The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched an extensive awareness and sensitization program targeting major markets in the national capital. Health and Family Welfare Ministry said, the awareness campaign will focus particularly on the detection and mitigation of pesticide residue and contaminants in food products. The Ministry said, during the programme, the food business operators were sensitized about importance of organic farming, raw material testing, ill effects of pesticide residues, artificial ripening and wax coating using unapproved chemicals.

The market associations and traders were introduced to FSSAI’s pioneering initiative, the Food Safety on Wheel mobile lab, equipped with various rapid testing kits capable of detecting approximately 50 pesticide residues across various food matrices. Traders were encouraged to capitalize on this resource for expedited testing and to ensure the safety and quality of products sold in the market.