Practical concerns related to

the use of chemicals in food in

Sri Lanka

Food Contaminants

FARM

Pesticides, Fertilizers, Growth promoters, Veterinary

drugs, Heavy metals, Hormones

TRANSPORTATION & STORAGE

Pesticides, Ripening chemicals ,

PROCESSING

Preservatives , Additives & ET C. including

Nitrosamines, Heterocyclic amines etc.

PLATE

Cleansing chemicals

Excessive application of chemical fertilizer

Excessive or inappropriate use of organic waste,

livestock and poultry manure

Over use and improper storage of pesticides

Use of fake or banned pesticides which come under

illegal path

Inappropriate disposal of pesticide containers and

obsolete pesticides

Over use of plastic sheeting and inappropriate

disposal

Burning of agricultural residues at the fields

Use of chemical contaminated water in agriculture

Exceeding of safer levels

Up-country of Sri Lanka - farmer usually use higher amounts of synthetic phosphorus (P) fertilizers for intensive upcountry vegetable cultivation. P was reported as 300-400ppm while safe limit is 30 -40ppm.

Lead content in food items of plant origin seems higher than other toxic trace elements and few samples exceeded its’ safer.

In leafy vegetable profenofos, fipronil,

Tebuconazole pesticides were reported exceeding relevant MRLs. (2017)

Food commodity Metal contamination

(Mean

concentration/mg/kg)

Reference

Rice collected from dry zone in Sri Lanka Cd (0.011) Chandarjith et al.

(2012)

Green leafy vegetables collected from markets

in Colombo

Ni (0.71-15.89), Cd (0.07–

0.97), Cr (0.18-5.05), Pb (0.18-

1.59),

Kananke et al.

(2014)

Green leafy vegetables collected from markets

in Colombo

Ni(2.93), Cd (0.30), Cr (2.45),

Pb (0.59)

Kananke et al.

(2015)

samples of cereals and legumes, including

mustard, maize, finger millet, sesame,

cowpea/black-eyed pea, long bean and green

gram from the North Central Province of Sri

Lanka

As (0.049), Cd (0.019) Edirisinghe and

Jinadasa (2019)

Vegetables collected from market at Kandy

Rice

Cu (0.32-1.47), Zn (1.55-4.96),

Pb (0.009-0.41), Cd (0.001-

0.044), Cr (0.14-0.97) & As

(0.0006-0.005)

Silva et al, (2016)

Trace elemental analysis in food items of plant

origin

Total Heavy Metal contents in soil in

different cropping systems

District Cu Zn Cd Cr Pb As

mg/kg

Matale 60.0 72.6 0.547 68.9 15.8 25.4

Kandy 54.8 69.3 0.53 54.6 6.5 22.9

Nuwaraeliya 42.9 95.3 0.40 75.4 32.4 23.4

Badulla 24.4 46.6 0.27 43.9 11.3 12.1

Jaffna 17.1 33.5 0.58 33.7 10.1 4.52

Maximum permissible limit

*100 300 3 400 300

*Max. Permissible limit of metals in soil in Great Britain

Max. Permissible limit of metals in soil by USEPA

Data on Heavy metals in Agricultural Soils

National Pesticide Residue Monitoring

Program of DOA (In fruits & vegetables)

No. of detections

Year No. of

samples

analyzed

No. . of

pestici

des

analyz

ed

No. of

sampl

es

conta

minat

ed

No. of

detect

ions

<0.1

mg/kg

0.1-0.5

mg/kg

0.5-1.0

mg/kg

>0.1

mg/kg

2016 157 56 44 64 27 11 - 26

2016 76 5 45 67 51 15 1 -

2017 137 56 35 55 39 6 10 -

2017 70 12 35 57 38 11 2 6

2018 127 58 24 35 10 23 2 -

2018 183 6 22 28 18 8 2 -

2020 67 39 29 49 41 8 - --

Pesticides analyzed

1 Abamectin 26 Fipronil 51 Quinalphos

2 Acephate 27 Flubendiamide 52 Spinosad

3 Acetamiprid 28 Flutolanil 53 Tebuconazole

4 Azoxystrobin 29 Flutriafol 54 Tebufenozide

5 Benfuracarb 30 Hexaconazole 55 Thiacloprid

6 Beta-cyfluthrin 31 Hexythiazox 56 Thiamethoxam

7 Bistrifluron 32 Imidacloprid 57 Thiophanate-methyl

8 Bitertanol 33 Indoxacarb 58 Thiocyclam (Hydrogen

oxalate)

