Chlorinated insecticide residues in certain food samples.

To assess the magnitude of contamination in rice, jowar and wheat flour (atta) samples which form the staple food in Karnataka State, a sample survey was conducted by collecting random samples in and around Mysore. the results reveal that 20 per cent rice samples and 30 per cent of wheat flour (atta) samples contained BHC and DDT residues above the national tolerance limit. Since the level of contamination is not sufficiently high, it does not indicate direct mixing of insecticides by farmers and merchants for preservation purposes. It is noteworthy that none of the jowar samples contained pesticide residues above the safety limit. This is due to the preservation of jowar in pit storages by farmers