We have all seen fruit and vegetable traders displaying them in the market in a way that makes them look appetizing. You and I also buy them after seeing this. However, such fruits and vegetables may also contain pesticides, which may be directly and indirectly affecting human health.

In a test conducted by the Central Agricultural Laboratory in the last 9 months, 0.5 percent of fruits and vegetables were found to contain inedible pesticides. Due to the lack of modern laboratories to test pesticides across the country and the ineffectiveness of tests at markets and border checkpoints, such pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables have been directly reaching the kitchens of consumers.

According to Bal Kumari Sharma, spokesperson for the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, the department has the capacity to investigate only 185 types of pesticides. It cannot test all types of pesticides. She said, 'First of all, we also lack manpower. There are only 377 posts in the valley. Of these, only 3-4 people are for food inspection. According to international standards, there should be one food inspector for every 30-40 thousand population. We can estimate for ourselves how much population Kathmandu has and how much work we can do. Another thing is to look at the capacity of our lab. We have labs only in Kathmandu and Biratnagar.'

There is a 'rapid biological test' method to monitor agricultural produce, especially in border areas and large markets, but this method can identify only two groups of pesticides, namely 'organophosphates' and 'carbamates', among the countless modern chemicals used in the market. According to Shanta Karki, head of the Central Agricultural Laboratory, only two groups of pesticides have been tested so far. One is 'organophosphates' and the other is 'carbamates'. She said, 'The kits we have can only identify these two pesticides.'

A modern laboratory is needed to conduct detailed testing of all types of pesticides. Such laboratories are only in a few places in the country, including Kathmandu. Moreover, the scope of testing has not been expanded due to limited manpower. In 'rapid biological testing', the pesticide inhibition rate is checked by extracting fruit or vegetable juice.

If the pesticide content is found to be less than 35 percent, it is considered safe. If it is found to be between 35 and 45 percent, it is kept for a few days. If it is found to be more than 45 percent, it is considered completely unsafe for human health and is banned from being sold in the market and destroyed immediately.

Businessmen say that rapid biological testing is not effective due to technical delays. Laboratory technicians come around 7 am to collect samples and take them away and give reports only in the afternoon. Traders say that by the time the report comes, the vegetables in the market will reach the consumers' kitchens.

What this compulsion of traders shows is that most of the fruits and vegetables coming to the market are reaching the consumers' kitchens directly. However, some consumers do not have enough awareness about this. Under the leadership of Dr. Govinda Bhandari, Senior Researcher of Progressive Sustainable Developers Nepal, 85 samples of apples and bananas were collected from markets and commercial farms in Kathmandu Valley, Rupandehi and Mustang and tested in a laboratory in India. The research showed that all the bananas tested contained very high levels of pesticide residues. Residues of up to 7 different pesticides were found in a single apple.

The Consumer Protection Act states that selling pesticide-laden and contaminated food is against the interests of consumers. Advocate Bishnu Prasad Timalsina says that selling poison is a crime against humanity. He considers it a right against consumer rights and a crime against human rights. He says that if you sell low-quality and pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables, you may be subject to action under the Food Hygiene Act.

Consumers have also been given the right to receive compensation if they suffer any harm. When these dangerous pesticides enter our bodies, they directly attack the nervous system. At first, they may cause a simple headache or dizziness, but if consumed for a long time, it can lead to memory loss, hormonal imbalance, stunted physical and mental development of children, and ultimately very dangerous diseases like cancer.