9 Buprofezin 34 Isoprothiolane 59 Thiodicarb

10 Captan 35 Lufenuron 60 Thiram

11 Carbendazim 36 Lambda-cyhalothrin

12 Carbosulfan 37 Mancozeb 61 Carbofuran

13 Chlorfluazuron 38 Metiram 62 Dimethoate

14 Chlorantraniliprole 39 Novaluron 63 Methomyl

15 Chlorothalonil 40 Pencycuron 64 Metribuzin

16 Deltamethrin 41 Permethrin 65 Malathion

17 Diafenthiuron 42 Phenthoate 66 Chlorpyrifos

18 Diazinon 43 Phosalone

19 Dimethomorph 44 Pirimiphos- methyl

20 Edifenphos 45 Profenophos

21 Emamectin Benzoate 46 Propamocarb

22 Etofenprox 47 Propiconazole

23 Ethiprole 48 Propineb

24 Fenobucarb 49 Prothiophos

25 Fenvalerate 50 Pyraclostrobin

Pesticides residues detected

Food

commodit

y

Pesticide residue detected

(Mean concentration/mg/kg)

Reference

cabbage Chlorpyrifos , tebuconazole Rajapakse et,al.

2018

Capsicum Tebuconazole do

tomato Tebuconazole do

Bitter

guard

Profenofos , imidachlorprid Magamage et,al.

2018

Okra Imidachlorprid , thiamethoxam do

Snake

guard

Imidachlorprid , thiamethoxam do

chilie Diazinon, quinalphos

Leafy

vegetables

Profenofos, tebuconazole, hexaconazole ,

thiamethoxam, diazinon, azoxystrobin, quinalphos,

Carbendazim, fipronil

do

Pesticide Residue Detection in

vegetable and fruits

Perc

ent

dete

ctio

n

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

<0.1 mg/kg 0.1-0.5 mg/kg 0.5-1.0 mg/kg >1.0 mg/kg

2016

2017

2018

Pesticide residues reported in Sri

Lanka

Through RASFF notifications

Year No. of

cases

Subject

2020 03 Information

for attention

unauthorised substance profenofos (20 mg/kg - ppm) in

centella asiatica from Sri Lanka to Germany

Border

rejection

unauthorised substance chlorothalonil (0.46 mg/kg - ppm) in

mukunuwenna (Alternanthera sessilis) from Sri Lanka

Border

rejection

chlorothalonil (0.43 mg/kg - ppm) in gotu kola (Centella

asiatica) from Sri Lanka to Gerrmany

2021 03 Information

for attention

Unauthorised substance carbofuran (0.49 mg/kg - ppm) in

long yard beans from Sri Lanka

Alert polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (156.3 µg/kg - ppb) in

organic ground black pepper from Sri Lanka, via Germany

Information

for attention

azoxystrobin (0.15 mg/kg - ppm) and unauthorised

substances chlorpyrifos (0.036 mg/kg - ppm), profenofos (67

mg/kg - ppm) and fipronil (0.17 mg/kg - ppm) in Centella

asiatica and Alternanthera sessilis (to Gerrmany)

Following EU unauthorized pesticides were

registered in Sri Lanka

pretilachlor hexaconazole propyrisulfuron

acephate tricyclazole gluteraldehyde

azamethiphosmetamifop quinalphos

profenofos monocrotophos quinclorac

carbendazim novaluron thiobencarb

carbosulfan orthosulfamuron thiodicarb

chlorfluazuron phenthoate topramezone

acephate fipronil pymetrozime

The farmers who produce their products to EU market, were

informed not to use any pesticide unauthorized in the EU

(even the pesticide is recommended /registered in Sri

Lanka).

