H-FAST gives traders 15-day deadline to halt sale of loose edible oil

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) on Sunday, April 26, announced a 15-day deadline to halt the sale of loose edible oil, citing serious health risks and scope for adulteration.

The directive was issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath during an awareness meeting with oil manufacturers, suppliers, and stakeholders at the H-FAST office in Begumbazar.

Traders were asked to immediately transition to properly packaged and sealed products, warning that failure to comply would invite strict legal action.

They were directed to comply with guidelines set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and mandatorily display details, like manufacturing and expiry dates, batch number, FSSAI license number, and the type and grade of oil on the packaging.

Actions such as mixing inferior or recycled substances into the oil will invite stringent action under the Food Safety and Standards Act and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), officials stated.

Traders and manufacturers were also asked to maintain strict hygiene during processing, storage, and transportation.

Citizens were asked to only buy branded and sealed edible oil and to report any instances of loose sale of oil to the authorities.