FOOD!!

copyright: The Times Of India
by Jayashree Nandi
BANGALORE: Your staple diet of rice and roti could be packed with nutrients, but they're loaded with poisonous pesticides too. A report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shows that pesticide residues in grapes, wheat and rice is much higher in Karnataka than levels allowed by the health & family welfare department. While wheat and rice samples from various parts of the state show higher levels than Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) levels, some samples of grapes and wheat had pesticide levels higher than prescribed CODEX levels (see box). The data was collated by the department of agriculture and the data for Karnataka was analysed at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research laboratory in Bangalore. For instance, wheat with approved levels of residue for Triazaphos is 0.05, the range is between 0.5 and 0.6. For Fenithron, the approved level is 0.02 but amount found was 0.30. Same is with Quinalphos which has prescribed level as 0.01 but amount found was between 0.7 and 0.81. However, Karnataka fares a bit better than Uttar Pradesh where almost every vegetable including cauliflower, cabbage, bitter gourd, tomato and fruits like bananas, apples, oranges and even cereals had pesticide residues much higher than stipulated levels. In West Bengal, the fish from Chakdah collection centre had Endosulfan T much higher than the PFA level. Even though people anecdotally discuss pesticide residues in food, this report gives the real picture. It's a myth that residues get washed away when crops or fruits are washed -- they stay for much longer and have serious health impacts. "Almost all pesticides are carcinogenic. Residues that seem to be in high quantities are from old generation, high volume group of pesticides. Pesticide use is increasing and those with longer residues are more in use. The government is not taking any serious steps to ban dangerous pesticides like Quinalphos and Endosulfan," said Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. He added that pesticide residue is high in milk in most places due to pesticide-laced fodder and high in ground water due to high pesticide usage. Prof P K Shetty, National Institute of Advanced Studies, says, "In almost all crops and milk across the country, the residues are high because of injudicious use of pesticides. We need a pesticide stewardship regime. We cannot stop using pesticides but guidelines have to be followed strictly." CODEX standards The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was created in 1961 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the joint FAO/WHO food standards programme.