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Supreme Court Issues Notice Over Pesticide Use in Food Items

SimpliCity News Team · 20 May 2024

Coimbatore: The Supreme Court on Friday sent out notices to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This action concerns the rampant and excessive use of pesticides, and other chemicals on food crops and products, including artificial color, coatings, and waxing. This issue is cited as a cause for an increase in fatal health conditions nationwide, including a high incidence of deaths.

The court is seeking responses from the government and the FSSAI based on a petition filed by environmentalist and lawyer Akash Vashishtha. Vashishtha argues that pesticide-laden food has become a primary cause of cancers and other fatal diseases throughout India.

Senior advocate Anitha Shenoy represented the petitioner, presenting data evidencing a significant number of deaths related to pesticide exposure. Shenoy emphasized the failure of FSSAI in curbing pesticide levels, highlighting the scientific link between pesticide exposure and increasing cancer cases.

The issue includes the application of wax on fruits and vegetables for enhanced appearance, use of chemicals for artificial ripening, polishing pulses and rice, and excessive preservatives which collectively result in severe toxicity and contamination in food. Further compounding this problem are the environmental effects like bio-accumulation and bio-magnification that severely impact human health upon consumption.

Statistics provided by the FSSAI in court show that over 22% of food samples in 2015-16 failed to conform to set standards, with subsequent years showing minimal improvement. Despite stringent standards for Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of pesticides in different food commodities, the situation demands more rigorous actions, as stated by the petition.

Moreover, India's Union Health Ministry previously emphasized that the MRLs set for every pesticide based on the crop-specific risk assessment, yet default limits exist where specific MRLs are undefined. According to Vashisht, in the years 2020-21, pesticide exposure resulted in 161 deaths across three states alone, illustrating the dire need for elevated food safety protocols and stringent enforcement measures from the government.

Despite repeated appeals, concrete actions from the government and the Prime Minister’s office have been lacking. The petition expressly demands more strict regulations to curtail the pervasive and hazardous use of pesticides to safeguard public health.

Supreme Court pesticides health risks FSSAI food safety

Supreme Court Issues Notice Over Pesticide Use in Food Items

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