Your daily chai could be at risk: New 'pesticide limits' spark concerns over what’s actually in your cup.

FSSAI has proposed maximum residue limits for two pesticides in tea under draft regulations published on October 16. The proposal sets a limit of 20 ppm for acetamiprid and 50 ppm for imidacloprid, aiming to strengthen food safety monitoring and provide clear compliance standards. The draft regulations are yet to be finalised.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for two pesticides, acetamiprid and imidacloprid, in tea as part of its efforts to strengthen food safety regulations and consumer protection. The draft Food Safety and Standards Amendment Regulations, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on October 16, proposes a maximum residue limit of 20 mg/kg (20 parts per million or ppm) for acetamiprid and 50 mg/kg (50 ppm) for imidacloprid in tea, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The proposed limits are intended to establish clear regulatory benchmarks for pesticide residues in tea and facilitate monitoring, compliance and enforcement. The standards are yet to be finalised.

FSSAI proposes new pesticide residue limits for teaAccording to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the proposed amendment reflects FSSAI's approach of reviewing pesticide residue standards based on scientific assessments, international practices and India's agricultural requirements.

The proposed limit for acetamiprid in tea is lower than the corresponding limits of 30 ppm in Japan and 50 ppm in the United States, the ministry said.

The proposed limit for imidacloprid has also been formulated with reference to international Codex standards.

The draft regulations seek to provide clearer standards for tea growers, processors, food businesses, testing laboratories and enforcement authorities, while taking into account consumer safety and domestic agricultural needs.

What are maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides?Maximum residue limits specify the highest legally permitted concentration of pesticide residues in a food commodity. They are established using scientific assessments that consider pesticide residue data, dietary exposure and relevant safety considerations.

These limits provide a regulatory basis for testing food products, monitoring pesticide residues and ensuring compliance with prescribed food safety requirements.

The proposed tea standards form part of FSSAI's broader efforts to review and revise pesticide residue limits in line with available scientific evidence and international regulatory practices.

FSSAI's wider review of pesticide residue standardsThe Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2024, marked an earlier step in the review of pesticide residue standards, involving assessments of available scientific data and international practices.

The ministry also referred to earlier regulatory measures that included the delisting of 13 pesticides identified as having higher toxicity, as part of efforts to strengthen regulatory safeguards and consumer protection.

The latest proposal continues this process of reviewing residue standards to ensure that regulatory requirements reflect scientific assessments and relevant food safety considerations.

Pesticide use in agriculture and consumer safetyThe ministry said pesticide use, when carried out appropriately and in accordance with prescribed practices, helps farmers protect crops from pests, reduce losses and maintain agricultural productivity.

It added that food safety regulations need to balance the requirements of crop protection with the priority of protecting consumers from unsafe pesticide residues.

India's average pesticide use is less than 0.5 kg per hectare, significantly below the estimated global average of 2.38 kg per hectare, according to the ministry. The ministry also noted that pesticide registrations vary across countries depending on their crops, climatic conditions and agricultural requirements.

What the proposed tea standards mean for the industryIf finalised, the proposed limits would provide defined benchmarks for monitoring acetamiprid and imidacloprid residues in tea. They could help tea producers, processors and testing laboratories follow consistent standards and support enforcement authorities in assessing compliance.

The draft amendment is part of FSSAI's broader focus on science-based food safety regulation, responsible agricultural practices and consumer protection. The proposed limits remain subject to finalisation following the regulatory process.