KATHMANDU, Jan 29: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) conducted pesticide tests at the Balkhu Fruits and Vegetable Market through a ‘Well Equipped Mobile Food Lab Van’. Nine types of vegetable samples were taken and tested for pesticides by the department’s skilled human resources.
The DFTQC has stated that during the testing, most of the vegetables were found to be safe for consumption. Ishwar Subedi, Food Research Officer at the DFTQC, said that up to 20 percent of the nine types of vegetable samples from the Balkhu Vegetable Market were found to contain pesticides. According to him, the results of the tests are correct.
Nearly half of vegetables traded at Kalimati market from India
Subedi said that all the vegetables tested are edible. He said that enzyme inhibition was found to range from a minimum of 2 percent to a maximum of 27 percent. According to Subedi, those with enzyme inhibition less than 35 percent are considered edible. There is a provision that those with enzyme inhibition of 35 to 45 percent will be quarantined and re-tested, and those with more than 45 percent will be rejected and destroyed.
Vegetable samples from 20 different districts including Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kavrepalanchowk, Nuwakot, Ramechhap, Sarlahi, Dhanusha etc were collected and tested at the Balkhu Vegetable Market. The DFTQC is running a campaign to test pesticides in vegetables at all vegetable markets in the valley.
