FSSAI Proposes New Pesticide Residue Limits for Tea in 2026

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed new Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for two widely used pesticides acetamiprid and imidacloprid in tea.

Issued under the draft Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026, the proposal aims to establish clear regulatory standards, improve laboratory testing accuracy, and strengthen safety compliance across India’s tea sector.

What Are the Proposed Pesticide Limits for Tea?

The draft notification sets legal residue thresholds for both chemicals in processed tea leaves:

• Acetamiprid: 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg)
• Imidacloprid: 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg)

These proposed figures establish maximum legal concentration thresholds rather than recommended spraying amounts. Once finalized, these limits will act as mandatory benchmarks for food inspectors, exporters, and testing laboratories.

What Is a Maximum Residue Limit (MRL)?

A Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) represents the highest concentration of a pesticide residue legally permitted in or on food products. Regulators calculate these limits using scientific dietary exposure assessments, crop trial data, and international toxicology standards.

Key Roles of MRLs:

1. Compliance Check: Helps tea growers and processors meet domestic and global safety standards.
2. Laboratory Benchmark: Gives accredited testing labs exact parameters to measure sample safety.
3. Legal Enforcement: Provides food safety officers with clear legal grounds to act against non-compliant batches.

Global Context: India’s Low Pesticide Usage

Government data emphasizes that India maintains low overall agricultural chemical consumption.

India's average pesticide application remains below 0.5 kilograms per hectare, significantly lower than the global average of 2.38 kilograms per hectare. Major agricultural economies like Colombia, Brazil, and the United States record considerably higher application rates.

While general application rates remain low, commodity-specific MRLs ensure that individual products like tea remain safe for daily consumer consumption and export.

Impact on the Indian Tea Industry

Clear MRLs give tea gardens, exporters, and merchants defined standards to manage pest control while avoiding trade rejections in international markets. The draft regulations remain open for stakeholder comments before final notification in the official gazette.