The Basmati rice producers have been ordered by the EU Commission to cut down levels of a chemical used in rice farming, pesticide Tricyclazole, to a hundredth of its current legal level, reducing the maximum residue level to the level of determination, 0.01ppm.
The chemical has been in use by the Indian rice farmers for decades, and they produce approximately 60 per cent of the world’s Basmati. The EU currently imports around 360,000 tonnes of basmati rice a year, of which 150,000 tonnes is directed to the UK. Current EU restrictions limiting traces to 1 mg/kg were already considered conservative compared to Japanese and US import limits of 3 mg/kg. The regulation came into force for all products except basmati rice on 30th June 2017; for Basmati rice it will enter into force on 30th December 2017. The regulation specifically provides that the old limit of 1.0ppm will continue to apply to rice on the market (i.e. harvested or imported) prior to the entry into force.
For the consumers, this means existing Basmati imports from India will remain on shelves as long as their best-before date. Any Basmati imported before January 2018 will be allowed into the EU, implying that there will be no recall of products from the shops. As Alex Waugh, Director of the Rice Association, confirmed, the preamble to the regulation clarifies that this is to allow for “the normal marketing, processing and consumption of rice.” It also refers to the long shelf life of rice, and makes clear that the new regulation is intended to apply to future production, not past harvests.
However, for the rice farmers, this news is not entirely a relief. As rice in India is harvested in the months of October and November, exporting on previously existing level to UK by January 2018 is nearly impossible. Syed Kamall, Conservative MEP for London, said, “This could have a disastrous effect on farmers’ livelihoods in India, and at the same time we in Britain will end up paying more for our favourite rice.” There is no confirmation as yet on the price fluctuation of basmati imports from India. The Indian government earlier had said that it takes rice producers a minimum of three years to effectively modify their crops, and the abrupt EU regulation has likely been put forward to harm the Indian dominance on rice exports, handling it over to countries not using the pesticide. Indian Ambassador in Belgium, as quoted in The Sunday Telegraph, said the Commission took its decision on the basis of a “precautionary principle” without knowing the carcinogenic effect of Tricyclazole, a fungicide. This was confirmed by Waugh, who said that the ban on imports was not because Tricyclazole was proven to be harmful, but because its effects in the long-term have not yet been studied. This is understandable, but it does raise questions on the timing of the ruling for raising the concerns over a chemical that has been in use for long and has not received medical complaints so far.
He further adds, manufacturers and the EU Commission are commissioning studies to prove or disprove the effect of this compound. There may be a chance for the ruling to be revoked in 2019, if the compounds is found to be safe. However,
uncertainty over the revocation prevails. Leading rice brands in the UK are processing this ruling and taking precautionary
measures. In a comment to Asian Voice, Kohinoor said, “Due to the nature of our integrated supply chain Kohinoor (Indo European Foods) have a stock building and testing programme in place to ensure the continued supply of compliant Basmati Rice throughout 2018 to maintain our Brand Presence and Volumes”. Another statement issued to Asian Voice by UK's leading rice brand Tilda read, "Tilda is committed to ensuring all its products comply with the standards of the countries where they are sold. Tilda has a long-standing commitment to working with farmers to promote more sustainable farming practices and to minimising the use the use of crop protection products. Tilda has a no compromise approach to achieving the highest consumer safety standards."
What does this situation mean for British businessmen and retailers? It is Business as usual for Indian Basmati rice in the markets for the next six months at least. Statements from regulators and leading Asian rice brands, it is clear that much of what is being written about Indian Basmati rice in the media has not had an impact on UK consumers. Asian Voice understands that there is no immediate threat to Indian basmati rice.
