THRISSUR: Dust off your detox diet plan. It’s official, again. The veggies, fruits and condiments that we consume everyday contain pesticide residues of unpalatable levels.
The startling revelation was made in the recently published report by Pesticide Residue Analytical Laboratory on the Vellayani campus of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) here.
The report that analysed samples collected from various outlets in different districts has detected residues of hazardous materials in the samples of cardamom, dried chilli, chilli powder, ginger powder, garam masala,
curry leaves, green chilli, pudina leaves, coriander leaves, cowpea etc.
Thomas Biju Mathew, head of Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Lab (PRRAL), said all these items, except cardamom, are imported from other states. “While the level of pesticide residues in condiments has hovered largely above the borderline for a long period of time, the level in vegetables has shown a downward trend,” he added.
Though the extent of hazardous chemicals in vegetables has drastically come down from the time the KAU started making periodical reports public, the presence of residues in spices, condiments and curry powders is a major cause of concern.