Govt Mandates Standard Edible Oil Pack Sizes for Consumers

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The Department of Consumer Affairs has prescribed standard pack sizes for edible oils under the Legal Metrology framework, a move aimed at helping consumers compare prices across brands and make informed purchasing decisions.

The department has amended its Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for determination of net quantity and standard pack sizes of edible oils and fats, giving manufacturers, packers and importers a three-month transition period to comply with the new norms, an official statement said.

The revised SoP prescribes nine standard pack sizes - 200 ml/g, 500 ml/g, 1 litre/kg, 2 litre/kg, 3 litre/kg, 4 litre/kg, 5 litre/kg, 15 litre/kg and 20 litre/kg-for major edible oils including palm, soybean, sunflower, mustard, groundnut, sesame, rice bran, cottonseed and corn oil, as well as blended edible oils.

The decision follows extensive consultations with major edible oil industry associations representing nearly 90 per cent of the country's edible oil sector.

Under the new norms, if the quantity of edible oil is shown in volume, the package must also clearly mention the equivalent weight as per the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.

The provisions will apply to both domestically manufactured and imported edible oils.

Packages below 200 ml or 200 grams and minor edible oils have been exempted from the standard pack size requirement to ensure continued availability of affordable small packs.

Businesses wishing to adopt the standard pack sizes ahead of the deadline may do so immediately, the department said.

Sudhakar Desai, President of the Indian Vegetable oil Producers' Association (IVPA) welcomed the move and said, "This move will restore structural sanity to retail shelves and level the playing field."

"While the non-standardisation was done to give freedom to the industry, for over three years, this practice has distorted the market leading to proliferation of such packs creating widespread confusion in the marketplace," he added.