Investigating rice poisoning by millers
The recent news item which appeared in the Sunday Times on 26 March on Page 8, under the tile, “No one to investigate millers poisoning rice in storage”, clearly reflects the limitations of the current food law in the country, and the need for a “National Food Safety Authority ( NFSA)”, which was highlighted on many occasions by the Federation of Quality and Productivity Organizations ( FQPO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a report. It is interesting that the news was reported at a time Sri Lanka is in the process of tightening food regulations with the establishment of a National Food Safety Authority ( NSFA) in place of the current food law, and the news justifies the need for the best model practiced internationally, such as the Food and Drug Administration or United States Food and Drugs Authority or the National Food Safety Authority in the EU or a hybrid of the two.
This news item opened the pandora’s box on food storage and the incident came to light after the workers in the mill had reported the practice, and the chief medical officer of health had already brought this to the notice of the agricultural committee of the district secretariat. The public health authorities had informed that it was confirmed that aluminum phosphide had been used regularly by the millers.
This is an alarming situation as aluminum phosphide reacts with moisture and produces phosphene which is deadly, its heavy use during the 2nd World War and has had many adverse effects on human beings who survived poisoning.
Looking at the big picture, large quantities of vegetables and fruit could be carrying significant quantities of pesticide residue and inadequate studies on this subject could be leading to an alarming situation where some of these affect the nervous system leading to a range of sicknesses. Until the incidence of chronic kidney diseases ( CKD) became a national issue, the authorities paid scant attention to it.
Imports of fruits such as oranges, apples, grapes, peaches, and kiwi fruits are suspected to carry pesticide residue, the actual information on types of chemicals present and their effect on the health of people is not studied.
Aluminum phosphide reacts with moisture and produces phosphate which serves as the active pesticide. The US environment protection agency had confirmed that there are many products containing aluminum phosphide, which causes inhalation hazards to humans, and its use is restricted.
Rajarata University reports that the urine samples of 50 people tested showed contamination and the data available indicates that over 28,000 cases of cancer and 300 of chronic kidney diseases, were reported in the Rajarata area. It is important to identify what is causing these effects, but in general these should be causing serious problems, perhaps including CKD, which had led to an alarming situation in farming areas.
The vice president of the public health inspectors union had accepted that aluminum phosphates though a banned pesticide, is used widely despite the fact that it is illegal and red listed and the penalty for such usage is liability to fines between Rs. 50,000 and Rs.500,000 and two years jail sentence could be enforced. This indicates that there is some kind of legal coverage which is actionable.
It is unfortunate that this comes despite the agency responsible for implementing the food law and the inadequacy of the officers and testing facilities and the cost involved.
While appreciating the news item reported in the Sunday Times, it is a fruitless exercise to find excuses such as these which indicate a serious lapse in the current food legislation and the machinery for implementing the legislation.
The FQPO is of the view that in the absence of an NFSA, the federation should look into this situation and take appropriate measures at least as an interim measure so that this situation could be brought under control.
As the first step in addressing the issues it is necessary to establish a date base to assess the seriousness of the situation and perhaps the Consumer Affairs Authority ( CAA) could sample from the market and arrange for testing using many state laboratories available such as the Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Industrial Technology Institute, Government Analyst Department, Institute of Fundamental Studies and also the laboratories who are willing to undertake this work. This must be completed within three months.
Standards for the handling and storage of cereals
The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), another state institution established to prepare national standards which is critical for food safety and national development had so far issued a number of national standards in relation to usage of pesticides, but these standards do not cover warehousing. As this is becoming a national issue, the SLSI should appoint a working group on pesticides and update/revise all existing standards in relation to agriculture and take action to issue new standards.
In the meantime, the Institute of Post- Harvest Food Losses ( IPHFL) and SLSI should work out a guideline for use by millers and the Paddy Marketing Board and the Department of Agrarian Services should implement the guideline to register the millers which include the Paddy Marketing Board in their own warehouse.
A panel consisting of the Medical Officer of Health of the regions, universities in the region and officers from IPHI should visit the mills to register.
Any millers violating the procedure stated in the guideline should lose their registration and violators should be prosecuted under the food law as pointed out by Ministry of Health officials.
Imports of fruits such as oranges, apples, grapes, peaches, and kiwi fruits are suspected to carry pesticide residue, the actual information on types of chemicals present and their effect on the health of people is not studied.
The Sri Lanka Standards Institution ( SLSI) should commence work immediately preparing national guidelines for storage of cereals, and this is to be made mandatory by the Ministry of Agriculture.
