Lok Sabha Question No. 4320 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Use of Palm Oil
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Dr. Anand Kumar

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4320

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18TII MARCH, 2026

## USE OF PALM OIL

## t4320.  DR. ANAND KUMAR:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to  state:

- (a): whether the Government is  aware of the extensive use of palm oil  in various food products  including  bakery  items  and it is a fact that palm  oil  is harmful  to health  and is subject to partial bans in several developing countries;
- (b): if  so, the total  availability  and estimated consumption of palm  oil  in the country;
- (c): whether any study has been conducted on the health impacts of palm  oil consumption and if  so, the major  findings  thereof;  and
- (d): the steps being taken by the Government to ensure the quality, safety and proper labelling  of  palm  oil  in food processing cosmetics, biofuels and to  encourage healthy and sustainable alternatives?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a) &  (d): FSS AI  has notified Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives)  Regulation, 2011 which  specifies the Food Products standards of various food products including  bakery items. Sub regulation 2.2 of the aforementioned regulation specifies food product standards for Fats, oils and Fat emulsions including edible oils to be used in food wherein Palm oil is a standardized product under Sub-regulation 2.2.1(19).

Further, Palm oil  being a standardized edible oil  is permitted in the food items like bakery items as edible oil  ingredient as per Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.

The sub regulation 5(2)(d) of Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, specified that " A  specific name shall be used for ingredients in the list  of ingredients" and for ingredients falling  in the class name 'Edible vegetable  oil'  shall give the name of the specific edible oil  such as mustard oil, groundnut oil, etc.

In addition, the  sub-regulation 5(1)  of  the  said  Regulations  prescribes  the  requirement wherein it is mentioned that 'every package of food shall carry name of the food which  indicate the true nature of the food contained in the package'

FSS AI  has also established a network  of food testing laboratories across India for  the analysis of food to  ensure the compliance with  the quality and safety standards. FSS AI  has notified 246 NABL-accredited laboratories to  carry out  testing of  food samples. There are 24 Referral Food Laboratories for  the analysis of appellate samples. These labs serve as appellate laboratories when there is a dispute or appeal regarding test results from primary labs.

Further, the FSS AI  has also published a comprehensive  set of resources for  food safety and analysis,  including  manuals  on Methods of Analysis of various Foods commodities such as Oils and Fats

However, The State Food Safety Authorities  are primarily  responsible for  enforcement and implementation of  Food Safety and Standards Act,  2006 at the field  level. Regular surveillance drives, monitoring,  regulatory inspection and random sampling of  various food products including bakery items are conducted  throughout the year by the officials  of  Food Safety Departments of  the respective States/UTs to  check compliance with  the  quality  and safety parameters and other requirements as laid  down under Food Safety and Standards Act,  2006, and Regulations made thereunder.

Any  Food Business Operators (FBOs) found in contravention of  the provisions of  the FSS Act, 2006, and Regulations made thereunder will  face penal actions as per the provisions outlined in Chapter IX  (Offences and Penalties) of the FSS Act,  2006.

(b): Total availability and estimated consumption of palm oil  in the country are annexed in annexure-I

- (c): Human metabolic studies conducted at ICMR-NIN  demonstrated that, in a cereal based diet containing 30% total  fat calories and low  cholesterol, palmolein (liquid  fraction of  palm oil)  is comparable to  groundnut oil  and does not  induce hypercholesterolernia. Meta analysis of  several clinical trials conducted from  1975 to 2018 also showed that, compared to other commonly consumed vegetable oils,  palmolein  consumption did  not  alter  total  cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides,  or the total cholesterol/HDL ratio.

SeSeSc  SeqeSq

## Annexure-I

## Total  Availability / Consumption of Palm Oil in the country  (LIWT)

| 2024-25 (Oil Year, Nov - Oct)   | Import B   |   Net Availability/ Consumption (A + B) |
|---------------------------------|------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Crude Palm Oil                  | 64.66      |                                   68.56 |
| RBD Palmolein                   | 10.51      |                                   10.51 |
| Total                           | Total      |                                   79.07 |

Source - DSVO, DGCIS