The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has raised the maximum residue limit (MRL) for a pesticide in herbs and spices to 0.1mg/kg from the earlier 0.01mg/kg.
“…if the MRLs are not specified by the codex, then the MRL of 0.1 mg shall apply for spices and culinary herbs and spices,” the regulator said in an order issued on April 8. It cited “various representations” for this upward revision in MRL.
With this order, FSSAI has also increased the MRL for those pesticides that are not registered in India, which means they are not allowed to be used in the country, but could be used on imported products.
The move would impact exports and is also a cause of concern for domestic consumers as it would increase consumption of pesticides, activists said.”This relaxation means Indian spices will face more rejections when exported to some large markets,” said Dileep Kumar, CEO of Pesticide Action Network India, a not-for-profit organisation working to eliminate human and environmental hazards caused by the use of pesticides.The order also facilitates imports of spices with higher levels of pesticides unknown to Indian regulators, which could be harmful for human health, he said.
Also, these MRLs are just for one pesticide and a product may contain multiple pesticides, Kumar pointed out. “Health risks increase many folds due to cumulative and synergistic effects of residues of multiple pesticides and chemicals in spices,” he said.
