Food safety rules, or weapons of trade?

The fruits, vegetables, spices and grains we eat often contain very small amounts of pesticides and insecticides used by farmers for crop protection, as well as preservatives and additives added during processing. Food-safety regulations set safe limits for these substances in food product to protect consumers. Some countries impose excessively strict standards or residue limits. Such measures often do little to improve public health but make it harder for foreign products to enter their markets. As a result, food safety rules have increasingly become trade barriers. India therefore faces a double challenge. It must strengthen its own food-safety system so…