: The incidence of hazardous chemicals in fruits and vegetables in the State has come down, as per an analysis of samples taken from various districts by the Kerala Agricultural University.
A press note issued here on Saturday said the samples were taken between January and June 2015.
Only five of the 163 samples of 46 vegetables collected from across the State were found to contain chemicals above the permissible limits under the FSSAI standards.
Two samples of Pudina leaves and one sample each of cowpea, yellow capsicum, and curry leaf were the ones found to be contaminated with chemical residues above the permissible limits.
Twelve samples of bitter gourd, red and green capsicum, green chilly, tomato, and coriander leaves were found to contain pesticide residues but below the permissible limits or unstipulated levels. As many as 46 samples were found completely safe to eat.
Out of 101 samples of 26 fruit varieties tested in KAU labs, eight samples of Musambi, grapes, and guava were found to contain pesticide residues below FSSAI-stipulated levels.
Completely safe
The rest of the 93 samples were found to be completely safe. In the case of readymade items such chilly powder, masala powder, chilli, fenugreek, and other groceries, only one sample of cardamom was found to contain residues above the FSSAI levels.
As many as 38 samples of various items were found to contain pesticide residue below the permissible levels.
The decrease in incidence of pesticide residues are the result of increased public awareness about chemical hazards and due to decline in the use of chemicals such as Cholrpyrifos, Cypermethrin, and Ehion.
However, the latest analysis has employed FSSAI standards instead of the stricter European Union standards employed earlier.
If the latter had been used in the latest analysis, more samples may have been found contaminated, the press note said.
It is also relevant to note that FSSAI standards are not prescribed in case of certain commodities and pesticides, the press note added.
