous matter, other edible grains, defects, weevilled grains and immature and shrivelled grains, will act as an important foundation for the development of global standards.
The existing Codex standards for sorghum and pearl millet would also be reviewed while making the group standards for millets, the official said.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the Indian delegation on the “momentous” occasion and said that India has played a pivotal role in making the millet choice of the common man.
The major importing countries were USA, Australia, Japan, Belgium etc in 2011-12 which had been shifted to Nepal (USD 6.09 million), UAE (USD 4.84 million) and Saudi Arabia (USD 3.84 million) in 2021-22. The other seven destinations in the current top-ten list of India’s millet export are Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, UK, Yemen, Oman and Algeria, said an official from the APEDA.