Through a notification uploaded on 08/08/2017 the FSSAI has asked for suggestion, views, comments etc. from stakeholder on draft notification related to standards for harmonization of MRL of pesticide.

F.No.01-SP (PAR)-Notification-Pesticides /Stds-FSSAI/2017.- In the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, in the regulation 2.3, for sub regulation 2.3.1, the following shall be substituted, namely:-

“2.3.1: Restriction on the use of insecticides:

Subject to the provisions of regulation 2.3.1(2), no insecticides shall be used directly on articles of food:

Provided that nothing in this regulation shall apply to the fumigants which are registered and recommended for use as such on articles of food by the Registration Committee, constituted under section 5 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 (46 of 1968).

The objections or suggestions, if any, may be addressed as per the attached format to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, 03rd Floor, Food and Drug Administration Bhawan, Kotla road, New Delhi – 110002 or emailed to regulation@fssai.gov.in .

Food and Pesticides

Pesticides are widely used in producing food to control pests such as insects, rodents, weeds, bacteria, mold and fungus.

What are Pesticides?

Pesticides are chemical or biological agents that are used to protect crops from insects, weeds, and infections

How do people get exposed to pesticides?

The most common way most infants, children and adults are exposed to pesticides is by eating them on and in our food. Workers in agriculture and occupational settings touch and breathe in pesticides, putting them at risk for acute and chronic poisoning.

What are the health risks?

Most studies of the health effects of pesticides have focused on occupationally exposed people, like farmworkers and pesticide applicators. Acute OP pesticide poisonings result in symptoms like nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, anxiety and confusion, which can be quite severe but are often reversible.

Who is most at risk?

Infants, growing children, pregnant and nursing mothers, and women of childbearing age are most at risk for adverse health outcomes from exposure to pesticides. Children are more at risk than adults because children eat more relative to their body weight than adults eat. Exposures during vulnerable periods of development can be particularly dangerous. These vulnerable periods include fetal development, infancy, early childhood, and puberty. Fetuses are exposed to pesticides through the mother’s diet. Infants are exposed through breast milk. Acute poisoning is a persistent problem among agricultural and occupational workers who handle pesticides and track them into their homes where family members get exposed. People who live near agricultural fields may be exposed by drift from aerial spraying.

Is Organic Food More Nutritious?

A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables provides optimal nutrition and dietary variety. However, no studies have shown direct health benefits or disease protection from eating an all organic diet. There is no conclusive evidence that organic food is more nutritious than conventional food. People eat organic food for other reasons than nutrition. For example, those who eat an organic diet are exposed to fewer disease-causing pesticides, and organic farming is more sustainable and better for the environment.

For any views & Comments visit:

http://www.fssai.gov.in/home/fss-legislation/notice-for-comments.html