Smart Kitchen  strictly follows the fertigation and Pesticide recommendations of  good agricultural  practices followed by Agricultural experts in order to ensure that Smart Kitchen  strictly follows the fertigation and Pesticide recommendations of  good agricultural  practices followed by Agricultural experts in order to ensure that

1)scientific study of  right quantity and quality of nutrition required for each plant is determined and deployed

2) the fertigation addresses the entire lifespan of the plant (seedling, flowering, fruiting, harvesting)

3) the preventive measures for pest control are installed so that a minimum of chemical pesticides are used

4) If at all pesticides are deployed that they are safe and their quantity conforms to the recommendations of GAP.

Kerala’s food safety commissioner Ms T .V Anupama opened a Pandora’s box when she conducted raids across the state and banned products of an established food brand citing that it contained alarming levels of non-permissible substances. Thanks to the startling facts that the raids threw up, jolting Keralites into realizing the need to have home-grown vegetables. After taking over 15 months ago, Anupama conducted random checks in markets and checks posts and seized adulterated products. At least 6,000 samples were collected from various farms in a year and 750 cases were registered against defaulters.

Pesticide Residue in vegetables and fruits alarmimg!

A topping of grated carrot and freshly chopped coriander or mint leaves on your favorite dish looks great and adds to the smell and taste, but it could also spell trouble. The vegetables used for garnishing may be loaded with toxic pesticides, unless they are home-grown.

The second report of the Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, has revealed dangerous levels of pesticide residue in 14 vegetables used by most households. While seven vegetables were found to be low in pesticide content, 38 were listed as safe-to-eat. Mint leaf, carrot, curry leaf, green chilly, coriander leaf, green capsicum, cucumber, celery, ladies finger, amaranthus (red and green), eggplant, radish and drum stick were found to be the most contaminated (exceeding the maximum residue limit set by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India. The samples contained residues of several pesticides including Profenophos, a neurotoxic pesticide banned in Kerala and restricted to tea and cotton in other States.

Washing our vegetables to get rid of pesticides can reduce the goodness and nutritional value

The Dietary Guidelines for Indians has mentioned that treating vegetables to get rid of pesticides  may bring down the nutritional value and natural flavour.