Report

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently seized about 280 kg of sweets and savoury items valued at Rs 72,000 for violating food safety standards in Coimbatore. FSSAI officials warned consumers to be cautious when buying sweets and savoury items for Deepavali, as some manufacturers recycle used cooking oil from sweet production into savoury products.

K Tamilselvan, the designated FSSAI officer, reported that over the past week, the department inspected approximately 344 retail and wholesale establishments. During these inspections, officials confiscated around 784 litres of used cooking oil stored at manufacturing facilities for sweets and savoury items throughout the district.

Reuse of Cooking Oil Raises Concerns

“FSSAI guidelines typically dictate that used cooking oil should be repurposed for non-consumable uses,” Tamilselvan explained. “However, some manufacturers are recycling this oil to prepare both sweets and savoury foods. We identified this practice in several facilities and promptly confiscated and destroyed the affected food and oil products.”

He noted that many manufacturers use recycled oil for savoury items, as it can be hard to detect. However, this practice is less feasible for sweets due to their varied colours. “We urge consumers to be cautious and consider these practices when purchasing sweets and savoury items this holiday season,” he added.

Among the 280 kg of seized goods, officials identified multiple violations, including improper labelling, unsanitary practices, and excessive use of artificial colouring. FSSAI collected samples from 45 locations for laboratory testing and issued notices to 21 establishments for these infractions.

Source: The New Indian Express