New Delhi: The government on Sunday said India has one of the most stringent norms for pesticide residues in foods and rejected a report that food regulator FSSAI is failing to measure pesticides in spices and herbs. Allows high levels of residues.
The clarification comes amid a ban imposed by Hong Kong's food regulator on some spice blends over the presence of pesticide ethylene oxide in samples of two leading Indian brands MDH and Everest. The Singapore food regulator also ordered the recall of a spice product from the Everest brand.
FSSAI is currently collecting samples of branded spices, including MD and Everest, sold in the domestic markets to ensure that they comply with its quality norms. It does not control the quality of exported spices.In a statement, the Union Health Ministry clarified that the maximum residue limits differ for different food products based on risk assessment.
"Some media reports are claiming that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) allows 10 times more pesticide residues in herbs and spices. Such reports are false and malicious," the ministry said.
It said that the maximum residue limit (MRL) standards in India are among the most stringent in the world. The ministry said, "MRLs of pesticides for different food items are decided separately based on their risk assessment." Are.,
Pesticides are regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture through the Centra Pesticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) constituted under the Pesticides Act, 1968.
CIB&RC regulate the manufacturing, import, transportation, storage of pesticides and accordingly pesticides are registered/restricted/restricted under CIB&RC. Explaining the process for setting pesticide residue limits, the Health Minister Said FSSAI's scientific panel on pesticide residues examines the data received through CIB and RC and recommends MRL after conducting risk assessment.
The dietary consumption of the Indian population and health concerns with respect to all age groups are taken into account.
The ministry said, “The total pesticides registered by CIB&RC in India are more than 295, of which 139 pesticides are registered for use in spices.“The Codex has adopted a total of 243 pesticides, of which 75 pesticides are applicable to spices.
The ministry further said that a pesticide is registered on multiple food items with different MRLs based on risk assessment data.
For example, use of monocrotophos is permitted on several crops with different MRLs such as rice 0.03 mg/kg, citrus fruits 0.2 mg/kg, coffee beans 0.5 mg/kg and cardamom 0.5 mg/kg, chilli 0.2 mg/kg. “The MRL of 0.01 mg/kg was applicable in case of pesticides for which MRL has not been prescribed.
"This limit has been increased to 0.1 mg/kg only in case of spices and is applicable only for those pesticides which are not registered in India by CIB&RC," the statement said.
It is recommended by the Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues after considering the adoption of MRLs in the range of 0.1 mg/kg and above by the Code Alimentarius Commission on Pesticide Residues on Spices during 2021-23 in a phased manner for various spices in the world. Went.The MRL prescribed by Codex for spices and culinary herbs ranges from 0.1 to 80 mg/kg.
The Ministry further informed that one insecticide/pesticide is used in more than 10 crops with different MRL.
For example, flubendiamide is used in brinjal with an MRL of 0.1, while the MRL for Bengal gram is 1.0 mg/kg, for cabbage 4 mg/kg, for tomato 2 mg/kg and for tea 50 mg. Similarly, monocrotophos is used at 0.03 mg/kg for food grains with MRL, 0.2 mg/kg for citrus fruits, 2 mg/kg for dry chilli and 0. mg/kg for cardamom.
The MRL prescribed by Codex for myclobutanil used for chilli is 20 mg/kg while the limit prescribed by FSSAI is 2 mg/kg.For spiromesifen used for chilli, the Codex limit is 5 mg/kg, while the FSSAI limit is 1 mg/kg. Similarly, the Codex standard for Metalaxyl and Metalaxyl-M used for black pepper is 2 mg. /kg, while the limit prescribed by FSSAI is 0.5 mg/kg.
The new Codex MRL for dithiocarbamates, phorate, triazophos and profenophos for fennel is 0.1 mg/kg.
"FSSAI is aligned with the updated standards of MRL set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (an international food safety and quality standard setting body created by WHO and the UN's FAO) and the European Union," the statement said. That MRLs are dynamic in nature and are regularly revised based on scientific data.This practice is in line with global standards and ensures that MRL revisions are made on a scientifically valid basis, reflecting the latest findings and international norms.
