After a crackdown on food additives, the State Food Safety and Drug Administration has now turned its attention towards tackling trans fat in cooking oil, with a focus on improving public health and food safety.
In a video conference, chaired by the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration on Wednesday, key stakeholders, including district officials, hotel and bakery association representatives, RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) agency heads, and members of the Karnataka State Bio-Diesel Development Board, gathered to discuss a multi-pronged strategy.
Hygiene and labelling
The commissioner directed all cooking oil manufacturers to ensure strict hygiene in production, proper labelling per FSSAI norms, and mandatory fortification of cooking oil with Vitamin A and D. Manufacturers were also advised to conduct oil quality analysis every six months to ensure compliance.
U.S. Vishal Rao, oncologist and head and neck surgeon at HCG Cancer Centre, joined the meeting virtually and stressed the importance of using cooking oils with reduced trans fat.
He highlighted the link between trans fat and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer, urging the food industry to adopt healthier practices.
RUCO agency representatives informed the commissioner that 32.68 lakh litres of used cooking oil had been collected during 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Agencies were encouraged to ramp up collection efforts and supply the used oil to authorised bio-diesel units.
Preventing reuse
Strict instructions were issued to hotel and bakery operators to hand over used oil to registered RUCO agencies to prevent its reuse — a practice that poses serious health risks.
The food safety commissioner reiterated the administration’s commitment to building a safer and healthier food ecosystem in Karnataka, with the reduction of trans fat and proper oil disposal emerging as key priorities.