Area
India
Commodity Group
Oilseeds, oils and meals
Commodity
Vegetable oils
Date
01/03/2018
Policy Category
Other
Policy Instrument
Food standards & food safety policies
Description
Banned 28 brands of edible oil in Kerala State, based on probes showing adulteration of coconut oil, and earmarkedfunds for systematic analysis of edible oils.
Notes
In India, the Government of Kerala State banned 28 brands of edible oil based on probes showing that coconut oil bottled in Tamil Nadu had been adulterated with other, unspecified vegetable oils. Adulteration of coconut oil with cheaper produce is widely practiced in times of scarce coconut oil supplies (see also MPPU June & July16). To address the problem, Keralas authorities plan to analyze edible oils systematically. Funds have been earmarked for setting up local laboratories, including mobile food testing units. On a related note, a coconut oil manufacturer in Kerala has launched officially certified coconut oil blends, allegedly guaranteeing both product safety and affordable prices. Reportedly, the blends containing either sunflower oil or palm olein are sold at, respectively, INR 126 and INR 105 per liter (USD 1.94 and 1.61), which compares to prices of over INR 200 (USD 3.07) for unmixed coconut oil.
