Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests including insects, fungi and other organisms damaging the crop. They have significantly improved the yield by preventing damage to crops but these crops are meant for consumption ultimately. Therefore, pesticides must be used cautiously and monitored very closely.

Pesticides Residue

The level or amount of pesticides or their metabolites that are left behind in or on the food at the consumer level is called pesticide residue.

Maximum Residual Limit (MLR) of Pesticides

It is the maximum limit of residual pesticides that are permitted, beyond which the food may pose a risk to users. It is set after scientific analysis of individual pesticides and is different for each pesticide.

• At the international level, Codex sets the MLR for international trade while in India FSSAI does the same job. The mere presence of pesticides in the food is not something to worry about, it is the level of pesticides in the food which is above the maximum residual limit.

How to Avoid Residual Pesticides

Simple washing removes 75-80% of residual pesticides and 2% salt removes most of the residual pesticides normally present on fruits and vegetables.

FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India 

• Washing:
  • Washing thoroughly fruits and vegetables not only reduces the residual pesticides but other harmful microorganisms and dirt present on the surface.
  • Washing Under running water is better than soaking because of its abrasive effect.
  • Soft brush Scrubbing of Firm fruits and vegetables like melons, potatoes, carrots, reddish etc is good before rinsing with water.
  • Simple washing removes 75-80% of residual pesticides and 2% salt removes most of the residual pesticides normally present on fruits and vegetables.
  • Residual Pesticides on fruits like- grapes, guava, mangoes, peach, plum, and apples and vegetables like tomatoes, brinjal, and ladyfinger (okra) may require 2-3 washings.
  • 1% tamarind solution can be used to wash cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, carrot, ladyfinger etc.
• Spray, rinse, wipe and eat:
  • lemon /vinegar spray: 250 ml water+1 tablespoon lemon juice + 2 tablespoon white vinegar  
  • salt/vinegar spray: 250 ml water + 2 tablespoon salt +¼ cup vinegar (1 cup = 250ml)
  • lemon/baking soda spray: 250 ml water + 1table spoon lemon juice +2 tablespoon baking soda
• Peeling:
  • Peeling and trimming the outer layer of fruit or vegetables reduces the residual pesticides.
• Trimming fat:
  • Trimming the fat of poultry or fish is also recommended as some pesticide residues get collected in fats.
• Selecting a variety of food:
  • It not only increases the nutritive value but also protects from exposure to a single pesticide residue.
• Discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables like cabbage, lettuce etc as the outer leaves grow closer to the ground and soil can taint them.
• Vegetables (uncut) can be put in boiling water for 1 minute and then rinsed under water to remove the residual pesticides
• Steaming vegetables can also remove pesticides as in the case of spinach leaves.
• Don’t use any soap, detergents, or chemicals which could leave their own harmful effects.
• Prefer foods grown organically. Looks for the “Jaivik Bharat” logo:

One thing I want to mention here is that the outer covering of fruits like apples, and peaches, or vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers etc. are very good for health. they are very rich in fibre, and antioxidants and add more nutrients and vitamins to fruits or vegetables. So if you are sure that fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides or all standards of pesticides are met, it’s better to consume them with their coverings.

Preparing 2% Salt Solution

simply add 20 grams of common salt (NaCl) to one litre of water.

Do we require Pesticides?

Pesticides play a significant role as they improve crop yield by preventing damage. Improved yield is particularly important for nations facing or prone to food shortages.

• As per the estimates of the United Nations population division, by the year 2050, there will be 9.7 billion people on the earth and developing nations shall contribute maximum to it.
• As per FAO estimates, a nearly 80% increase in food production is required to feed this growing population. An increase in food production can be achieved mainly by increasing yield or increasing the number of crops per year on the same land. New land for crop production can fulfil only 20% of the demand.
• There are more than 1000 pesticides used around the globe. some of the pesticides which persist in soil or water for years have been banned (signatories of the Stockholm convention) but are still used in a few developing nations owing to their low cost. India became the part of Stockholm Convention in 2006.
• Although pesticides are very useful for the food security of a nation, they should be used judiciously. 

