Maharashtra FDA Issues 14-Point Order Banning Loose Oil and Reused Cooking Oil
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a 14-point statewide compliance order to prohibit the sale of loose edible oil and prevent used cooking oil from re-entering the food chain, Food Safety Commissioner and FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced in Mumbai.
The regulatory directive, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, applies across the edible oil supply chain, including manufacturers, refiners, wholesalers, retailers, eateries, premium hotels, and e-commerce sellers. The action comes amid concerns that commercial establishments are repeatedly reusing frying oil and supplying discarded oil to street food vendors.
Under the new guidelines, the sale of unpackaged or loose edible oil is strictly prohibited. All edible oil must now be distributed and sold in sealed, properly labelled, and tamper-evident packaging. Wholesalers and manufacturers dispatching loose oil will be treated as primary violators, while retailers are required to reject unsealed or compromised consignments.
The FDA has also imposed strict limits on oil quality. Food establishments cannot use cooking oil with Total Polar Compounds (TPC) exceeding 25 percent, while fresh oil cannot exceed 15 percent TPC. Establishments are mandated to surrender discarded cooking oil exclusively to authorised Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) collectors.
Additionally, the order bans refilling edible oil into rusted, cracked, or previously used tins, especially containers that previously held paints, chemicals, mineral oil, or lubricants. Multi-sourced edible oils must be sold in sealed containers up to 15 kg bearing AGMARK certification, while mustard oil must remain 100 percent pure. The authority stated it would increase surveillance for argemone adulteration during and after the monsoon.
The directive follows FDA testing data from 2025-26, during which 1,247 edible oil samples were tested across Maharashtra. Out of these, 1,142 conformed to safety standards, while 77 were found substandard, 15 were misbranded, and 13 were declared unsafe.
Violators face severe consequences, including imprisonment, licence suspension or cancellation, and fines of up to Rs 10 lakh. Substandard and misbranded products can attract separate penalties of up to Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.
“Malpractices that play with the health of citizens will not be tolerated in Maharashtra. Honest business operators will find full protection under this order,” Mundhe said.
