More than half of cooking oil gets reused in India; experts say not great idea

Hyderabad: An Indian kitchen is incomplete without oil, which is used in the preparation of almost all dishes. We use it for sautéing, for the tadka, and for deep frying mouth-watering pakoras, bondas, bajjis, and vadas. However, the way we use cooking oil has not been ideal.

Reusing the cooking oil at households and quick-serve restaurants for frying up menu items such as French fries is very common. But, have you ever thought about how safe this practice is?

Consumption of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) which is the leftover oil from frying has been found to cause several serious health conditions including cancer, heart disease, and organ damage.

A recent survey report has revealed that about 60 per cent of the used cooking oil generated in India makes its way back into the food stream. The study, carried out by the Observer Research Foundation, Koan Advisory Group, and Neste, found that despite food safety regulations outlawing the consumption of UCO in any form, more than half of it is being reused.

The report says that small establishments and street vendors across metros utilize UCO till the last drop.

It adds that there is a need for greater collaboration between government food safety authorities, networks of doctors, nutritionists and experts, and private sector organizations to create a regulatory and policy framework that drives responsible behavioral change and consumer awareness.