Draft Food Safety (Pesticides Residues and Other Chemical Residues) Regulations, 2023

In accordance with Food Safety Act 2013 (Act No. 43 of 2013), section 13 (4), the draft regulation is about the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of pesticide and plant growth regulators in food. Maximum Residue Limits stipulated in Schedule-1 and Schedule-2 are in most cases stated in terms of a specific whole raw agricultural commodity as it moves in trade. In Schedule-1 MRL of 163 Pesticide molecules are considered. The widely used plant growth regulator Ethephon's MRL is stated in Schedule‑2. Portion of commodity to which the maximum residues limits (MRL) applies are described in Schedule-3. The Pesticide residues in food shall comply with the MRLs set forth in the draft Food Safety (Pesticides Residues and Other Chemical Residues) Regulations, 2023. In cases other than those specified in the list Schedule-1 and Schedule‑2, the pesticide residues in food shall not exceed the limits as stipulated in the latest edition of Codex Alimentarius Commission or the internationally recognized standards.