Pesticide contamination not so much: Govt data

Samples analysed by 25-odd laboratories for presence of harmful pesticides in food items in 2014-15 under a central scheme found no residues in 16,761 or 81.3 per cent of the samples, a senior government official said.

He said residues above the maximum limit were found in 543 or 2.6 per cent of the samples.

Responding to reports of the presence of high levels of pesticides in food items, officials said residues of non-approved pesticides were detected in 12.5 per cent of the samples. The samples collected were of vegetables, fruits, spices, red chilli powder, curry leaves, rice, wheat, pulses, fish/marine products, meat and egg, tea, milk and surface water.

They were collected from various markets such as retail outlets and wholesale markets, at the farm gate and organic outlets.

In vegetables, officials said, a total of 8,342 samples were collected from the various retail outlets and mandis, and 229 samples or 2.7 per cent of these were found to have pesticides beyond the permissible limits.

Of 2,239 fruit samples analysed, 40 or 1.8 per cent were found exceeding the limits. Of 805 wheat samples analysed, 17 were exceeding the permissible limits.

A total of 1,299 spice samples were collected and analysed, of which 107 had residues above the maximum limits.

Of the samples of packaged milk, meat and eggs, fish and water, none were above the maximum limits.

Officials said the government was consciously working to encourage growers to make proper use of pesticides. the results of these studies and other findings were regularly shared with state governments. A ‘Grow Safe Food’ campaign is currently on to create awareness about the safe and judicious use of pesticides.