Lok Sabha Question No. 1041 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-29
Subject: Pesticides in Food Items
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMA DEVI, HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL, N.K. PREMACHANDRAN, SAUGATA ROY, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA, A.T. (NANA) PATIL, DALPAT SINGH PARASTE, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 1041 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH APRIL, 2016

## PESTICIDES IN FOOD I TEMS

## 1041. SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN:

SHRI BHEEMRAO B. PATIL:

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN:

PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA:

SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

SHRI DALPAT SINGH PARASTE:

SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has found excessive use of banned chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones in fruits and vegetables across the country leading to health problems, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has directed  the  Food  Safety  and  Standa rds Authority  of  India (FSSAI) commissioners of all States/UTs to inspect and monitor food items in order to check the use of pesticides in food items viz. , fruits, vegetables, soft drinks and beverages, if so, the details thereof along with the monitoring mechanism to ensure strict compliance of the directions;
- (c) whether the Government has prescribed Maximum Residue Level (MRL) for pesticides in food items across the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the corrective steps taken by the Governm ent to curb the use of pesticides in food items?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed that it  is a of some reports that have appeared in the media regarding higher presence of pesticides in food items.       However, details of cases leading to health problems due to excessive use chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones, etc. are not maintained centrally by FSSAI.
- (b): FSSAI has issued a circular to Food Safety Commissioners of all State/UT Government emphasising  the  need  for  periodical  inspection  and  monitoring  of  major  fruit  and  vege markets, soft drink and ready to serve beverages in the context of the direction s of the Supreme Court  of  India.  No  separate  enforcement  data  regarding  pesticide  residues  in  food  it

however,  maintained  centrally  by  the  FSSAI.  However,    based  on  the    information  ma available  by  the  State/UT  Governments,  details  of  food  samples received,  analysed,  found adulterated/misbranded, and action taken  during 2014 - 15, are as under : -

| No. of samples received                         | No. of samples received                         |   83265 |
|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|---------|
| No. of Samples Analysed                         | No. of Samples Analysed                         |   74010 |
| No. of Samples found adulterated and Misbranded | No. of Samples found adulterated and Misbranded |   14599 |
| No. of Cases Launched                           | No. of Cases Launched                           |   10536 |
| No. ofConvictions/ Penalties                    | Convictions                                     |    1402 |
|                                                 | Penalties                                       |    2795 |

- (c): The Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 201 prescribe tolerance limits of insecticides for specified food products.
- (d): The enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulation thereunder rests with State/UT Governments. Regular surveillance, monitoring & sampling food  products  is  undertaken  by  State/UT  Governments.  Random  Samples  of  food  item s  are drawn by the State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognized by FSSA analysis. In cases, where samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the Regulations thereunder, penal action is initiated against t he offenders.