FSSAI to release norms for pesticide residuelevels in spices, other food.
safefoodmitra.com · 2025-02-28 10:00:07
"Now, the risk assessment is not done only for the average Indian but for all population classes like children, women of childbearing age, other women, general population, etc., and is aligned with Codex, an international agency," he said. About 240 MRLs for all commodities are expected to be in the draft.
"There are a lot of retailers who try to sell various pesticides to farmers who use them without the know-how. For instance, there is a pre-harvest interval that farmers are advised to follow, during which they should not use pesticides before harvest. However, taking advice from retailers, they use it during this period, which leaves high values of residue on the food commodities," said an expert.
Despite various challenges, the Indian spice market continues to grow. India remains the biggest producer, consumer, and exporter of spices in the world. "The focus is now on making India not just the largest producer but also the biggest in manufacturing of value-added spices like oil and extracts, retail products, curry powders, etc.," said Ramkumar.