Kerala: ICAR suppresses toxin level report

Thiruvananthapuram: The latest report of Kerala Agricultural University’s pesticide residue lab omits the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s residue limit in condiments collected during January-June 31, apparently on the direction of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research lest it should affect India’s exports to West Asia. The periodicity of KAU’s tri-monthly release of pesticide residue report has been reduced to once in six months under pressure from ICAR and FSSAI, it is learnt.

In the latest report, condiments and masala powders like Elaichi, Ajwain (aimodakam), chilli powder, dried chilli, coriander, crushed chilli, cumin seeds, cumin, garam masala, gobi Manchurian masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, dried ginger powder, curry masala, pickle powder, sambar powder, tea, fenugreek and coriander powder do not carry permissible limits of toxins.

“Unfortunately most of our spices and condiments go to Middle East, Far East and parts of European Union countries. Middle East countries don’t have stringent inspection mechanism and our exports are mostly used by Malayalis”, a source told DC.

Thiruvananthapuram: The official added that what ICAR and FSSAI do is not to compare the residue limit with European standards lest it should affect India’s exports. But he added that recently a few condiments exported to Japan were returned citing high toxin levels.

But the serious concern is the deliberate suppression of data that tell the people which is ‘safe to eat’ spices and condiments. The permissible limit of toxins is mentioned at all.

Vegetables like bitter gourd, green and red capsicums, sambar chilli, coriander leaves, tomato, bajji chilly and parsley showed toxins beyond permissible levels prescribed by FSSAI. Similarly curry leaves, mint, long beans and yellow capsicum also showed toxin levels. Some 46 vegetable samples were collected from shops, super/hyper markets in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kasaragod.