Report

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to determine whether a significant variation in natural essential oil levels in mustard oil samples qualifies as adulteration requiring legal action.

Nagpur Lab Findings Under Review

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel instructed the FSSAI Director of Enforcement to examine a January 3 report from Nagpur’s Central AGMARK Laboratory. The court seeks clarification on whether the deviation in essential oil content constitutes adulteration under the Food Safety and Standards Act. In December last year, officials sent mustard oil samples to the Nagpur laboratory due to inadequate local testing facilities. During Thursday’s hearing, the court reviewed the January 3 analytical report for three mustard oil samples. Ashish Mukherjee, Director of Laboratories in Faridabad, attended the hearing and clarified the test results.

Court Flags Low Essential Oil Content

The bench noted that while other parameters remained within permissible limits, the natural essential oil content was significantly lower than the accepted standards for Grade I and II mustard oils. Consequently, the court instructed authorities to forward the report and order to the FSSAI Director of Enforcement for further evaluation. The next hearing is scheduled for April 30.

Legal Action Stems from Consumer Complaints

The case originates from the court’s suo motu action in October last year, following numerous complaints about mustard oil adulteration. The Supreme Court had directed the Registrar General to collect samples from three well-known brands and submit them for testing. Initially, officials tested the samples at the Regional AGMARK Laboratory in Amritsar. However, due to the lab’s limitations in detecting adulterants, they later sent the samples to Nagpur. Concerns over mustard oil quality intensified after consumers reported that manufacturers were blending it with other oils, raising food safety and regulatory compliance issues.

Source: The Times of India