The Russia-Ukraine war has driven up the price of edible oil in India. Suspecting that the price rise may lead to sale of adulterated or substandard edible oil, Telangana Food Safety Authority teams conducted checks at oil manufacturing units, packaging units and retail stores in the State, and collected 98 samples.
C. Sivaleela, director of the Food Safety department, which comes under Institute of Preventive Medicine, said that their teams collected edible oil samples over three days and those have been sent to the State Food Laboratory in Nacharam.
The tests are conducted to determine the acid value of oil and nature of oil among other factors. The acid value increases with age of oil. This factor is being tested based on suspicion that old oil is being packed and sold as new product.
The nature of oil is checked to find out if any oil other than those mentioned on the label has been mixed. The lab analysis will also show if the oil mentioned on the label matches the contents inside the packet.
Senior scientific officer at the State Food Laboratory, G. Laxmi Narayana Reddy said it takes 14 days to receive results. “We received the samples a few days ago. Reports will be available in 10-12 days,” said Dr. Laxmi Narayana.
“The MRP of a litre of sunflower oil was ₹155. Now the price has shot up to around ₹200,” said P. Sunil Kumar, a consumer.
Dr Sivaleela said their teams have been checking the quality of various food products. Anything that is consumed comes under the category of food — milk, bread, cake, raw materials like pulses, and fruit juices. Even packaged water and alcoholic beverages fall under the category of food.
