Wheat flour regulation hits doughy patch with industry
- 5opn1
- January 21, 2025
- Business News
- Wheat flour regulation hits doughy patch with industry
- 0 Comments
Sri Lanka’s new food regulation, mandating an 80 percent extraction rate for wheat flour has raised serious concerns across the industry, with stakeholders warning that its immediate roll-out could alter consumption patterns, and in turn have adverse effects on key sectors.
Top industry representatives have voiced reservations. This includes Kushan Amarasinghe, a leading food scientist and CEO of a major bakery brand, who highlighted the potential negative impacts of the regulation.
Amarasinghe cautioned that while the policy aims to uplift public health by increasing the nutritional content of flour, it could severely compromise the quality of bakery products, and eventually result in consumer dissatisfaction.
“We believe consumers should be given options, and industries should be encouraged to provide these options. The government can promote healthier alternatives, but it should not force choices on the public,” Amarasinghe said.
