From Frying Pan to Fuel Tank: Tackling Used Cooking Oil for Food Safety and Sustainability
India must tackle health risks of reused cooking oil by boosting regulation, tech-driven enforcement, and public awareness to ensure safety and biofuel use.
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India faces a critical challenge with used cooking oil (UCO), which poses significant health and environmental risks. Despite well-documented dangers, including links to cancer and cardiovascular diseases from repeatedly reused oil, regulation and enforcement remain weak. As Food Safety Day 2025 highlights the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action,” India must urgently strengthen policies and public awareness to safeguard health and support sustainable biofuel use.
A 2022 study revealed that nearly 60% of UCO in Indian cities re-enters the food chain, often through unauthorized resale or reuse in eateries. Though the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) initially set strict limits on oil reuse, enforcement gaps and exemptions for smaller food businesses leave millions vulnerable. The 2018 RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative aims to promote safe disposal and biofuel production, yet challenges like limited infrastructure and weak incentives hinder progress.
States like Kerala have begun fining violators, and cities such as Chennai demonstrate successful municipal coordination. Scientific advances, including portable ‘electronic noses’ and ‘tongues,’ now offer real-time testing for oil quality, with research labs like CFTRI pioneering these technologies. Scaling these tools nationally—through government support and public-private partnerships—could revolutionize enforcement and consumer safety.
India produces nearly 3 million tonnes of UCO annually, presenting a valuable resource for biodiesel under the National Policy on Biofuels. However, informal markets and poor collection systems limit its use, causing environmental pollution from improper disposal and threatening green energy production.
To address this multifaceted issue, India must:
- Expand regulations to cover all food businesses, incentivizing proper disposal among small eateries;
- Empower enforcement agencies with modern technology and decentralized monitoring;
- Elevate public awareness through campaigns like FSSAI’s Eat Right India, emphasizing the health risks of reused oil.
As Food Safety Day urges, India’s approach to UCO—from kitchen waste to fuel—needs to be smarter, safer, and more circular. A combined effort in regulation, innovation, and awareness is vital to protect public health and advance sustainable energy goals.
