he state standard AZS 888: 2020 ‘Wheat. Technical conditions’ was approved, which contains new, tougher requirements for quality control of raw materials to provide the population with healthy and high-quality flour and bakery products, the State Service for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control under the Ministry of Economy told QİA.AZ
According to the service, the new standard developed by the Azerbaijan State Service Standardization Institute will also ensure control over the process of supplying (storing) high-quality wheat.
The main indicators of the wheat’s quality (nature, gluten content (gluten), protein, and others) are factors that affect the quality of the flour. Based on the new standard, the requirements for the quality and safety of edible wheat of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, as well as low-quality wheat of the 4th and 5th grades, have been tightened.
The wheat of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades is used in the production of bread, the fourth-grade wheat in terms of quality indicators is fit not for the direct production of flour and bread, but for baking bread with the addition of more expensive wheat varieties. The wheat of the 5th grade in terms of its quality indicators is considered completely unsuitable for human consumption and is mainly used in animal husbandry, poultry farming, and other industries.
Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Emergencies and the Food Safety Agency took part in the discussion of the draft standard. The state standard AZS 888: 2020 ‘Wheat. Specifications’ were developed on the basis of scientific research, international, including European and regional standards.