The FSSAI has issued an order dated 8 November 2018 regarding the requirement for manufacturing and expiry dates with regard to “Crude Oils” (edible grade) because the FSSAI has received representations from various stakeholders regarding the exemption of the same.
Various stakeholders have been sending representations to the FSSAI with regard to exemption from declaring the date of manufacture and expiry on crude oil (food grade) as crude oil is not meant for human consumption. Crude oil only becomes fit for human consumption on further refining and the industry is already adhering to packaging and labelling requirements including the manufacturing and best before date, whenever crude oil is refined and becomes fit for human consumption.
The FSSAI has examined the matter and it has been decided that while the declaration of the
- expiry date on crude oil could be done on a voluntary basis
- manufacturing date shall be mandatory for domestic and imported crude oils (food grade).
This will ensure the safety of crude oils especially since they can be stored for the indefinite time and there is the possibility that secondary oxidation could take place and that would contaminate the oil.
About Oil Oxidation
Oxidative stability is an important factor that determines the shelf life and quality of the edible oil. Oils are said to have oxidative stability when they resist oxidation during processing and storage. If the oils become off-flavoured they make oil less acceptable or unacceptable to consumers or for industrial use as a food ingredient. Oxidation of oil also destroys essential fatty acids and produces toxic compounds and oxidized polymers. Oxidation of oil has an effect on palatability, nutritional quality, and toxicity of edible oils. Different chemical mechanisms, autoxidation, and photosensitized oxidation are responsible for the oxidation of edible oils during processing and storage, depending upon the types of oxygen. Edible oil is oxidized during processing and storage via autoxidation and photosensitized oxidation, in which triplet oxygen (3O2) and singlet oxygen (1O2) react with the oil, respectively. Autoxidation of oil is accelerated by the presence of free fatty acids, mono- and diacylglycerols, metals such as iron, and thermally oxidized compounds. Temperature, light, oxygen concentration, oil processing, and fatty acid composition also affect the oxidative stability of the edible oil.
Anil says
How can declaring shelf life for domestic crude oil? its part of packaging regulation