FDA shuts down unit for selling adulterated oil

Pune: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shut down an edible oil branding and repackaging unit at Pisoli late on Thursday night for selling adulterated oil.

The operators blended cheaper versions of rice bran and soybean oils in relatively expensive mustard oil to make quick money. The officials sealed the stock of 50 tonne of edible oil worth Rs 42.92 lakh.

“The unit owner used to purchase cheaper edible oils in bulk and would do the branding, labelling and packaging at his unit located at Dangde Farm in Pisoli (Haveli taluka). When we raided the unit, we found large tanks of cheaper edible oils and mustard oils,” Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune told TOI.

The owner was also found operating the unit without oil testing laboratory, which is mandatory. Besides, the person in-charge of the operation at the unit was not technically qualified. “The edible oil packaging unit needs to test the oil periodically and maintain a record of the same. But there was no laboratory on the premises. We have also drawn samples of the oil and sent them for tests to the government laboratory.” Deshmukh said.

The officials found that the packaging unit was selling adulterated oil when a sample drawn randomly during Diwali showed the adulteration. The officials then raided the unit late on Thursday night. FDA food safety officials Ulhas Ingawale, Santosh Sawant, Anil Gavate carried out the raid under the guidance of state FDA minister Girish Bapat.

Incidentally, the FDA’s vigilance department had raided several oil mills in the past, taken samples and found packets of sunflower, soybean, groundnut oil refilled with cotton seed oil. “There are instances where miscreants removed oil from tins of reputed brands and mixed it with ordinary palm oil or any other cheap variety of oil,” said another official.

According to experts, such impurities are difficult to identify as the blending of cheaper oil like palm oil does not change the physical property or taste of the product. But it changes the chemical property, which affects the consumers’ health.