"Are imported pulses carcinogenic?" - Government assures enquiry

New Delhi. Before you stock up on pulses, check whether they are imported or locally produced. A large number of the imported pulses available in the Indian market have been exposed to commonly used herbicide glyphosate. While the World Health Organisation had found this herbicide to be a possible carcinogenic, the EPA and FAO had subsequently allowed the use of glyphosate. In the face of these conflicting findings, the jury is still out on whether pulses exposed to glyphosate should be consumed by humans or not.

This question was raised in Parliament by BJD's Bhratruhari Mahtab during zero hour. He said that pulses are being imported into the country from Australia, Canada, Mynmar and some African countries. Some of these imported pulses have been exposed to glypohsate which is considered harmful to humans. He demanded that the country's import policies should be made stricter to ensure that the health and safety of Indians is not compromised.

Ram Vilas Paswan, Cabinet Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, assured that the government will look into the matter and in no circumstances will any such situation be created that would put the health of people at risk.

Monsanto in the dock because of Glyphosate

After an epidemiological study by WHO listed glypohsate as a "possible carcinogenic", Monsanto, the US based agro chemical company, has found itself in the midst of several lawsuits. Monsanto has been marketing Roundup, a herbicide with glyphosate as the main ingredient, since the 1970s. While Monsanto refutes the link between glyphosate and cancer, it is now facing lawsuits in different courts in the US. One such suit has been filed by Dwayne Johnson in San Francisco. Johnson has alleged that he contracted cancer of the lymph nodes due to exposure to Roundup.