Kathmandu, May 6 -- After long yard beans, Nepal's health watchdog has now detected dangerous levels of harmful chemicals in broccoli sold across the Kathmandu Valley. The finding has sparked serious concerns over food safety.

On Saturday, lab tests revealed that broccoli samples contained 93.91 percent concentration of organophosphate pesticide, well above the safe limit. This follows the discovery of 95.27 percent pesticide residue in long yard beans from Sarlahi, tested last Friday.

Similarly, bitter gourd samples from Chitwan, tested last Sunday, showed 75 percent pesticide residue. All three vegetables were deemed unfit for consumption and subsequently destroyed.

The Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residue Analysis Unit, which conduct...