There is no single correct protein or gluten level for export wheat. The right level depends on what you make: pan bread needs stronger wheat than chapati, biscuits need weaker wheat, and pasta needs durum.
Indian bread wheat is usually moderate in protein and suited to flatbreads. Set your limits with your miller or technical team, and always state the test method and moisture basis, or the numbers cannot be compared.
Protein, gluten and why they differ
Protein is measured as total nitrogen multiplied by a factor, or by near-infrared (NIR) instruments calibrated against that method. It is reported on a dry basis or at a stated moisture, often 12 or 14 percent. A result on a dry basis looks higher than the same wheat at 14 percent moisture.
Wet gluten is the part of the protein that forms the elastic network in dough. It is measured by washing a dough sample. Gluten index adds a view of gluten strength. Two lots with the same protein can perform differently in the bakery.
Typical ranges by use, for illustration
The ranges below are only a starting point for discussion. They vary by mill, recipe and market.
- Chapati and atta: moderate protein, often discussed around 10 to 12 percent, with good water absorption.
- Pan bread: higher protein and stronger gluten, often above what typical Indian bread wheat offers.
- Biscuits and cakes: lower protein and softer gluten.
- Pasta and semolina: durum wheat with good protein, high vitreous kernels and good yellow colour.
Other tests to include
- Moisture: low enough for safe storage and transit in containers.
- Test weight (hectolitre weight): an indicator of soundness and milling yield.
- Falling number: shows sprout damage from rain at harvest. Low values mean sticky dough and poor bread.
- Sedimentation value: a quick indicator of gluten quality.
- Foreign matter, broken, shrivelled, insect-damaged and other grains: physical limits as in moisture, purity and foreign matter tolerances.
- Karnal bunt: a fungal disease of wheat found in parts of India. Many importing countries set phytosanitary conditions for it, so check your own plant health authority.
- Pesticide residues, mycotoxins and heavy metals: tested against the limits of your own market.
Getting results you can trust
Ask for results from an accredited lab on a sample drawn from the actual lot, not a typical analysis sheet. Reading a lab certificate explains what to check. For important contracts, have a sample tested by a lab you choose as well.
Before you spend time on a wheat specification, confirm that India currently allows wheat exports. Policy has changed several times since the May 2022 ban, so check the current DGFT notification.
How Creston & Co handles this
We help you write a wheat or wheat product spec with the right tests, methods and moisture basis for your use. We draw samples from the real lot and have them tested at NABL-accredited labs before loading. Ask for a free sourcing review.