Curbing Adulteration

As  per Regulation 2.3.6 of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, fresh fruits and vegetables shall be free from rotting and free from coating of waxes, mineral oil and colours. The regulations allow that fresh fruits may be coated with bees wax (white and yellow) or carnauba wax or shellac wax at levels not exceeding Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) under proper label declaration as provided in Regulation 2.4.5 (44) of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.

Further, under sub-regulation 2.3.5 of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, use of acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas, in artificial ripening of fruits is prohibited.  However, the said sub-regulation permits the ripening of fruits by using ethylene gas at a concentration upto 100 ppm (100µ/L) depending upon the crop, variety and maturity.

           Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations prescribe food commodity specific Maximum Residue Limits/tolerance limits of contaminants, toxins and residues related to pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics etc.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has received a study report titled ‘Monitoring of Pesticide residues at National Level’ conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare which has been shared with Commissioner of Food Safety of States/UTs for targeted special enforcement drives particularly at locations where pesticides residues were found to be above maximum residue limits.

States/UT Governments are primarily responsible for ensuring compliance of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder.

FSSAI has been urging State/UT Governments to keep a strict vigil by regularly drawing food samples including fruits and vegetables from all sources viz. manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers and to take strict action against the offenders under the provisions of FSS            Act, 2006.

Regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and sampling of all food items including fruits and vegetables have been carried out by the officials of States/UTs and penal action is taken against non-compliant samples.

As per  information received from State/UT Governments, the details of samples of  fruits/vegetables analysed, found non-conforming and action taken during the last three years are at Annexure I,II and III respectively.

It may, however, be mentioned that the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 do not apply to any farmer or fisherman or farming operations or crops or livestock or aquaculture, and supplies used or produced in farming or products of  crops produced by a farmer at farm level or a fisherman in his operations.