A project, Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO), where cooking oil used by food business operators (FOBs) are collected at ₹ 25 a litre by a private company and converted into biodiesel was launched here on Monday.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have launched the project in the country and are being implemented in all the districts.
Collector C. Kathiravan launched the project in the presence of District Revenue Officer S. Kavitha, Designated Food Safety Officer T. Kalaivani and food inspectors and officers. He launched the project with the theme, “Eat Right”, and handed over cheques to FBOs for procurement of the used oil.
Officials said that oil is widely used in hotels, snack and sweet making units, eateries and other establishments for preparing food. Most of the used cooking oil was dumped in drains or reused again for preparing food which causes health issues. Hence, to prevent the oil from being reused and encourage FBOs to sell the used oil, the project was launched in the district. Initially, 1,020 litre of cooking oil will be procured everyday from 50 FBOs and spot payment will be made to them. They were given storage containers and it will be transported by the company to its plant, located at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.
Mrs. Kalaivani told The Hindu that the department is planning to launch “Oil Bank” centres in the district where oil used by small eateries and units will be purchased and spot payments will be made. “These units will generate one to two litre of used cooking oil everyday and the centres will serve as collection point,” she added.