The Department of Food Safety, Kerala, recently conducted inspection of branded coconut oils wherin 74 of them were found to be either misbranded or substandard. The brands have been banned.

In this regard, Anand Singh, Food Safety Commissioner, Kerala, in an order, has banned the storage, distribution and sale of products of any of the 74 brands. 

"In order to protect consumer interest, the manufacture, storage, sales and distribution of the coconut oil brands are prohibited with immediate effect," stated Singh.

According to him, the food safety department deployed 38 special squads to check if any adulterated oils were on sale as part of ongoing festive season. The results of the samples collected proved that they were of sub-standard quality.

Singh added, "Adulteration of food not only decreases the quality of food products but can also lead to a number of ill-effects on human health. The inspection was undertaken as a precautionary step in the state."

Out of the 74 samples collected, four were misbranded and remaining 70 were of substandard quality. Some of the banned brands include Kera Premium Gold (Jithu Oil Mills), Kerala 3 in 1 (Jithu Oil Mills), Parimritham (Jithu Oil Mills), Kera Grace (Sri Murugan Traders), KKD Parishudam (Parisudhan Oils), Brilliant Grade One (AJ & Sons), K S Kerasugandhi (Indian Agencies), Kera Proudy (Bej Traders), Kera Priyam (Bej Traders), Golden Drops (Bej Traders), Kairali Drops Live (Bej Traders), Kerala Cook (Bej Traders), Kera Hira (Bej Traders), Nalikera (St Mary’s Oil Traders), Kera Swadisht (Liya Trading Company), Kitchen Tasty (Kairaly Oil Mills), Kera Sulabha (Pulary Coconut Oil), and Kera Farm (V V Traders).

Under Section 52 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, "Any person who whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf manufactures for sale or stores or sells or distributes or imports any article of food for human consumption which is misbranded, shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to three lakh rupees or the adjudicating officer may issue a direction to a person found guilty of an offence under this section, for taking corrective action to rectify the mistake or such article of food shall be destroyed."

As for the future, a food safety official stated, "The department plans to take strict action against repeat violators."