The Delhi high court has called for special testing on exotic fruit imports entering the Indian capital, as well as domestically grown produce, according to the Hindustan Times.
The court’s ruling came after the non-governmental organisation, Consumer Voice, filed a petition seeking the formation of preventative measures to stop the sale of pesticide tainted fruit and vegetables in Delhi.
“No such consignment (will) be allowed to enter the country without pre-dispatch pesticide testing report by the exporter,” a report filed in the court said.
“Samples of imported fruits and vegetables should be drawn by plant quarantine stations at international arrival points and monitored for the presence of pesticide residues.”
In May the court ordered surprise pesticide checks of wholesale and retail markets in Delhi, although the results have not yet been released.
Consumer Voice claimed produce sold in Delhi markets contained as much as 750 times the amount of pesticides allowed under European standards.