These standards should address the construction of the mills, maintenance, methods of stacking the rows of gunnies, detection of rodents and insects and preventive methods to their entry.
Further the current methods of carrying bags on the backs of the workers for stacking should be avoided by the use of forklift trucks, as the current practice will lead to injuring the workers and permanent disabilities.
These practices could lead to health hazards and all the mills are to be registered for food safety, and registration is to be carried out by both private and state agencies to avoid any discrimina- tion and bottle-necks.
It is also noted that the method of stacking including those by the Paddy Marketing Board are not in compliance with internationally accepted guidelines as it requires leaving a gap between the two rows for inspectors to access and examine for any attacks by rats and other vermin.
The registrar of pesticides should investigate imports of banned pesticides and other chemicals and take action against those who violate the pesticide legislation of the country.
Registration scheme
The final authority for the mandatory registration of mills using the guidelines for construction and storage of mills and also food safety standards (ISO 22000) is to be with the secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture. As an Independent body the FQPO will be function as an advisory body.
The Consumer Aff a i r s Authority should be drawing samples from the market on a regular basis and taking action against any retailers selling rice contaminated with prohibited chemicals. An identification mark is to be issued to the registered millers so that retailers could buy only from those millers who carry the label.
Awareness programs
The Institute of Post Harvest Technology should launch a countrywide awareness programs on quality standards and food safety issues on a regular basis in association with the district secretariats in the regions.
The federation will oversee the program as a national project and periodically inform the respect ive parties of necessary improvements and the secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture is to be the ultimate authority for the program.
IPHFL should be carrying out regular awareness programs in the paddy harvesting regions to educate the farmers, millers and even the retailers regarding the regulations applicable to the use of pesticides and other chemicals.
It will be useful if the registra of pesticides publishes a list of permitted pesticides and other chemicals for stakeholders awareness and also indicates the legislation applicable.
Import controls
Most countries such as the USA, EU, Canada and Australia have import regulations both for imports and local produce and the health authorities are empowered by necessary legislation and it could even lead to "black listing" countries and once this ban is introduced in the importing country, and justifies adequate measures being taken to change the situation.
Sri Lankan fruits and vegetables are being exported to Middle Eastern countries and the Maldives where food legislation does not seem to exist, and there are no such import restrictions, but these may never reach either European or US markets unless the situation changes.
Carbonic products
The current drive for organic foods could be one way out of the pesticide problem in Sri Lanka. Animal waste such as urine and dung are the two key products that go into carbonic fertiliser with hay, paddy husks and other material forming a major part of carbonic fertiliser. Use of ‘neam,’ oil as an insect and pest repellent is another possible approach to reduce the use of pesticides and weedicides.
With the trend in using carbonic fertiliser, the quality of carbonic fertiliser manufactured becomes another important area to consider. National standards for carbonic fertiliser and issue of product marks will further support the production of carbonic foods.
National certification on carbonic foods will assist consumers to select carbonic products from the market.
Long term solutions
This situation clearly reflects the weaknesses in the food safety regulations operation in Sri Lanka. This more than justifies the establishment of the National Food Safety Authority ( NFSA). The federation had taken over the national quality infrastructure, where the NFSA will be part of this exercise. The federation proposes to take up these issues as a priority and a cabinet paper will be submitted through a relevant ministry, together with the Federation of Quality and Productivity organizations ( FQPO) Act and NFSA Act, Regulatory Authorities on environment protection, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Import and Export Control Authority (Health and Hygiene) and system certification authorities. Coordination of ISO management system certification will take place with the National Accreditation Board (NAB).
While the state machinery is being developed a national survey on positive residue on fruits and vegetables (both imports as well local products) will be initiated with the current legislation and a team comprising the Institute of Post- Harvest Technology (IPHT), University of Rajarata and Aceh Research Training Institute will be established to research into this situation and the ARTI will publish the findings on a regular basis.
An initial report on the facilities available to undertake this project in the laboratories to be identified is to be submitted to the government for necessary support.
The Consumer Aff a i r s Authority is to issue regulations against the sale of rice contaminated with pesticide residue and will start prosecuting retailers selling contaminated rice. This should be supported with the registration of millers by the Ministry of Agriculture using interim standards until national standards are issued.
As there are many controversial issues related to food handling and warehousing preservation, the State should be looking at these associated problems and definite action is required to bring this situation under control. A careful study of all current adverse practices in agriculture has been made and the required standards must be issued so that these could be studied and made mandatory.
This is part of the national food control policy and quality management commences from the plantations, running through the entire food chain. (The writer has specialised in
post-harvest storage of agricultural products at the Institute of Storage of
Agricultural Products, UK.)