FSSAI increases the validity period in the collection of used cooking oil for biodiesel producers
In a recent development, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an order to extend the enrolment letter validity period to biodiesel producers for collection of used cooking oil (UCO) from Food Business Operators (FBOs).
In this regard, on 30 January 2019, FSSAI released a notification directive conveying the FBOs to maintain edible cooking oil use records if consumption exceeds 50 liters per day. The notification also directed the FBOs to dispose of the UCO to agencies approved by the FSSAI or State departments for food safety.
The apex food regulator has so far provisionally enrolled 17 biodiesel manufacturers to collect UCO from FBOs for one year from the date of enrolment letter via its approved collection agencies. It was decided that the validity period of enrolment of these 17 biodiesel manufacturers should be extended by one year from the date of issue of this order regardless of the validity period of enrolment given earlier.
Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner, Amravati, Maharashtra, explained, "It is an FSSAI initiative that was introduced last year under this plan, under the name of repurpose used cooking oil (RUCO), to prevent adulteration of edible oil, to strip the used oil from the FBOs and make it a raw material for biodiesel. Around 10-11 companies have been approved by the FSSAI to turn reused oil into biodiesel and the FBOs have been directed to keep records of those with capacity greater than 50 liters per day. These companies will collect reused oil from there and convert it to biodiesel for the purpose of extending the dates.
He added, "The excessive reuse of deep-frying cooking oil is a possible health threat and can result in many illnesses. Repeated frying of the cooking oil leads to changes in edible oil's physiochemical, nutritional and sensory properties.
