Recently, the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) conducted tests on the Langra variety of mangoes. The first test raised concerns about the possible presence of chemicals such as calcium carbide, although the result was not conclusive. In the second round of testing, the mangoes tested positive for calcium carbide.
Following this, the Authority reminded fruit importers to apply for import permits and comply with biosecurity requirements, including ensuring that imported fruits are free from pests and prohibited chemicals.
This news should make all of us stop and think:
How many of us have already eaten such mangoes? How many of us have unknowingly served them to our children, parents, spouses and loved ones?
We may never know how many people have been exposed to unsafe food. That is why food safety is not only the responsibility of the authorities it is a responsibility shared by all of us.
And this issue is not limited to imported fruits and vegetables. We also need to pay attention to how food is produced within Bhutan. We should be careful about excessive or improper use of pesticides, herbicides and other agricultural chemicals.
The word “cide” means to kill as in pesticide, herbicide and fungicide. These products are designed to kill pests, weeds or fungi. But when chemicals are misused, residues can remain in the food we eventually consume.
So let this recent news remind us of a simple message:
DON’T EAT POISON. DON’T SERVE POISON. DON’T SELL POISON.
Instead, let us encourage one another to:
-Grow Organic
-Eat Organic
-Support Organic Farmers
-Buy Organic
-Sell Organic
When you buy organic produce, please don’t compare its price directly with chemically produced food. Think of it as an investment in your health, our farmers, our soil and the future of our children.
Organic farming is not simply about producing food. It is about protecting the soil, protecting our environment and giving our families safer choices.
Let us support our organic farmers and encourage more farmers to reduce their dependence on harmful agricultural chemicals.
Choose food that nourishes life, not food that puts our health at unnecessary risk.
Let us make Bhutan a country where we grow organic, eat organic and sell organic.
Thank you
B organic project
Deputy Manager