Weeks after ban on Indian spices, FSSAI allows 10 times more pesticide in spices, herbs

In a bizarre move, and mere weeks after Indian brands MDH and Everest faced a ban in Singapore and Hong Kong owing to quality concerns, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has allowed an increase in permissible pesticide levels in spices by a staggering 10 times, the Economics Times reported on 4 May.

According to the report, the maximum residue limit (MRL) has increased from 0.01 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) to 0.1 mg/kg. However, the FSSAI cited “various representations” as the reason for this upward revision.

Effectively, this means that instead of tightening restrictions on the use of pesticides in food products, the FSSAI has relaxed them. Thus far, the MRL of pesticides for food and commodities, including spices and culinary herbs, is set under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011. 

The WHO (World Health Organization) reported that pesticide poisoning is a leading cause of death among agricultural workers globally. The WHO website also states that "when people come into contact with large quantities of pesticide, the result may be acute poisoning or long-term health effects that may include cancer and adverse effects on reproduction".

Inevitably, the move has raised concerns among activists and experts, who have questioned the scientific basis of the decision.

“This relaxation means Indian spices will face more rejections when exported to some large markets,” Dileep Kumar, CEO of Pesticide Action Network, told ET. He also said this move may facilitate the import of spices with higher amounts of pesticides.

"If the FSSAI is relaxing the limit, then ultimately it allows for more pesticides to be ingested into the human body with severe health implications," Amit Khurana, programme director of sustainable food systems at the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, told Down to Earth.

“If you are making such a huge upward revision, then you have to substantiate it by releasing the data based on which the decision was made,” Khurana also said.

According to media reports, the FSSAI has increased pesticide limits to align with global standards and "ensure food safety without compromising trade", though how that will work has not been clearly explained.