The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

21. Pesticides, veterinary drugs residues, antibiotic residues and micro-biological counts. -

1.      No article of food shall contain insecticides or pesticides residues, veterinary drugs residues, antibiotic residues, solvent residues, pharmacological active substances and micro-biological counts in excess of such tolerance limits as may be specified by regulations.

2.      No insecticide shall be used directly on article of food except fumigants registered and approved under the Insecticides Act, 1968.Explanation.-For the purposes of this section,-

a.      "pesticide residue" means any specified substance in food resulting from the use of a pesticide and includes any derivatives of a pesticide, such as conversion products, metabolites, reaction products and impurities considered to be of toxicological significance and also includes such residues coming into food from environment;

b.     "residues of veterinary drugs" include the parent compounds or their metabolites or both in any edible portion of any animal product and include residues of associated impurities of the veterinary drug concerned.