-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Basmati rice exports to the US have plunged because many Indian firms are under an import alert by the US authorities, leading to a detailed scrutiny for pesticide residue in every grain being shipped out. This has raised costs, upset schedules and obstructed sales, prompting exporters to seek government intervention. In the first quarter of calendar year 2013, exports were down to 19,583 tonne. With 31 Indian...
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Impure borewell water turns baby blue
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The doctors at a private hospital recently diagnosed a 23-day-old child with life-threatening 'blue baby syndrome' caused by consumption of contaminated water. They found that the baby, from Dhamori Khurd village in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, was being fed packaged formula milk mixed in water from the borewell, which had high nitrate content, as clean drinking water was not available. "When the baby came...
More »Push supplier states to curb chemical use -Jayashree Nandi
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: If Delhi government has to make sure that residents don't eat pesticide-laced food, it will have to push neighboring states to reduce their pesticide usage. Most of Delhi's fruits and vegetables come from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Agricultural experts say that while High Court-appointed panel's recommendations on monitoring pesticide residue levels are welcome, much more needs to be done. According to the latest report...
More »Alternatives to endosulfan get the nod-Roy Mathew
-The Hindu Stockholm convention approves non-chemical as well as chemical alternatives THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, meeting in Geneva, approved non-chemical as well as chemical alternatives to endosulfan on Thursday. The non-chemical alternatives were proposed in a significant departure from past practice. The evaluation of non-chemical alternatives, as accepted by the conference, consists of an ecosystem-based approach to pest management as well as technical interventions. C....
More »Changing definitions of safe food-Sunita Narain
-The Business Standard We need a food safety model based on societal objectives of nutrition, livelihood and safety My local vegetable vendor sells ordinary lemons packed in plastic bags. It has got me thinking if this is a sign of improving standards of food safety and hygiene. After all, if we go to any supermarket in the rich and food-processed world, we will find food neatly packed so that there is no...
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