Pune: FSSAI Replies To Media Reports On High Pesticide Levels Found In Indian Spices

The Centre has rejected reports that claim that the FSSAI permits a high level of pesticide residue in spices.

7 May 2024

By Khushi Maheshwari

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has gone as far as to call the media reports which alleged that it allows for residual pesticide in spices to be higher than permissible level, malicious and false. 

The FSSAI further clarified that India’s standards Maximum Residue Limit (MRLs) are one of the strictest standards across the globe and that MRLs of pesticides vary from one food commodity to another based on their risk analysis. 

In India, pesticides are governed by the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB and RC), which was founded by the Insecticide Act of 1968 and is a part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA and FW).

The Centre’s explanation comes after the Hong Kong food authority banned certain spice blends from two well-known Indian brands, MDH and Everest, since samples from their products were purportedly found to contain residues of the pesticide ethylene oxide. Furthermore, one spice product under the Everest brand has been recalled by the Singaporean food regulator.

Pesticide production, importation, transit and storage are regulated by the CIB and RC, who also have the power to register, prohibit or limit their use. In order to verify that quality criteria are being met, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is currently obtaining samples of branded spices that are sold locally, such as those from MDH and Everest. It is crucial to remember that the FSSAI has no control over the quality of spices that are exported.

The union health ministry stressed in a comment that maximum residue limits are unique to individual risk analysis of the food product. The food habits of the Indian populace are taken into account, along with health issues pertaining to all age categories. The ministry added that various food commodities have pesticides registered with varying maximum residue levels (MRLs) according to risk assessment information.

For example, the use of Monocrotophos is permitted on a wide range of crops with varying maximum residue levels (MRLs), including rice (0.03 mg/kg), citrus fruits (0.2 mg/kg), coffee beans (0.1 mg/kg), cardamom (0.5 mg/kg) and chilli (0.2 mg/kg).

An MRL of 0.01 mg/kg applies to all pesticides for which MRLs are not ascertained individually. The limit was expanded to 0.1 mg solely for spices which are unregistered in the country with the CIB & RC.