There will be no further sale of loose edible oil or repeated use of cooking oil in Maharashtra, as the food safety body, led by Tukaram Mundhe, has issued a stringent 14-point statewide compliance and enforcement order to curb adulteration and ensure food safety.

Violations can attract penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh for unsafe food, possession of adulterants or operating without a valid licence; substandard and misbranded oil can attract penalties of up to Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively. Licences can also be suspended or cancelled.

What does it cover? The food safety body’s latest order covers all edible oils and fats, including groundnut, mustard, soybean, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, rice bran, palm, coconut, sesame and maize oils, as well as vanaspati.

It also prohibits the reuse of old and rusted containers.

Who does it apply to? The Maharashtra FDA order applies to oil expellers, refiners and manufacturers, blenders, repackers, importers, wholesalers, transporters, retailers and e-commerce sellers.

Why Maharashtra FDA took action

Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said that the food safety body had detected several businesses running without valid licences or under incorrect categories. During inspections, the food safety body found adulteration, use of cheaper undeclared oils, substandard oil exceeding prescribed limits, relabelling to conceal the source or date, repackaging of near-expiry oil, etc.

What does the FDA order say?

1. The order prohibits the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil.
2. Oil must be sold only in sealed, tamper-evident and fully labelled packages.
3. Manufacturers or distributors dispatching oil in loose form will be treated as primary violators, while retailers must reject unsealed or tampered consignments and report suppliers to food safety officers.
4. Multi-sourced edible vegetable oil packs cannot exceed 15 kg and must carry AGMARK certification, the names and weight percentages of constituent oils and the declaration “Not to be sold loose”.
5. Multi-sourced edible oil manufactured after June 8, 2021 cannot contain mustard oil, which must be sold in 100 per cent pure form.

The FDA has prohibited the presence of argemone oil, mineral oil, castor oil and tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate, classifying oil containing these substances as unsafe.

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The order also prohibits reuse of single-use tin containers for the risk of metallic contamination.