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No reuse of edible oil for more than three times in GB Nagar
Noida: In a bid to curtail trans-fatty acids in food prepared in eateries across the Gautam Budh Nagar, officials of the district food safety department will start
Noida: In a bid to curtail trans-fatty acids in food prepared in eateries across the Gautam Budh Nagar, officials of the district food safety department will start taking action against establishments found using edible oil more than three times for frying purposes. Additionally, officials were instructed to collect from eateries oil which has been used three times to be converted into bio-diesel.
A plant to convert used cooking oil into bio-diesel has been set up in Haryana’s Bawal. It is expected that the biodiesel manufacturing plant in Bawal will convert 100 tonnes of used cooking oil daily into biodiesel.
The plan was finalised on Monday, when Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary Anita Bhatnagar held a meeting with food safety officials from various UP districts. Restaurant, hotel and petrol pump owners were also present in the meeting.
In a decision taken by the Central government some months back, petrol pump owners and petroleum companies were directed to include 5% of bio-diesel in the fuel that they sell, a food safety official said.
“The decision was taken six months back wherein it was decided that no restaurant or hotel will be allowed to reuse cooking oil for more than three times but the plant to convert reused oil into bio-diesel has completed only recently. So, we held a detailed conference in Lucknow on Monday to decide further course of action,” said Sanjay Sharma, food safety officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.
Officials said they are going to survey all eateries in the district and the reused cooking oil they utilise will analysed scientifically to ascertain number of times the oil has been used by the establishment. The survey is to be undertaken between August 20 and 30.
“Big, reputed food chains have been following our instructions on the limit on number of times cooking oil can be reused, but we have to now pay more attention to smaller outlets to ensure no oil is used more than three times. The quality of oil can be checked with its total dissolved solids (TDS). Anybody found using the oil more than three times will face appropriate action under Section 55 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” added Sharma.
Penalty for failure to comply can go up to ₹2 lakh, officials said.
According to officials, the maximum permissible limit of Total Polar Compound (TPC) in edible oil is 25%. Heating cooking oil repeatedly changes its physiochemical and nutrition properties which leads to the formation of TPC, making it unfit for consumption.
Officials expect that around 1,000 litres of reused edible oil can be collected from restaurants and hotels in the district. “We expect that around 1,000 litres can be collected. However, this is only a rough estimate. We can get a clearer picture only after the survey has been completed. Based on the data we collect, we will decide on the procedure of the oil. This collected oil will then be sent to the bio-diesel plant in Haryana,” said Sharma.
