In order to reduce the unauthorized sale of loose edible oil in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a recent order, directing that edible oil be sold through tamper-proof automated vending machines. The order by the apex regulator deals with the standards of quality and packaged regulations for edible oil.

It stated, “No person shall sell, expose for sale, distribute, offer for sale, dispatch or deliver to any person for the purpose of sale any edible oil, which does not conform to the standards of quality as provided in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) and rules and regulations made there under.”

The order added that no person shall sell edible oil which is not packed in a container, marked or labelled in the manner stipulated in the FSSAI regulations.

A source from the apex regulator said, “To deal with the unauthorised sale of loose edible oil, FSSAI has come up with the idea of selling edible oil at nominal price to small consumers.”

“Edible oil is not widely available in small packets or pouches. Consumers with low incomes usually cannot afford to purchase branded products which are sold in 1kg or half-kg packs,” he added.

“Therefore, they go with the purchase in smaller amounts like 100ml or 200ml, which are usually of substandard quality,” the source said.

“In order to reduce the sale of such products, FSSAI will permit the sale of loose edible oil through automated tamper-proof vending machines,” he added.

“Companies or oil manufacturers who own such vending machines can put them up at any food business operators’s (FBO) or retail shop premises following the set standards of quality of edible oil,” the source said.

“To ensure further safety, the sellers need to seal pack the product properly adhering to the packaging and labelling regulations prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, before handing it over to the consumer,” he added.

Welcoming the FSSAI move, Satendra Aggarwal, chief operating officer, Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd, said, “Edible oil is an essential commodity that is required by one and all across social and economic strata.”

“Ruchi Soya has always been sensitive to the needs and requirements of the economically-disadvantaged segment of the population, and the company is already addressing the needs of the daily wagers in rural areas with its 200ml packs,” he added.

“We are glad that FSSAI is now advising a shift to the smaller packs, as this will further address the problems of adulteration and incorrect measures,” Aggarwal said.

Umesh Verma, spokesperson, Puri Oil Mills Limited (which sells mustard oil under the brand name P Mark, said, “It is not a very practical idea, as the edible oil is not a daily consumable item like milk, plus the cost of installing and maintain vending machines would be high.”

“However, small packs of 100 and 200ml are already available in abundance in the nearby grocery stores, so the consumers requiring smaller quantities can also buy packages suiting their needs,” he added.

Verma said, “Although it is a move with good intentions, it’s unclear whether it will be able to hamper the business of unorganised players, as it is about the buying habits and economy, which would be difficult to change, at least initially. Nevertheless, something needs to be done to check the malpractice of adulteration, which is followed by many unorganised players.”