MUMBAI: Almost 64% of loose edible oils sold in the city's markets are adulterated, a survey has found. The extent of adulteration is up to 90%, though the products are not unsafe.
The survey was done by the Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) from January to July. Its volunteers collected 269 samples of loose edible oils from pockets including Malad, Kandivli, Vile Parle, Mahim, Dadar (East), Byculla and Bhandup. The oils included sesame, coconut, groundnut, mustard, sunflower, cottonseed and soya bean. Of the samples, 172, collected from 60 shops, were found to be adulterated, mainly with palmolein oil.
"Twenty-two did not conform to the Food Safety and Standards Act's guidelines, but were given the benefit of the doubt (unintentional contamination) as they were found only slightly away from standards," said CGSI chairperson Sitaram Dixit.
The samples were found without any harmful substances. Dixit said the aim of the sellers is not to harm consumers, "but to make as much profit as possible". Still, consumers should not be cheated into paying more for low-quality oil, he said.
One of the main reasons why loose edible oils are adulterated is because packaging rules do not apply on their sale, said CGSI secretary Manohar Kamath.
About the adulterant, palmolein oil, Dixit said it is light-coloured, making it convenient for mixing with expensive oils. "It is one of the cheapest oils that can be found in the market, costing Rs 45-55 per kg."
The CGSI has kept the food and drug administration in the loop and plans to soon submit its findings for necessary action. "The list of places from where the samples were collected will be submitted to the FDA so that raids, if essential, can be conducted," said Kamath.
No comments:
Post a Comment