Assam: FSSAI CEO stresses on adoption of bio-pesticides in tea production

Guwahati: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) chief executive officer (CEO) G Kamala Vardhana Rao on Friday stressed on adoption of bio-pesticides to ensure the safety and quality of tea production across the country.

Addressing an interactive session with tea planters and tea producers in Kellyden village under the Kaliabor subdivision of central Assam’s Nagaon district, Rao advocated for a collaboration with the Tea Board of India for joint inspection, sampling and testing processes for quality tea production in the country.

The event witnessed active participation from key stakeholders including officials from FSSAI, the Tea Board of India Tea Research Institute, tea planters, tea producers tea processors, industry associations and the Food and Drug Department of the state.

The focal point of the discussion was enhancing traceability and testing measures for raw materials, emphasizing the need for screening every batch for pesticide residues and adherence to the Maximum reduced limit (MRL) of pesticide usage as prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011 (FSSR).

During the session, officials of the Tea Board of India stressed the significance of awareness campaigns among planters to educate them about the maintenance of a harvesting gap to ensure safe agricultural practices.

Planters raised concern over the use of unauthorized pesticides in tea cultivation and urged the state government to impose a ban on such substances.

Processors advocate for the provision of rapid testing kits at the farm gate level to streamline pesticide testing.

Scientific panel members engaged in detailed deliberations on specific pesticide monitoring procedures and the prevention of off-label use.

Notably, FSSAI has been extending financial assistance to Assam for the upgrading of laboratories dedicated to pesticide testing.

The need for regular interaction with all stakeholders and the formulation of a time-bound action plan to guarantee the availability of safe tea to consumers was also stressed during the meeting.

The event featured key speakers such as Amardeep Singh Bharti, additional secretary, department of Commerce and Industry (DoCCI) and chairman of Tea Board of India; Saurav Pahari deputy chairman, Tea Board of India, Kolkata; Inoshi Sharma, executive director, FSSAI and other senior officials from FSSAI, scientific panel members and representatives from various industry associations.

The collaborative efforts of all stakeholders provided a platform for the exchange of insights and promoted safe, sustainable and quality-driven tea production in the country.