GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2809
TO BE ANSWERED ON 25th MARCH, 2025
MRLS FOR PESTICIDES IN FOOD ITEMS
2809. SHRI SANJEEV ARORA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the details of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) prescribed for pesticides in herbs, spices, and other food items under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI);
(b) the scientific studies or research used as a basis for determining these MRLs; and
(c) how the prescribed MRLs in India compare with international benchmarks like Codex
Aliment Arius, the EU, and the US?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (c): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of Pesticides on herbs, spices, and other food items in the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011. Copy of the regulation is available in public domain at https://www.fssai.gov.in/cms/food-safety-andstandards-regulations.php.

The data endorsed by Registration Committee (RC) of Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB & RC), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is forwarded to FSSAI for fixation of MRLs. The data contains detailed information about pesticide chemistry, bio efficacy, metabolism studies, toxicology studies, supervised field trial data, method of analysis etc.

The Scientific Panel of Pesticide Resdiues recommends the MRLs based on the internationally accepted procedures and performs the risk assessment on Indian population. During the process of MRL fixation, the health concerns in respect of all age groups in the country are taken into consideration.

Further, the fixation of MRLs of Pesticides on food commodities is a dynamic process and are regularly revised based on the scientific data. The MRLs are harmonized with internationally accepted Codex standards after carrying out risk assessment on Indian populations. India, as a member country of the Codex also contributes in the development of Codex MRLs to facilitate international trade.