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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over rampant violations of cooking oil reuse norms. The notice was prompted by a complaint from Bhopal-based NGO Sarthak Samudayik Vikas Evam Jan Kalyan Sanstha. The organization alleged that FSSAI's Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) campaign has failed to stop the practice, especially among small food businesses and street vendors. The NHRC took the complaint seriously and has asked FSSAI to submit state-wise data and an action-taken report within two weeks. We found the allegation to be correct prima facie and understand it to be a nationwide problem that needs to be tackled immediately by the FSSAI and state food regulators in the interest of public health, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo told India Today. The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, amended in 2018, declare cooking oil unfit for consumption when Total Polar Compounds (TPC) exceed 25%. TPCs are toxic substances formed when oils degrade due to repeated heating. Scientific studies have linked high TPC levels in food fried in such oil to chronic health problems like hypertension, Alzheimer's, certain cancers and liver disease, among others. India is one of the world's largest vegetable oil consumers, with an annual consumption of nearly 2,500 crore liters. FSSAI norms require commercial eateries using over 50-liter of oil per day to monitor and document its quality. Once TPC exceeds 25%, such oil must be disposed of through authorized collection agencies. In 2018, FSSAI launched RUCO to support the National Policy on Biofuels by creating a system for collecting used cooking oil and converting it into biodiesel. The policy established an indicative target of 5% biodiesel blending into diesel by 2030. However, the complainant alleged that RUCO has barely reached smaller towns and unorganized sectors. While larger chains follow standards, thousands of small eateries operate without monitoring or awareness of TPC norms.
