The Department of Consumer Affairs is examining the possibility of introducing standard pack sizes for edible oils under the Legal Metrology framework after receiving suggestions from industry associations representing nearly 90 per cent of the country’s edible oil sector.
A meeting, chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs was held with representatives of major edible oil industry associations to discuss concerns regarding the increasing number of package sizes available in the market and the resulting difficulties consumers face in comparing prices across products, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said.
During the meeting, industry representatives pointed out that edible oils are currently sold in several package quantities such as 650 g, 700 g, 810 g, 850 g and 870 g. They stated that similar-looking packs with different quantities can potentially mislead consumers trying to compare prices and make informed choices. The Department jointly discussed introducing standard pack sizes for major edible oils.
Representatives from the Indian Vegetable Producers Association (IVPA), Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA), Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA), Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT) and Mustard Oil Producers Association (MOPA) participated in the meeting. The associations informed that they collectively represent around 90 per cent of the edible oil sector in the country.
To address the issue, the Department and industry representatives jointly discussed introducing standardised pack sizes for major edible oils. The proposed pack sizes include 200 ml, 500 ml, 1 litre, 2 litres, 3 litres, 4 litres, 5 litres, 15 litres/15 kg, and 20 litres/20 kg.
The associations suggested that the standardisation framework should cover major edible oils such as palm oil/palm olein, soybean oil, sunflower oil, mustard/rapeseed oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, and blended edible oils.
At the meeting, it was clarified that any such requirement, if introduced, would apply equally to both domestically manufactured and imported edible oils.