The Times of India (25/10/2018) - Pune: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials on Thursday seized huge stock of edible oil, approximately worth Rs 80 lakh, on suspicion of adulteration from eight wholesalers in Market Yard.
The seizure in the run-up to Diwali also had stock of hydrogenated vegetable oil, popularly called “vanaspati”, imported from Sri Lanka.

“We got to know through our intelligence network that huge quantity of super olein has reached the city’s market. This form of palm oil is largely used by unscrupulous people for mixing with edible oil such as soybean, groundnut and mustard oil,” said S M Deshmukh, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.

“We have collected over 40 samples of the seized oil stock. It includes the stock of Sri Lankan vanasapti. We will send these samples to laboratory for tests,” he added. The seized stock of edible oil reached Pune from Gujarat and adjoining areas such as Thane and Latur.

Palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature and its liquid portion could be physically separated from the solid part by fractionation. After fractionation, the liquid portion is called palm olein, which is commonly sold as cooking oil.

The solid fat portion is called “palm stearin” and it is commonly used to formulate trans-free fats such as margarine and vegetable ghee. Sometimes, palm olein is further fractionated to a more liquid fraction called super palm olein.

“Super olein is cheap and colourless. It can be easily mixed with other edible oil to raise the volume and earn quick money. The demand for groundnut, soybean and mustard oil goes up ahead of and during Diwali,” Deshmukh said.

Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/fda-seizes-edible-oil-worth-rs-80-lakh-from-market-yard/articleshow/66369034.cms