NEW DELHI: It's the large section of poor buying loose edible oil across the country, who are at risk as they consume the adulterated kitchen item, according to a recent study conducted by a consumer organisation.
The laboratory tests carried out by Consumer Voice after lifting 1,015 samples of loose edible oil from 15 states found that nearly 85% of coconut oil samples failed to meet the specified norms. Similarly, 74.1% of the cotton seed oil samples, 74% of sesame oil and 72% of mustard oil samples could not pass the tests. The pass percentage was better in the case of soyabean oil and sun flower oil.
According to the findings, out of the 230 soyabean oil samples only 46 failed and in the case of sunflower oil only 34 out of the 206 samples could not pass the test.
The samples were collected from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the organisation said. The sale of loose oil is banned, though it's sold across the country. As per regulations, a state government, in public interest, can allow any or all edible oils to be sold for a specific period.
The voluntary consumer organisation said that the base of the tests was both on quality and safety parameters as per food safety and standards regulator, FSSAI and the tests were carried at National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories accredited laboratory. "Adulteration in oil can cause diseases like cancer, paralysis, allergy, liver damage cardiac arrest and epidemic epidemic dropsy. Mineral oil in some edible oils causes' cancer, paralysis, allergy, liver damage. Increase in serum cholesterol are other life risk diseases," the consumer organisation said.
While advocating that sale of loose edible oil be banned it has suggested FSSAI to allow in small packets of 100 ml and 200 ml so that it reaches to everyone.
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