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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched an extensive program in collaboration with the Food Safety Department of Delhi, as a way of spreading awareness and sensitize consumers against contaminants in food products, including pesticide residues. Starting with the Khan Market and INA Market areas in Delhi, the initiative took market associations and traders within the spaces under their wing to explain the harmful effects of pesticide traces in fruits and vegetables, and why it testing is important.
Along with this, participants were also familiarised with the FSSAI’s mobile lab known as ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ – which, equipped with rapid testing kits, is capable of detecting around 50 different pesticide traces across a number of groups like fruits, vegetables, grains and milk. Not only do these kits enable on-the-spot sample collection and testing, the results of the test are also made available within a span of few hours, for the regulatory authorities to initiate necessary action. With rising concerns surrounding the contamination and deteriorating safety standards of food products within the country, the FSSAI also has simultaneous initiatives that are currently in motion pan-India.
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The training program also included educating traders about the need to obtain FSSAI licenses or registrations, the importance of adhering to strict food safety standards as well as encouraged them to source raw materials from FSSAI-licensed vendors for easy traceability and compliance. The awareness initiative also shed light on the use of artificial ripening process using unwanted chemicals, as well as the use of wax coating that is commonly done to enhance the appearance of fruits and vegetables, emphasising the need to consumed organically-farmed produce.
