-The Hindu Business Line Pesticide residues in India’s agri exports calls for a multi-pronged policy response As reported recently by this newspaper, India’s cumin exports have suffered a setback in recent months, with China claiming that pesticide residues exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) spelt out by it about six months back. Chinese authorities have said that consignments must be accompanied by a pesticide residue report. India has been through all this...

-The Times of India For us Indians, a lunch or dinner cannot be considered healthy and wholesome without a serving of a comfort food like moong or masoor daal. If you cannot imagine going a day without having some daal, you should seriously rethink your decision as you might be consuming some harmful chemicals with your food. New studies conducted by national food safety authorities have proved that the pulses getting imported...

-The Hindu Business Line The recent deaths in Maharashtra once again affirm that highly toxic agrochemicals are freely sold across the counter Last month about 40 farmers died and more than 700 were hospitalised in Maharashtra due pesticide poisoning. Initial reports suggest that the deaths are due to monochrotophos. This is a highly toxic chemical that has been banned in more than 60 countries but is still allowed to be sold in...

-Hindustan Times The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s new certification regulation is going to hinder the growth of the sector. Instead of targeting small farmers, why not make laws that require mandatory labelling of foods grown with pesticides, chemicals or GMO etc? The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently announced the Draft Food and Standards (Organic Food) Regulations, 2017, aimed at curbing sale of fake organic...

-The Indian Express If you are a vegetarian in India, the chances of your suffering pesticide exposure may be higher than for those predominantly consuming non-vegetarian foods. Almost a fifth of all foods produced and sold in the country contain pesticide residues, according to a Union agriculture ministry-sponsored nationwide network project involving 25 participating labs. During 2014-15, as many as 20,618 food samples were collected and analysed under a ‘Monitoring of Pesticide Residues...