Following legislations and Standards control the risk associated with toxicity & potential prevalence of these contaminants

Food Act No. 26 of 1980

Consumable Protection Act (1979)

Pesticide Act (1980) and amendments◦ Gazette notification for

MRLs (No. 2023/34, 14.06.2017)

SLS

Internationally WHO, FAO & Codex, EU-MRLs

Regulation on highly hazardous

pesticides

Banning of hazardous pesticides

◦ Products with chronic health effects (e.g. POPs)

◦ Banning of potential carcinogens (organochlorines)

◦ Highly hazardous products (WHO Class I)

• Regulation on highly hazardous pesticides Removal of bulk use pesticides when there are

sufficient number of alternatives Removal of synthetic pyrethroids when there

are reports of resistance development Removal of neonicotinoids when there are

sufficient number of alternatives with low bee toxicity

• Management of pesticide containers

Promotion of safer products

Banned pesticides in Sri Lanka

Year of

Banned

Pesticide

2015 Glyphosate

2016 Gluphosinate

ammonium

Carbofuran

Carbaryl

Chlorpyrifos

Analytical Facility available at DOA

Central Analytica

l Laborato

ry

Food Contaminant Analysis

Fertilizer testing Facility

Pesticide Testing Facility

Soil Testing Facility

Accredited under

ISO/IEC 17025

Main Equipment used

LC-MS/MS

ICP-MS

GC-MS

HPLC

GCs

FTIR

UV spectroscopy

1. Food Contaminant

Analytical Laboratory

i. Pesticide Residue

Analytical

Laboratory

ii. Trace element

analytical Laboratory

Analytical Facility available at DOA Cont….

QuEChERS Extraction and Clean up ( AOAC 2007.01)

Sample collection-CODEX Standard Procedures (Codex AlimentariusCommission (1999) Recommended Methods of Sampling for the Determination of Pesticide Residues for Compliance with MRLs, CAC/GL 33-1999).

Analytical Facility available at DOA Cont….

Increasing of soil and fertilizer testing facilities

Establishment of

New Soil testing

Laboratories for 20

Districts

Soil Test based

Fertilizer

Recommendation for

Paddy

Implementation of SL-GAP

Sri Lanka Good Agricultural

Practices (SL-GAP) has been

established under Department of

Agriculture , Sri Lanka

Maintaining the farm

environment in accordance with

the recommendations of the

relevant GAP standard

Crop Protection under SL-GAP

Pest controlling according to the DOA Pesticide Recommendations – (Pesticide selection, time of application, rate, etc.)

Only the registered pesticides under pesticide act 1980, can be used.

Pesticides are stored at a separate place under lock.

Keep records on application of pesticides and fertilizers.

For export marketing , avoid using the prohibited pesticides in exporting country

Avoid all the unnecessary environmental contaminations

Use fertilizer according to the soil test results ( and DOA recommendations

Keep a separate and safe place to store fertilizer.

Take action to prevent soil erosion

Random sample analysis for pesticide residues

Technologies to reduce overuse of agrochemicals

• Specific yellow bulb during night to repel Moths

• Ideal for organic agriculture

• Pesticides free products

• Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) with

effective IPM packages for management of

major diseases and pest in vegetables

Field demonstrations for vegetables following

Good Agriculture Practices-to export European

countries

Field demonstration at Bingiriya- Mukunuwenna

Promotion of organic Farming in Sri Lanka

Popularization of organic

farming in Sri Lanka

Established of organic farming

villages/farmer groups

Established organic

certification system for

organic products

Recycling of Farm Waste

Incineration of Outdated Pesticides

Awareness and promotion for newly generated “microwave assisted vacuum drying” technology

Development of Tomato and mango powder

using vacuum dehydration technology

Tomato sauce as end product

Extended shelf-life of vegetables using

vacuum dehydration technology

Thank you