amaranth flour | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Amaranth flour is a gluten-free pseudocereal flour milled from the dried mature grains of Amaranthus species (primarily A. caudatus, A. cruentus, and A. hypochondriacus). It is used in baking, gluten-free food production, and functional foods due to its high protein, fibre, and mineral content.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Amaranth flour is broadly safe for the general adult population with no ADI restriction and is not classified as a concern by IARC, EFSA, or FDA as a food ingredient. It contains naturally occurring anti-nutritional factors (phytate, oxalates, saponins, tannins, and protease inhibitors), though trypsin inhibitors are at levels not considered a nutritional risk; phytate may reduce mineral bioavailability, which can be mitigated by fermentation or enzymatic processing. Individuals with kidney disease should be cautious due to oxalate content.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Amaranth grain and flour are explicitly standardised under FSS (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulation 2018 covering species A. caudatus, A. cruentus, and A. hypochondriacus; moisture max 12% by mass; free from added colouring matter, moulds, weevils, and rodent contamination.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	FDA recognises amaranth as a food grain alongside wheat, oats, quinoa, and buckwheat under its food safety risk assessment framework (FSMA). No specific maximum use level or ADI is established; treated as a conventional whole-grain food ingredient.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Kidney Disease — Amaranth contains naturally occurring oxalates, which can contribute to kidney stone formation or worsen renal oxalate load in individuals with kidney disease or a history of oxalate urolithiasis.

Ibd — The saponin and tannin content in amaranth flour may irritate the gut lining in individuals with active inflammatory bowel disease; processing (washing, toasting) can reduce but not eliminate these compounds.

Infants — Although amaranth flour has been studied as a complementary food, its phytate and anti-nutritional content may impair mineral absorption in infants; introduction should be guided by a paediatrician.

Gout — Amaranth contains moderate oxalate levels, and high-oxalate foods may exacerbate uric acid and oxalate crystal deposition in individuals predisposed to gout.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Amaranth and buckwheat grains: Nutritional profile, development of functional foods, their pre-clinical cum clinical aspects and enrichment in feed, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. The Dual Nature of Amaranth—Functional Food and Potential Medicine, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3FSSAI. FSS (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulation — Standards for Amaranth, 2018. fssai.gov.in
4PubMed. Composition and potential contribution of iron, calcium and zinc of bread and pasta made with wheat and amaranth flours, 2007. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. Amaranth oil application for coronary heart disease and hypertension, 2007. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations