Karnataka govt to launch drive to check veggies sold in Bengaluru for presence of heavy metals, pesticide

Alarmed by a report about heavy metal contamination in vegetables sold in the city, the Karnataka Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) has said it will launch a campaign to test the vegetables.

The Commissioner of FSSA said in a statement that the department would initiate legal proceedings based on the finding of the campaign. The orders came following a media report which said that there was heavy metal contamination in the vegetables across the city. The Commissioner said any edible product having iron content more than the permissible level is unsafe for human consumption and anyone selling it can be jailed from six months to six years along with a fine ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh.