Nepal launches programme to monitor pesticide residue in food
Sunday, 22 July 2007
KATHMANDU, July 21 (Xinhua): Nepal's Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) is to launch a program to monitor pesticide residue in food items in the country, The Himalayan Times reported today.
According to the daily, the program includes the development of techniques to monitor the use of pesticide while producing the food items for export and monitoring production mechanism on the spot.
"The program is launched keeping in mind of various cases of refusal of Nepali food items in the international market," said Jiwan Prava Lama, deputy director- general of the DFTQC.
"The European Union rejected exported Nepali tea and honey recently, stating that it had high pesticide residue," said Nava Raj Dahal, a food researcher at the DFTQC.
The program will help understand the production mechanism of food products to be exported, he said.
According to the daily, the program includes the development of techniques to monitor the use of pesticide while producing the food items for export and monitoring production mechanism on the spot.
"The program is launched keeping in mind of various cases of refusal of Nepali food items in the international market," said Jiwan Prava Lama, deputy director- general of the DFTQC.
"The European Union rejected exported Nepali tea and honey recently, stating that it had high pesticide residue," said Nava Raj Dahal, a food researcher at the DFTQC.
The program will help understand the production mechanism of food products to be exported, he said.