India proposes stricter pesticide residue limits for tea to align with global standards

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a draft amendment that would tighten the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the pesticides acetamiprid and imidacloprid in tea. The proposed acetamiprid ceiling is set lower than the 30 ppm allowed in Japan and the 50 ppm in the United States, while the imidacloprid level is based on Codex international standards. This proposal is part of a wider effort by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to reassess pesticide residues using scientific data, global practices, and India’s agricultural needs, following earlier steps that removed 13 highly toxic pesticides from the approved list.

The ministry emphasized that responsible pesticide use supports farm productivity, but regulations must protect consumers from unsafe residues. India’s average pesticide application is less than 0.5 kg per hectare, well below the global average of 2.38 kg. If adopted, the new limits would give tea producers and testing labs clear benchmarks and aid enforcement agencies in compliance checks. The draft remains subject to further regulatory approval.