Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration issued a statewide banning the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil and fats

Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration issued a statewide banning the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil and fats

¨     Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statewide order on 20 August 2026 banning the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil and fats.

¨     The order applies across the edible-oil supply chain, including oil expellers, refiners, blenders, repackers, importers, wholesalers, transporters, retailers and e-commerce platforms.

¨     Edible oil in India is regulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and related food-safety rules.

¨     Packaged edible oil must carry information such as product identity, source details, batch information and expiry date.

¨     Food-safety authorities can take action against unsafe, substandard and misbranded food products.

¨     Under the Maharashtra directive, edible oil can be sold only in sealed and tamper-evident packages.

¨     Every package must carry complete and mandatory labelling.

¨     Multi-sourced vegetable oil packages are restricted to a maximum size of 15 kg under the order.

¨     Loose edible oil refers to oil sold without a sealed retail package or standard label.

¨     Tamper-evident packaging is designed to indicate whether a package has been opened or altered.

¨     Food labelling requirements are important for consumer safety and product traceability.

¨     The order also prohibits the repeated reuse of frying oil in commercial establishments.

¨     Used cooking oil with Total Polar Compounds (TPC) above 25% must be disposed of through authorised collectors.

¨     Total Polar Compounds (TPC) are chemical indicators used to assess the degradation of cooking oil during repeated heating.

¨     The FDA stated that violations can lead to prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

¨     Serious offences can attract imprisonment of up to seven years.

¨     Unsafe food or misleading advertisements can attract a fine of up to ₹10 lakh.

¨     Substandard edible oil can attract a fine of up to ₹5 lakh.

¨     Misbranded edible oil can attract a fine of up to ₹3 lakh.

¨     The order aims to ensure edible-oil quality, strengthen consumer protection and reduce health risks associated with repeatedly heated cooking oil.