Contamination risk of aluminium phosphide residues on the packed wheat grain sacs

Globally, phosphine gas has been used as fumigant insecticide for the management of stored product pests at grain storage depots. In India, phosphine fumigation is highly restricted in use due to respiratory poisonous and other ill effects. In order to avoid residue contaminations, food safety authorities prescribed to expose the phosphine gas emitting from aluminium phosphide tablets outside the grain storage sacs. This has been observed that some of the grain packaging industries/suppliers are incorporating the aluminium phosphide tablets inside the grain storage bags. This practice may cause residue contamination risks on the stored grain sacs. In this status presentation, impacts of aluminium phosphide residues on health and alternative remedies have been described.