The clarification comes amid a ban imposed by Hong Kong's food regulator on some spice blends over the presence of pesticide ethylene oxide in samples of two leading Indian brands MDH and Everest. The Singapore food regulator also ordered the recall of a spice product from the Everest brand.
FSSAI is currently collecting samples of branded spices, including MD and Everest, sold in the domestic markets to ensure that they comply with its quality norms. It does not control the quality of exported spices.In a statement, the Union Health Ministry clarified that the maximum residue limits differ for different food products based on risk assessment.
"Some media reports are claiming that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) allows 10 times more pesticide residues in herbs and spices. Such reports are false and malicious," the ministry said.
It said that the maximum residue limit (MRL) standards in India are among the most stringent in the world. The ministry said, "MRLs of pesticides for different food items are decided separately based on their risk assessment." Are.,
Pesticides are regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture through the Centra Pesticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) constituted under the Pesticides Act, 1968.
CIB&RC regulate the manufacturing, import, transportation, storage of pesticides and accordingly pesticides are registered/restricted/restricted under CIB&RC. Explaining the process for setting pesticide residue limits, the Health Minister Said FSSAI's scientific panel on pesticide residues examines the data received through CIB and RC and recommends MRL after conducting risk assessment.
The dietary consumption of the Indian population and health concerns with respect to all age groups are taken into account.
The ministry said, “The total pesticides registered by CIB&RC in India are more than 295, of which 139 pesticides are registered for use in spices.“The Codex has adopted a total of 243 pesticides, of which 75 pesticides are applicable to spices.
The ministry further said that a pesticide is registered on multiple food items with different MRLs based on risk assessment data.
For example, use of monocrotophos is permitted on several crops with different MRLs such as rice 0.03 mg/kg, citrus fruits 0.2 mg/kg, coffee beans 0.5 mg/kg and cardamom 0.5 mg/kg, chilli 0.2 mg/kg. “The MRL of 0.01 mg/kg was applicable in case of pesticides for which MRL has not been prescribed.
"This limit has been increased to 0.1 mg/kg only in case of spices and is applicable only for those pesticides which are not registered in India by CIB&RC," the statement said.
It is recommended by the Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues after considering the adoption of MRLs in the range of 0.1 mg/kg and above by the Code Alimentarius Commission on Pesticide Residues on Spices during 2021-23 in a phased manner for various spices in the world. Went.The MRL prescribed by Codex for spices and culinary herbs ranges from 0.1 to 80 mg/kg.
The Ministry further informed that one insecticide/pesticide is used in more than 10 crops with different MRL.
For example, flubendiamide is used in brinjal with an MRL of 0.1, while the MRL for Bengal gram is 1.0 mg/kg, for cabbage 4 mg/kg, for tomato 2 mg/kg and for tea 50 mg. Similarly, monocrotophos is used at 0.03 mg/kg for food grains with MRL, 0.2 mg/kg for citrus fruits, 2 mg/kg for dry chilli and 0. mg/kg for cardamom.
The MRL prescribed by Codex for myclobutanil used for chilli is 20 mg/kg while the limit prescribed by FSSAI is 2 mg/kg.For spiromesifen used for chilli, the Codex limit is 5 mg/kg, while the FSSAI limit is 1 mg/kg. Similarly, the Codex standard for Metalaxyl and Metalaxyl-M used for black pepper is 2 mg. /kg, while the limit prescribed by FSSAI is 0.5 mg/kg.
The new Codex MRL for dithiocarbamates, phorate, triazophos and profenophos for fennel is 0.1 mg/kg.
"FSSAI is aligned with the updated standards of MRL set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (an international food safety and quality standard setting body created by WHO and the UN's FAO) and the European Union," the statement said. That MRLs are dynamic in nature and are regularly revised based on scientific data.This practice is in line with global standards and ensures that MRL revisions are made on a scientifically valid basis, reflecting the latest findings and international norms.
