KOZHIKODE: The agriculture department will be extending its scheme of production and marketing of safe-to-eat vegetables through government outlets to more districts. The scheme, launched in association with Kerala Agriculture University last year, also envisages ensuring that vegetables and fruits being sold under the organic brand are pesticide-free.
The department will be collecting samples from parts of the state and testing them at the pesticide residue research and analytical laboratory of the university. The decision follows the detection of pesticide residue in nearly a dozen organic produce being sold at three shops selling organic vegetables and fruits in Thiruvananthapuram.
The pesticide residue research & analytical laboratory had conducted tests on 81 samples of 28 types of vegetables collected from these shops from July 1 to September 30 last year. Pesticide residues above the permissible levels set by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and European Union (EU) were found in seven types of vegetables -- coriander leaves, snake gourd, curry leaves, green chilli, okra, big chilli (sambar mulagu) and vegetable cowpea. The tests had also found pesticide residues in carrot, drumstick and beetroot. Only 46 samples of 18 vegetable varieties were found safe to eat.
Thomas Biju Mathew, professor (entomology), pesticide residue research and analytical laboratory said the highest volume of pesticide residues were found in curry leaf. "Residues of pesticides like malathion, chlorpyriphos, quinalphos, ethion, profenophos and cypermethrin were found in them, and that too above the permissible limit. Profenophos was found at a higher level in coriander leaf, ladies fingers, big chilli and green chilli,'' he said.
"A scientific study on daily consumption of such vegetables is yet to be conducted but they are definitely harmful,'' Mathew said. "We have decided to collect 200 samples a month to conduct tests, which will be double the samples collected now. The tests will also be extended to fruits, processed food products and spices this year."
The officials of the lab have already collected samples of organic vegetables from Kozhikode city.
The agriculture department will be collecting samples of organic vegetables from Ernakulam, Kottayam, Palakkad and Alappuzha in the coming days.
Linkage of FSSAI - Agrl University-Agrl Dept - farmers is necessary to reduce pesticide usage at farm level. Farmers should practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices which emphasis on minimum / need based usage of pesticides.
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