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India records 131 safety alerts in agricultural exports
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Tuesday, 11 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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India recorded 131 safety alerts concerning pesticide residues and heavy metals in agricultural exports dispatched to the European Union between June 2025 and May 2026, according to official data.
The safety flags, issued via the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), were distributed across key export segments include ‘Herbs and Spices’ -31.2%, ‘Cereals and Bakery Products’ -20.6%, ‘Fruits and Vegetables’ -19.8%, ‘Nuts, Nut Products, and Seeds’-12.9% and ‘Other Food Categories’- 15.5%
While the exact financial impact on private exporters varies depending on whether non-compliant consignments were re-consigned, rerouted to alternative non-EU markets, or destroyed at foreign ports, the government has instituted multiple interventions to prevent trade disruptions.
To assist exporters in meeting international compliance mandates, the government introduced the Trade Regulations, Accreditation & Compliance Enablement (TRACE) scheme under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM). The framework offers financial support to eligible micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by partially reimbursing expenses incurred on testing, inspection, certification, audits, and traceability infrastructure.
Also, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) provides financial aid to registered exporters implementing Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) alongside digital tracking tools like TraceNet for organic items. The Export Inspection Council (EIC) also conducts routine outreach and technical training programs for trade stakeholders.
The Govt has revealed that bilateral discussions regarding non-tariff barriers have led to notable regulatory breakthroughs.
As per the Ministry of Commerce, between September 2025 and July 2026, the EU approved 123 Indian fishery establishments for export. Furthermore, India was added to the updated draft list of approved countries authorised to export food-producing animals and animal products to the EU under Regulation (EU) 2024/2598, securing continuous trade access for the livestock sector.
The ministry added that long-term cooperation on trade standards was finalised on 27 January 2026 at the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi, where both sides announced the conclusion of negotiations for the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The agreement's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) provisions establish structured mechanisms for mutual recognition of conformity assessment results, technical equivalence of safety measures, digital data sharing, and adherence to international quality benchmarks.
“The Agreement will come into force after signing and ratification by both the Parties. The process of signing and ratification will be carried forward by both the Parties in mutual consultation,” reads the statement of the Ministry of Commerce.
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