As part of its national campaign for food safety, China's ministry of agriculture has banned the production and export of five highly poisonous pesticides. Gao Hongbin, vice-minister of agriculture,
In recent years, the growing international trade in agricultural products has motivated farmers to pay close attention to pest quarantine problems and agrochemical residues in foods. Agrochemical residues in agricultural products are a major consumer health concern and can seriously damage trade between countries.
The environment committee of the European Union on September 12 approved amendments of a draft regulation intended to update its existing law on the authorisation of new pesticide products. The
In December 2005, CSE's Pollution Monitoring Lab decided to check whether the samples of soft drinks available in the market are within the limits prescribed by BIS or not. A total of 57 samples, of 11 brands of Pepsi Co and Coca Cola available in the market, were collected from 12 different states of the country.
A report of analysis of pesticide residues in soft drinks conducted by Centre for Science and Environment(CSE), was made public on 5th August, 2003. This Report was covered very prominently by both electronic and print media. In the Report it was stated that CSE found pesticide residues, in the samples of 12 soft drinks brands procured by it from open market in Delhi.
This briefing paper on pesticide contamination and food safety makes a strong case for formulating standards for food and drinks and revamping the pesticide regulatory framework in the country. It discusses the need for legally enforceable standards addresses the larger issue of institutional reform in the governance of food safety and standard setting.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of a new pesticide despite opposition from more than 50 scientists across the country, including five Nobel Prize-winning chemists.
