The Office of the Food Safety Commissioner has banned as many as six brands of coconut oil in Kozhikode district after they were found to be substandard.
P.K. Aleyamma, designated officer for food safety, said in a press release that the stock and sale of the said brands henceforth would be a punishable offence.
The banned brands are ‘Surya’ and ‘Ayilyam’, manufactured by Balakumaran Oil Mill, Tirupur; ‘Cocos Coconut Oil’ made by Sibil Oil Mill, Pookkottur, Malappuram; ‘Malabar Tasty Coconut Oil’ and ‘Kannur Coconut Oil’ made by New Kerala Traders, Uliyil, Kannur, and ‘Kings Rolex Coconut Oil’ manufactured by MKR Oil Industries, Pollachi.
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The officer said that ‘Surabhi’ and ‘Soubhagya’, manufactured by Balakumaran Oil Mill, had been banned earlier in the district. Action is being initiated against the manufacturers of the brands under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
For the record, the office had got several coconut oil manufacturing units closed down in the district over the last few years after their products were found to be substandard.
Now, substandard products from other States are making their entry into Kozhikode, Ms. Aleyamma said, adding that they were aimed at the Onam market, and that consumers should be alert against them.
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The office has also advised consumers not to purchase coconut oil priced below the market rate and to watch out for coconut testa oil and blended vegetable oil.
Coconut testa oil made from refuse of virgin coconut oil is fit for consumption, but it does not share the properties of coconut oil.
Sale of coconut testa oil as original coconut oil is also punishable. Blended vegetable oil that contains only 20% coconut oil is also often passed off as coconut oil, Ms. Aleyamma noted.
While the sale of substandard coconut oil warrants a fine of ₹5 lakh, repeat offenders may lose their licences. Consumers have been asked to call 0495-2720744 if malpractice is noticed.