India's seminar highlights urgent need for proper food safety measures

September 30, 2008

India''s seminar highlights urgent need for proper food safety measures

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As global trade expands, the need for stronger food safety measures become more apparent, India''s food and safety authorities said at a seminar.

To combat the problem of hazardous contaminants and to identify and initiate procedures for synchronizing Indian food and feed regulations with benchmarks set by International bodies, a National Seminar on Non-Biological Contaminants in food, feed and their safety standards was organized by Ayurvet Research Foundation (ARF) and Ganesh Scientific Research Foundation (GSRF) at India International Centre, New Delhi on September 23rd and 24th, 2008.

The seminar was supported by Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Ayurvet Limited and was inaugurated by Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India.

Mr. Subodth Kant Sahai, the Honourable Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, whose statement was read out in his absence, said that the 11th plan allocation for the ministry was increased by six times and a planned outlay of Rs.40, 310 million (US$92 million)was made.

The seminar was focused on four broad category of food- Milk and Processed dairy products; Poultry, Meat, Fish and Eggs; Agriculture commodities, oilseed meals and Fruits, Vegetables, Fruit juices and non alcoholic beverages

These were discussed in context with contamination by mycotoxins, pesticides, dioxins and heavy metals, which are often a serious threat not only for health but also a big barrier to food export.

The seminar noted that contaminated food has caused cases of gastritis, heart problems, skin allergies and a host of other ailments and the numbers of such cases are rising.

Arsenic, cadmium and mercury found in industrial effluent are being discharged into the environment, resulting in the contamination of commodities ranging from vegetable, crop grains, fodders and fishes, the seminar acknowledged.

One survey revealed in Delhi vegetables with high level of these heavy metals are sold.

All India Coordinated Project on Pesticide Residues- (AICPPR), test results of milk and milk products revealed that most milk samples are contaminated with residues of either DDT or Hexa-Chloro-Hexane (HCH) or both.

There have been several other reported cases and many unreported of pesticide poisoning. Due to indiscriminate use of these pesticides, the residues on the commodities are often higher than recommended Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), posing serious health threats.

The Regional Research Laboratory revealed that around 80 percent of peanut meal produced in different states in India was found contaminated with Aflatoxin.

Recently, the European commission warned against buying raw material from India due to the discovery of guar flour contaminated with dioxins which originated from uncontrolled incineration of chlorinated waste.

As evidence mounts on the growing evidence linking contaminants with both human and animal diseases, people are becoming aware of the gap between prescribed safety standards and limits set forth in developed and developing countries.

To date, producers have focused on biological contaminants (bacteria, virus, worms etc.) in food and feed, overlooking the effect of non-biological contaminants (NBC) in food and feed, representatives at the seminar said.

The NBC in food leaves hazardous effect after a long time of exposure and is often irreversible.

The seminar also acknowledges that the capacity of India to penetrate world markets would hinge on its ability to meet increasingly stringent food safety standards, imposed by developed countries.

Vice President Ansari said that the government has taken measures to prevent the indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture. The use of DDT in agriculture was banned in 1996 and that of Lindane in 1997. Pesticide use has significantly declined from 75, 000 tonnes in 1990 to around 40, 000 tonnes in 2005, which has meant a corresponding decline in pesticides residues in food items.

"In August 2006, Parliament enacted the Food Safety and Standards Act to eventually replace all existing laws on the subject," he added.

Ansari noted that WTO''s Agreement of Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary measures (SPS) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) have provided guidelines to ensure food safety.