Key Update 

Under FSSAI’s Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) programme, officials have collected 245 kilolitres of used oil from food businesses in the district over the past four months. Approved aggregators converted this into 192 kilolitres of biodiesel. FSSAI launched RUCO to make food businesses sell used oil to licensed aggregators instead of reusing it for cooking.

Risks of Reusing Oil

“Large restaurants, bakeries, and sweet shops often sell their used oil to smaller operators. Once reheated, the oil’s total polar compounds (TPC) increase, causing oxidative stress and metabolic issues that raise the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Anuradha, the district’s food safety officer. She added that the department enrolled 444 food businesses with RUCO aggregators, including 100 new ones in the last four months. On average, aggregators now collect 42–55 kilolitres of oil per month and send it to biodiesel plants in Dharapuram, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kerala.

From Kitchen Waste to Fuel

Aggregators repurpose the collected oil in different ways. “We buy used oil at a minimum of ₹75 per litre. Most of it becomes biodiesel, which we sell to the Indian Oil Corporation. If the quantity is too small for biodiesel conversion, we export it to Singapore, where it becomes sustainable aviation fuel,” said an official from Geekay Bio Products.

Doctors Warn of Health Impact

Doctors warn that reheating oil triggers chemical reactions that alter its composition. “In the short term, reused oil causes acidity and indigestion. In the long run, it increases the risk of stomach and oesophageal cancer,” a gastroenterologist said.

Source: The Times of India