To prevent quantity-related frauds in cooking oil, Govt frames packaging rules
Premium- Edible oil manufacturers/packers/importers are mandated to declare the net quantity of the cooking oil in volume without temperature
The Central government revised rules related to the packaging of cooking oil on Thursday. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, all edible oil manufacturers/packers/importers are mandated to declare the net quantity of the cooking oil in volume without temperature in addition to declaring the same in weight.
It must be noted that the weight of edible oil is different at different temperatures.
The department of Consumer Affairs has also advised companies and importers to correct their labeling of declaring net quantity in the units of volume without mentioning temperature with the weight of the product.
Under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 it is mandatory to declare the net quantity in terms of standard units of weight or measure apart from other declarations on all pre-packaged commodities in the interest of consumers.
The Ministry noted that the vegetable oil manufacturing companies are declaring the quantity in volume mentioning the temperature at the time of packing along with the units of mass. Few manufacturers were depicting the temperature as high as 600 degrees Celsius, it said.
" It has been observed that such declaration of net quantity of edible oil, vanaspati ghee etc. in terms of volume keeping the volume fixed (for example 1 litre) at different temperatures with mass, which differs when the packaging mentions a higher temperature. The weight of soybean edible oil may be different at different temperatures keeping the volume one litre," the ministry noted.
Hence, the Centre directed edible oil manufacturers/packers/ importers to pack the products without mentioning temperature and to ensure that the quantity declared on the package in volume and mass should be correct so that consumers can get the correct quantity in the package at the time of purchase
The central ministry highlighted how the change in temperature causes weight changes:
- 21 degrees C 919.1g
- 30 degrees C 912g
- 40 degrees C 906.2g
- 50 degrees C 899.4g
- 60 degrees C 892.6g
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