EU now issues alert on packing material

NEW DELHI: The European Union's import ban could spread to several other fruits and vegetables after the trading bloc issued an alert against wood patten used for packing export consignments, forcing the government to swing into action to avoid further curbs.

The steps follow the ban on export of alphonso mangoes, eggplants, the taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd, which kicked in on Thursday, after European authorities found consignments infested with fruit flies.

The government is unwilling to take any chances although officials fear that the restrictions could be retaliatory action by EU after India specified certain standards for imported chocolates, wine and scotch, which the 28 member nations are not comfortable with.

For instance, in case of wine and scotch, Indian standards require all products sold in the market to clearly specify the ingredients. Similarly, some of the European chocolates have been found to be in breach of the specified hydrogenated fat limits, resulting in some of the shipments getting held up.

Sources told TOI, commerce secretary Rajeev Kher has written to customs authorities to allow shipments only in wood patten that bear the specified stamps of the plant quarantine authorities. In addition, all fruit and vegetable consignments now have to be routed through APEDA-approved pack houses where special quarantine inspection is being carried out to ensure that exports are not hit.

Although EU keeps issuing alerts on various products, Indian authorities were not taking them seriously until the latest ban kicked in. "It may please be noted that there have been serious concerns about the interception of pests and detection of higher than permissible levels of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetable consignments shipped from India in the last couple of years," EU said.

Kher, however, told a press conference that the government is in talks with the European authorities to find a solution although he made public the government's displeasure over the import restrictions when the two trading partners were in dialogue on the issue.