What is maida?
The wheat kernel or grain is made up of three parts --- the hard outer covering or bran, the endosperm which makes up the greater part of the grain and the germ, the germinating part of the grain.
When you grind all three components together, you get whole wheat flour; if in the milling process the bran and the germ are removed and only the endosperm is ground, you get endosperm flour which is known as white flour or all purpose flour or refined flour or maida. The bran and germ have high nutritive value as they are rich in minerals, vitamins and fibre. White flour therefore is far less nutritious than whole wheat flour.
Bran and germ are removed before grinding because they contain fats which can get rancid and spoil the whole flour. Also they can be sold separately as there is a demand for them as healthy foods.
Freshly ground endosperm flour or maida as well call it is not too white and has a strong smell so it is treated with chemicals to whiten it and remove the smell and make it smooth. In the process the maida can get contaminated with chemicals that are dangerous to health.
So, if you're concerned about your health, it might be a good idea to go easy on baked products, butter nan, pizza and pasta and all foods that are high in maida content.
