Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has decided to bring new laws to prevent the removal of bran when processing wheat flour.
So far, the processors could remove bran up to 74%.The wheat flour in the market contained only 26% bran that contains the most of the nutrients of the flour, reported Colombo Page.
The Ministry has decided to stop the practice and permit only 20% of the bran to be removed. Accordingly, the wheat flour producers will have to produce flour with 80% of the barn, Health Ministry sources say.
The government has taken this measure since the nutritionists have pointed out that the consumption of wheat flour with too much starch content has caused spread of non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes among Sri Lankan people.