Maida is one such flour commonly used in South Asian cuisine and has prominent use as an ingredient in India. It is also well known as white flour or all-purpose flour. It is made from the endosperm of the wheat kernel, which is why it is not considered as healthy as atta / flour. Maida makes all kinds of junk food that we all love to eat, whether it is pizza, samosa, bhatura, cookies, pasta, cakes, and many more.
Maida is an essential ingredient for many cuisines; wouldn't it be better to replace refined maida with organic maida to make food items healthier? Organically sourced food items promote good health and longevity. Who doesn't want that, right? Read more and decide whether regular or Organic Maida is better.
THE PROCESS
Regular Maida:
The most commonly used ingredient in all bakery foods, junk, and sweet delicacies, it's white flour which comes from wheat.
Regular maida is a process of chemicals such as
⦁ Azodicarbonamide
⦁ Benzoyl peroxide
⦁ Chlorine gas.
⦁ Calcium peroxide
⦁ NO2
Scary, right?
A product of the starchy white part of the grain called endosperm, the milling process removes its fibrous bran, unlike organic maida.
It is chemically bleached using artificial bleaching agents to make it look white, although it has a yellow pigment and contains alloxan causing a high risk of diabetes.
Organic Maida:
Its process involves a natural bleaching process with atmospheric oxygen. Organic maida contains no chemicals or artificial bleaching agents, so it is healthier.
BLEACHED vs. UNBLEACHED PROCESS
All kinds of flour go through the bleaching process. It's an important step.
What separates them is how the bleaching happened.
The texture
⦁ Chemically bleached maida (regular) is soft and elastic in texture.
⦁ The dense texture reflects that the flour is naturally bleached (organic maida)
The color
⦁ Regular maida is white.
⦁ Organic maida is at the off-white spectrum, and the pigment gets darker with age.
The price
⦁ Regular chemically treated maida is cheaper and readily available.
⦁ Organic maida is expensive because its production takes a longer time.
THE CONSUMPTION
Wheat is the most consumed crop in India. In the 2021/2022 marketing year, India ranks the third highest in the consumption of wheat and similar products.
Maida is devoured regularly, from bakeries and sweet shops to ready-to-eat packaged foods.
Convenient and delicious, regular maida is a hit amongst all generations.
But what it's doing to our bodies is a matter of concern.
Fortunately, Indians have realized the importance of eating healthy, chemical-free food.
As mentioned in the 2020 market analysis report,
⦁ The organic food market in India has USD 849.5 million worth of value. This demand for organic foods will rise to USD 2601 million by 2026.
THE CONSEQUENCES
Everything comes at a price, and so is what you put in your mouth.
Our favorite foods made of regular maida are causing
⦁ diabetes,
⦁ constipation,
⦁ gastrointestinal issues and
⦁ Other digestive disorders.
If you are not consuming organic maida, you are depriving your body of vital nutrients like fiber, which is crucial for proper digestion. And consuming refined flour, which is grown with pesticides and fertilizers. Compromising your health is a lost battle.
With all said and done, it's time to switch to organic maida so you can relish your favorite foods without guilt. https://mittalorganics.com/ aims to provide organic and healthy alternatives to fill your pantry and your family's body.
From soil to your kitchen shelves is their motto and organic maida is one such example.