The recent ban of 74 coconut oil brands for adulteration is shocking. After this ban spree, a total of 166 coconut oil brands are now banned in Kerala. The Food Safety Authority have made the names of recently banned oils public. But the public will still find it difficult to choose between good and adulterated products in the market. It would have been much easier for the public if the authority had revealed the names of edible oils available. There is no assurance that these banned oils won’t return to the market under new names. This has happened before.

Food Safety Authority conducted a testing spree on oils in the light of upcoming Christmas day. Tests revealed that most of the main oil choices in the industry was impure. These oils were mostly produced in our neighbouring states. Quality is so poor; actual content of coconut oil in these were low. Adulterated oils primarily contains chemicals, which is equally bad as poison. People who buy these are unaware of such things.

Kerala is also known for coconuts. Coconut oils are always the default choice in every household since ages. Change in production style also paved way for adulteration. Several fraudulent companies started producing these oils and there were no restrictions. The hike in coconut oil prices proved to be a boon for these people.

When good companies charged Rs 200 and above for a litre of coconut oil, adulterated oils cost much less. Consumers who are after profit never realized this. Cost to produce adulterated oils are not even half of original. Thus companies made profits over Rs 100 by selling one litre of adulterated oil. The profits motivated more companies to start this business. There is no fixed system to check the quality of edible oils. It is the job of the Food Safety Authority to make sure of the quality of food products. Irregular checking won’t serve their purpose. The authority which is strict with other products, is somehow ignorant towards oil products. Quality check is much stricter for a packaged drinking water brand compared to oil brands. To overcome this situation, Food Safety Authority should be able to conduct frequent checking on the products in the market. Coconut oils from our neighbouring states should undergo stringent tests. This will create a sense of fright in oil manufacturers. Quality assurance stamp on coconut oils can limit the influx of adulterated oils. Consumers should also take a pledge that they will only use quality products. Seized oil mills under public sector should be reopened for production. Coconut oil produced in this way should be sold at a nominal rate.