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Adulteration hits vanaspati ghee industry
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Thursday, 09 April, 2009, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Rs 5,000-crore vanaspati ghee industry is facing an enemy within. Refined farm stearin, a non-edible by-product of crude palm oil, is being used as an adulterant in cheap vanaspati, denting the business of genuine manufacturers. According to a report in The Economic Times, a senior official at the Directorate of Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) confirmed that regulations did not permit the use of stearin in the making of vanaspati ghee. Stearin is largely used in the manufacture of soaps. However, soap manufacturers prefer imported stearin or palm fatty acid which is cheaper. This has caused domestic producers of stearin to divert their product for edible purposes into the vanaspati ghee industry.
The practice is also being patronised by some large stearin manufacturers who pass off stearin labeled as crude palm oil to these units. These manufacturers either mix stearin with edible oil to bring down the melting point or directly pack and sell it as vanaspati, according to Adhiraj Sarin, MD Bunge India, manufacturer of the famous Dalda brand of vanaspati ghee.
According bto rough estimates by the industry, genuine vanaspati ia about Rs 13 per kg more expensive than adulterated vanaspati. This is making life difficult for those who follow the law," says Siraj Chaudhry, MD (refined oils) Cargill.
The adulterated vanaspati is being widely sold in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and West Bengal. The adulterated version of the vanaspati has a melting point that is much higher than the mandated 41 degrees by PFA. "Perhaps over 90% of vanaspati being sold in the market violates melting point specifications of PFA. This is a huge problem and is affecting the genuine manufacturers of vanaspati," says Sarin.
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