What are residues? How they become part of food?

Residue can be defined as a remainder obtained from a substance after a substantial portion of it is removed. Residues have presence in food products from the deliberate use of drugs or pesticides on animals & plants. That is why we consume residues as well while we eat Veg or non-veg foods and They could affect our body adversely. 

The drug residues include the parent compounds and/or their metabolites in any edible portion of the animal or plant product and include associated impurities of the pesticides or drug concerned. 

It could be noted here that the chemicals used in agriculture present a real threat to the saleability of animal or plant products if they are contaminated with the chemical residues. 

Some of the most common examples of residues are Mercury in fish, sulfonamides in pig products, iodine in milk and chlorinated hydrocarbons in beef. 

In harmonization with the international regulations, the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, has laid down some guidelines for the permissible intake of residues in food which is obtained from the plant or animal. 

As per the FSSAI, The use of any of the following antibiotics and other Pharmacologically Active Substances shall be prohibited in any unit processing sea foods including shrimps, prawns or any other variety of fish and fishery products: 

(i) All Nitrofurans including

(ii) Furaltadone

(iii) Furazolidone

(iv) Furylfuramide

(v) Nifuratel

(vi) Nifuroxime

(vii) Nifurprazine

(viii) Nitrofurnatoin

(ix) Nitrofurazone

(x) Chloramphenicol

(xi) Neomycin

(xii) Nalidixic acid

(xiii) Sulphamethoxazole

(xiv) Aristolochia spp and preparations thereof

(xv) Chloroform

(xvi) Chloropromazine

(xvii) Cholchicine

(xviii) Dapsone

(xix) Dimetridazole

(xx) Metronidazole

(xxi) Ronidazole

(xxii) Ipronidazole

(xxiii) Other nitromidazoles

(xxiv) Clenbuterol

(xxv) Diethylstibestrol (DES)

(xxvi) Sulfanoamide drugs (except approved Sulfadimethoxine, Sulfabromomethazine and Sulfaethoxypyridazine)

(xxvii) Fluoroquinolones

(xxviii) Glycopeptides