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Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to launch a dedicated traceability application to monitor the collection, sale, and disposal of used cooking oil (UCO). The new digital system will be mandatory for all stakeholders, including manufacturers, wholesalers, and food business operators (FBOs). Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader announced that the application is scheduled for completion within three months.
The initiative will debut as a pilot project in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi before a state-wide expansion. The system is designed to record oil manufacturing data, identify buyers and wholesalers, and maintain a rigorous log of used oil movements once it leaves commercial kitchens.
Minister Khader emphasized that the primary goal is to disrupt informal resale networks that allow repeatedly reheated oil to re-enter the food chain. He noted that larger establishments often sell their waste oil to smaller vendors seeking lower costs. The health risks are significant, as oil with total polar compounds (TPC) exceeding the 25% threshold is legally unfit for human consumption.
Under the new regulatory framework, hotels, restaurants, and bakeries must document their monthly oil purchases and the specific volumes of waste oil handed over. Disposal will be strictly limited to agencies authorized under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) program.
Furthermore, the department will mandate that establishments surrender a minimum of 10-15% of their monthly cooking oil purchases to authorized collectors. For instance, a business purchasing 300 litres of oil per month would be required to provide between 30 and 45 litres of UCO for processing. Since 2022, Karnataka has already recovered over 9.1 million litres of waste oil from commercial operators.
The state plans to extend collection to the household level through door-to-door pickups, similar to municipal waste management. According to government officials, the collected UCO will be repurposed for the production of biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and lamp oil. Additionally, the state is in discussions with central authorities to seek relaxations in FSSAI export regulations concerning cooking oil.
Source: urbanacres.in