The Centre for Science and Environment, a non-government organisation, in its latest study has revealed that all edible oils available in India are not healthy due to their higher percentage of trans fat that could lead to heart disease and diabetes.
Revealing its latest study, CSE stated that NGO’s laboratory had tested 30 samples of branded oil comprising seven brands of vanaspati, 21 brands of different vegetable oils (soybean, sunflower, groundnut, mustard, coconut, olive, sesame and palm); desi ghee and Amul butter, and found five to 12 times higher percentage of trans fat level in all tested oils/ fats as against the international standard set by Denmark.
Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that is produced during the hydrogenation – a process in which hydrogen is added in the unsaturated oils in the presence of catalyst – of vegetable oils for raising shelf life. It is a dangerous substance that leads the risk of cardiovascular disease due to reducing good cholesterol and rising bad cholesterol. Moreover, it is also responsible for increasing the risk of diabetes, cancer and infertility in women.
The highest percentage of trans fat was found in vanaspati followed by vegetable oils while surprisingly 5.3% of trans fat was found in desi ghee and 3.7% of killer substance was found in Amul butter. The lowest level of trans fat (within 1%) was found in mustard oil brands.
‘The study found that if all oils are compared against Denmark standard, then no edible oil in the market could claim to be healthy,’ said Sunita Narain, Director of CSE.
The food regulators in India had accepted the risk of trans fat few years ago, even though they were not serious to take strict measures except mandatory labelling the ratio of trans fat on the container, which was easily being manipulated by the manufacturing companies by giving composition in a range that is hard to recognise the rate of risk. For instance, Rath vanaspati labels 8-33% of trans fat that is four to 16 times higher than the Danish standard, added Sunita.
‘It is like playing with the health of citizens. We want the government to set some standards for trans fat in oil and food products,’ she demanded.
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