Government has lifted the ban on use of rapeseed/mustard expeller in the manufacture of vanaspati but has restricted its usage to 20 per cent, official sources said."An order lifting the ban on use of mustard oil was issued earlier this week. But a restriction of 20 per cent has been placed on use of expeller mustard," joint secretary, department of sugar and edible oils Sushama Nath said.Government had banned use of rapeseed/mustard in the manufacture of vanaspati on September 11 following reports of adulterated vanaspati being sold in the market.The order was issued by the vegetable oil products controller for India under the vegetable oil products control order, 1947.The decision to permit use of expeller mustard in vansapati is part of confidence-building measures, the government is undertaking to restore the confidence of farmers and consumers, she said.
Manufacturers, however, will have to mandatorily display a label indicating the content of the product specially mentioning that the product hasbeen tested and found to be free from argemone oil, mixing of which in mustard oil had led to dropsy deaths of nearly 60 people in September.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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