The Hatay Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry is continuously working to ensure human and environmental safety. Recently, 55 tons of lemons prepared for export were found to have excessive levels of a chemical substance called “pesticide” in a sample taken by the teams.

In order to safeguard security, the tons of lemons were safely destroyed at a solid waste storage facility. Officials emphasized that unsafe food will never be allowed to enter the market, be exported, or imported. Under the recently updated regulations by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, maximum residue limits for domestically produced and imported foods were revised based on current scientific evaluations.

Pesticides are substances used against harmful organisms that cause damage to plants and animals. They are primarily utilized in agriculture to eliminate, prevent, or control pests, diseases, weeds, and other unwanted organisms. Despite being most commonly used in agriculture, pesticides are also employed in public health, household cleaning, and industrial sectors.