Food and Health E-ssentials

india sets glyphosate residue limits for imported food products

The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has formally established maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the presence of a widely-used herbicide in certain imported products.

In an Order issued in mid-October, the FSSAI set MRLs for the presence of glyphosate in dry beans, lentils, peas and soy beans. The Order also requires testing of imported shipments of these products for compliance with these limits, and further mandates that testing results collected by Regional Offices throughout India be forwarded to the FSSAI headquarters in New Delhi every 15 days.

Glyphosate is commonly marketed around the world under the brand name “RoundUp,” and has been determined to be a possible human carcinogenic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others. MRLs for glyphosate have already been established in the U.S., the European Union (EU) and other jurisdictions. In addition, in a non-binding resolution in late 2017, the EU Parliament voted to ban altogether the use glyphosate in household products and agricultural applications by December 2020.

The complete text of the FSSAI Order regarding MRLs for glyphosate is available at the FSSAI website*.

*Search for the update entitled “Order related to Testing of herbicide Glyphosate in Pulses (Uploaded on: 12.10.2018).”