The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in a recent development, has issued an order for extension of validity period of enrolment letter to biodiesel manufacturers for collection of used cooking oil (UCO) from Food Business Operators (FBOs).
In this regard, FSSAI had issued a notification direction on January 30, 2019, conveying the FBOs to maintain usage records of edible cooking oil, if the consumption exceeds 50 litre per day. The notification also directed the FBOs to dispose of the UCO to agencies authorised by the FSSAI or the state food safety departments.
The apex food regulator has so far enrolled 17 biodiesel manufacturers for collection of UCO from FBOs through its authorised collection agencies provisionally for one year from the date of enrolment letter.
It has been decided to extend the validity period of enrolment of these 17 biodiesel manufacturers by one year from the date of issue of this order irrespective of validity period of enrolment given earlier.
Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner, Amravati, Maharashtra, explained, “It is a programme of FSSAI that has been launched last year, under the name of repurpose used cooking oil (RUCO), under this programme, to avoid the adulteration of edible oil, to remove the used oil from the FBOs to make it as a raw material for biodiesel. The FSSAI has authorised about 10-11 companies who convert reused oil into biodiesel and the FBOs have been directed to maintain the records of those who have capacity exceeding 50 litre per day. These companies will collect reused oil from there and they will convert it into biodiesel for that purpose they have extended the dates”.
He added, “The prolonged reuse of cooking oil for deep-frying is a potential health hazard and can lead to many diseases. The repeated frying of cooking oil leads to changes in physiochemical, nutritional and sensory properties of edible oil.”