Can We Completely to Organic Farming

Organic farming is an agricultural system that uses fertilizers of natural origin, techniques like crop rotation and biopesticides (produced from the toxin found in organisms) to control crop damage and increase the yield.

The main purpose of organic farming is to limit the use of synthetic pesticides and their harmful effects on humans, animals and the environment.

although organic farming is eco-friendly and increases biodiversity, yield using organic farming was found to be on average 19.2% lower than conventional farming. This can pose a great challenge to feed the growing population. Although with more research in the field of organic farming with new sustainable techniques, we can slowly move towards organic farming.

Role of Agencies Monitoring Pesticides Residue

National and international agencies related to health and food work continuously to control the use of pesticides:

• Decide on the maximum residual limit. for example
  • Codex Alimentarius Commission– establish the maximum residual limits for pesticides. codex standards are used for the reference in international trade in food
  • FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) fix the maximum residual limit of pesticides in India and keep an eye on adherence.
• Decide on pesticides: to be used or not to be used. for example -all genotoxic pesticides, that have the potential to cause cancer are banned from international trade
• Issue guidelines on best practices and how to limit pesticide use. (eg  International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management developed by WHO and FAO jointly guides all the stakeholders in managing pesticides)
• Keep an eye on the residual pesticide level to ensure the safety of consumers.

At Risk Population

Farmers and those in the agriculture sector, involved in the production are maximally prone to pesticides. They get exposed to pesticides while spraying them on food crops or working in fields. Those not using the precautions may fall sick, and may develop various cancers like- blood cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer etc. Sometimes they may even lose their life in case of some accident like spraying over the face.

Adverse effects of pesticides depend upon the route of exposure- skin or inhalation or accidental ingestion. It also varies from pesticide to pesticide, Period of exposure etc. best way to prevent primary exposure to pesticides is to follow all the personal protective measures to limit contact with pesticides:

• Wearing the mask or covering your face tightly.
• Wearing Face-shield or safety glasses or goggles
• May wear a hooded raincoat
• Full sleeve clothes
• Rubber boots (poor absorbability and easy to clean ) preferred Ovar canvas or leather shoes 
• Heavy duty Gloves– of nitrile or neoprene.
• Spray in the direction of the wind to avoid any aerosol coming back to you.
• After the application of pesticides wash your gloves and clothes
• Do not eat, drink or smoke during spraying (may increase the chances of accidental poisoning by accidental ingestion of pesticides along with food or drinks.
• Consumers of food, people passing by, people residing near fields or any person visiting fields soon after are at risk of pesticide exposure but much lower than that of farmers or people working in fields. Consumers of food are at least risk. 

Food Items Found Above Limit (MLR) In India

From 2008 to 2018, a total of 1,81,656 samples of various food commodities such as vegetables, fruits, rice, wheat, pulses, spices, red chilli powder, curry leaves, milk, butter, fish and other marine products, meat, egg, tea, honey etc. and environmental samples like soil and water were collected from various parts of the country. On analyzing them for the presence of pesticide residues, 3844 (2.1%) samples were found above MRL as prescribed under the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Food Items Requiring More Pesticides than Others

Environment Working Group is an America-based NGO, which publish the list of food items with the maximum pesticide residue (dirty dozen) and with the least pesticide residue (clean fifteen) every year by analysing the data of the US Department of Agriculture and FDA. For the year 2023, the dirty dozen with strawberries and spinach at the top of the list are:

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, collard & mustard greens
4. Peaches
5. Pears
6. Nectarines
7. Apples
8. Grapes
9. Bell & hot peppers
10. Cherries
11. Blueberries
12. Green beans

Although no such list is published by any agency in India the maximum residual limit of pesticides is monitored and controlled by govt agencies closely and data is published from time to time.

World Food Safety Day 2023

Food Safety Day is celebrated on the 7^th of June every year to aware people of foodborne illnesses and good practices in the food sector. “Food standards save lives” is the theme chosen for World Safety Day 2023 to recognize the importance of food standards in keeping consumer life.

Can We Check for Residual Pesticides at Home

No, we can’t check for residual pesticides at homes. It needs sophisticated labs to check for the levels. But we can definitely reduce or eliminate the residual pesticides in the food items we eat.