While the Maharashtra food safety body continues its crackdown against non-compliance of food safety rules, with it recently announcing a blanket ban on loose oil, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, August 24, stepped in to review its recent order, directing it to first frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) that can curb adulteration.

Devendra Fadnavis’ intervention in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) crackdown came four days after the food safety body ordered edible oil and fats be sold only in sealed, tamper-proof and properly labelled food-grade packaging.

The move triggered strong opposition from edible oil traders, many of whom said the restrictions would threaten family-run businesses that have operated for generations.

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At Monday’s Cabinet meeting, several ministers raised concerns over the impact of the FDA order on traders and consumers, particularly in rural areas where packaged edible oil is not readily available.

After the meeting, Devendra Fadnavis directed the Tukaram Mundhe-led food safety body to work out a “middle path” with the businesses it has banned to ensure legitimate businesses continue to operate while also taking care of food safety.

“We will direct the FDA to find a middle path by formulating an SOP that ensures the quality of edible oil and prevents adulteration, while also allowing traditional businesses to continue. The objective is to ensure that loose oil is free from adulteration without forcing these businesses to shut down,” Fadnavis said after the Cabinet meeting.

The FDA’s August 20 order had sought to eliminate the risks associated with loose oil by mandating sealed packaging with details including the source and expiry date. The action followed inspections that flagged adulteration, use of non-food-grade containers, relabelling and other violations.

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The order banned the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil, making sealed, tamper-evident and properly labelled packaging mandatory across the supply chain.

The move was aimed at tackling adulteration and traceability gaps, with the regulator flagging the absence of details such as the source, batch number and packaging date in loose oil.

The order came as part of a wider crackdown on adulteration, reuse of old and non-food-grade containers and repeatedly heated frying oil. However, the blanket ban faced strong opposition from edible oil traders.