‘Adulterated cooking oil can be life-threatening’

Dr Radha K, a general practitioner, stated that adulterated oil not only causes allergies and increases cholesterol, but also gives impetus to deadly diseases such as cancer, paralysis, liver damage and cardiac arrest.  

Stating that the situation is grave, especially in the sale of oil not being monitored, Dr Radha K said, “The slightest of adulteration can cause irritation or burns, which may not seem like a big deal in the moment, but can have harsh effects in the long run as the skin is among the body’s most sensitive parts.”

She added that when people fall sick, no one really considers to link the illness with the oil they may have consumed as part of their food. “The reason for a large number of health problems is the food we consume, and it is not always about the quality of meat or vegetables but the quality of the oil the food is cooked in,” she said.

In a recent study conducted by Consumer Voice, a consumer organisation, it was found that adulteration is present in 85 per cent of edible oils sold across 15 states in India. The study revealed that the adulteration was found in eight major varieties of oil namely mustard, sesame, coconut, sunflower, palmolein, soya bean, groundnut and cottonseed. It also highlighted that in the samples tested, coconut oil was the most adulterated of the lot, with 85 per cent adulteration.

“Consumers need to be more cautious when buying products and must go beyond merely reading the labels. We normally do not bother checking the purity of the oil we purchase. Studies have proved that loose oil is contaminated and has adverse effects on the body, and can prove to be life threatening in the long run,” said a health expert.

Stating that it is essential for consumers to buy only 100 per cent pure branded coconut oil with an approved seal from Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and trust well-known brands which have been selling only pure coconut oil for a long time, she said, “As per Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations 2011), no person is allowed to sell, expose to sale, distribute, offer for a sale, dispatch or deliver to anyone, edible oils in loose form. However, there are a number of shops selling packets without any seal and they continue to go unnoticed due to the lack of awareness about the ill-effects of adulterated cooking oils.”