Pesticides' misbranding can invite prosecution: Government

Stating that pesticides products not carrying mandatory warning is "misbranding", union minister Sanjeev Kumar Balyan on Tuesday said such "offenders are liable for prosecution under Insecticides Act".

While replying to a question whether the labels on products containing pesticides provide detailed information about the hazardous nature of product, the union minister of state for agriculture told the Lok Sabha: "The government has detailed information about the hazardous nature of product well-defined on the labels of the pesticide packs."

"Failure to display mandatory warning or caution on labels of pesticides product is defined as 'misbranding' under Section 3(k)(iii) and is liable to be prosecuted for an offence under Section 29(1)(a) of the Insecticides Act, 1968."

"The label shall contain in a prominent place and occupying not less than one-sixteenth of the total area of the face of the label, a square, set at an angle of 450 (diamond shape)," the minister added.