Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Maharashtra FDA Warns Against Loose Oil, Intensifies Safety Crackdown
Maharashtra’s food safety chief told people not to buy cooking oil sold loose or in unsealed containers.
He said this oil may be unsafe because nobody can easily check where it came from.
It may also be mixed with other substances or stored improperly.
Loose oil usually does not show important information such as batch numbers and expiry dates.
People who buy packaged oil should check its label, dates, seal, and condition.
They should avoid oil packed in old or reused containers.
The FDA has started stronger inspections of businesses involved in making and selling oil.
Last year, officials tested 1,247 oil samples and found that some were substandard, unsafe, or misbranded.
Reports differ on whether the maximum prison term for violations is seven years or life imprisonment.
Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe urged consumers across Maharashtra to avoid loose or unsealed edible oil.
The FDA cited adulteration, unsafe packaging, and improper storage and transportation as concerns.
Loose oil often lacks batch numbers, source details, labels, and manufacturing or expiry dates, making it difficult to trace.
The FDA issued a compliance order and expanded enforcement across the edible-oil supply chain.
Of 1,247 samples tested last year, 1,142 met standards, while 77 were substandard, 13 unsafe, and 15 misbranded.
- Who
- Tukaram Mundhe, commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration, along with food businesses, consumers, and enforcement authorities.
- What
- The Maharashtra FDA warned consumers against loose or unsealed edible oil and announced stronger enforcement and a compliance order for the sector.
- When
- Thursday, August 20; Mundhe said the intensified campaign began after he took charge in May.
- Where
- Across Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- Officials said loose or unsealed oil may be adulterated, improperly stored or transported, and difficult to trace because it lacks source and batch information.
- FDA commissioner
- Tukaram Mundhe
- State campaign
- Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra
- Compliance action
- A compliance order was issued for the edible-oil sector after violations, including adulteration, were detected.
- Samples tested
- 1,247 edible-oil samples were tested last year.
- Sample findings
- 1,142 met standards; 77 were substandard, 13 unsafe, and 15 misbranded.
- Stock examined
- 320,781 kilograms of edible oil valued at ₹5.31 crore was examined.
- Reported penalties
- Reports cite fines of up to ₹10 lakh and imprisonment of up to seven years in one account, while another mentions possible life imprisonment; substandard oil may attract a fine of up to ₹5 lakh.
