India's Stringent Pesticide Residue Limits in Food Items
The Indian government has clarified its position on pesticide residue limits in food items, emphasizing its stringent norms. This statement comes amidst reports suggesting that the regulator permits higher pesticide residue limits in herbs and spices.
The government clarifies that Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides are set differently for various food commodities based on individual risk assessments. This process involves the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB & RC), and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The CIB & RC, established under the Insecticide Act of 1968, oversees the manufacturing, import, transport, and storage of pesticides. The FSSAI then examines data from the CIB & RC before recommending MRLs after conducting risk assessments. These assessments consider dietary consumption and health concerns of all age groups in the Indian population.
The government further clarifies that a pesticide can be registered on multiple food commodities with differing MRLs based on the risk assessment data. For instance, Monocrotophos is allowed on various crops with different MRLs, such as 0.03 mg/kg for rice, 0.2 mg/kg for citrus fruits, and 0.1 mg/kg for coffee beans.
For spices like cardamom and chilli, the MRLs for the pesticide are 0.5 mg/kg and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively. The government emphasizes that the MRL of 0.01 mg/kg was applicable only in cases where MRLs had not been fixed previously. This limit was increased to 0.1 mg/kg only for spices and applies exclusively to pesticides not registered in India by the CIB & RC.
This change aligns with the adoption of MRLs in the range of 0.1 mg/kg and above by the Codex Alimentarius Commission on pesticide residues on spices during 2021-23. The MRLs fixed by CODEX for spices and culinary herbs range from 0.1 to 80 mg/kg.
This clarification comes amidst controversy surrounding Indian spice brands MDH and Everest, whose products were recalled in Hong Kong and Singapore due to the presence of Ethylene Oxide (ETO). The FSSAI is currently collecting spice samples from across the country for quality checks. The agency has also issued orders to increase sampling of products from all brands, both large and small.