FSSAI CEO Urges States to Cut Pesticide Use, Form Safety Panels

There is a need to slash the usage of pesticides to provide safe food to consumers, according to Food regulator FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao. To ensure this, Rao asked states to set up inter-ministerial panel. At the 44th meeting of the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Rao discussed the formation of an inter-ministerial committee to address concerns over pesticide usage.

The states were advised to establish such committees to focus on cutting down pesticide use, implementing control measures and developing strategies to monitor and regulate pesticide application at the farmer level.

The purpose is to ensure that agricultural practices remain safe and sustainable, Rao said, adding that it will protect consumers from potential health risks associated with pesticide residues in food. He asked states to submit proposals for establishing new microbiology laboratories to enhance testing capabilities and said there was a need to identify key locations within states where mobile labs, Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs), can be deployed. These mobile labs would be instrumental in raising consumer awareness and disseminating crucial information about food safety practices.

The meeting was attended by more than 50 officials, including Commissioners of Food Safety (CFS), representatives from states and Union Territories (UTs), senior officials from FSSAI, and members from the food industry, and agriculture sector, according to an official release.