By Ankush Chibber
A top court in India has come down hard on the country’s food safety regulator over its claims that there is a robust system to monitor the presence of pesticides in food products.
A top court in India has come down hard on the country’s food safety regulator over its claims that there is a robust system to monitor the presence of pesticides in food products.
FSSAI slammed by Delhi High Court on pesticide monitoring
The Delhi High Court lambasted the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for claiming that that there is a well-established system to monitor presence of pesticides in food products.
The court was adjudicating on the issue after taking notice of reports, which suggested that impermissible pesticides like Endosulfan were found in food items, vegetables and fruits, especially around Delhi.
The court said the FSSAI made ‘tall claims’ in its affidavit where it said that there were 68 state pesticide-testing laboratories, besides regional and referral laboratories for monitoring food products.
Endosulfan contamination may linger on
“We find these pleadings surprising because the material brought on record shows a picture which is far from what is painted in the affidavit,” the court said adding that impermissible pesticides have been found in food products in the region.
The FSSAI said that while Endosulfan was banned for use, its presence in food items may be evidenced over the next few years since the pesticide was already mixed with groundwater and soil.
“The burden is sought to be passed on by observing that the usage of pesticides is required to be tackled at the farmer level,” the court said, adding that there must be a comprehensive policy to check the presence of pesticides in food items.
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