MUMBAI: FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Tuesday declared that a statewide compliance order on the ban on loose edible oil was non-negotiable and the food safety regulator said accepting the demands to relax or cancel would be inappropriate, but the administration did a U-turn an hour later and withdrew the statements.An official said a meeting is scheduled with govt to discuss standard operating procedures and a decision will be made after that.TOI had earlier reported that FDA’s ban on the sale of loose edible oil had come up for discussion at a cabinet meeting on Monday. CM Devendra Fadnavis had stressed that govt is seeking a “middle path”. “Strict quality needs to be maintained, but at the same time, traditional businesses also need to be protected,” he had said.There was also a letter sent to FDA by Edible Oil Merchants Association.Before making a U-turn, FDA said in a statement, “They (retailers) were informed on Aug 18 that their demands to relax or cancel the rules… are not consistent with existing legal and regulatory provisions.” It said accepting such demands “would not be appropriate from the perspective of food safety and public health”.Mundhe said the prohibition on the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil is not a newly introduced decision. “This provision has been applicable across the country since 2011, and the administration has issued a statewide compliance order to ensure effective and uniform implementation of the existing law, which must be strictly obeyed.” These, too, were withdrawn.The administration provided the examples of Delhi, UP and Tamil Nadu, where such bans are in place. It said Maharashtra had granted temporary and time-bound exemptions or extensions on the sale of loose edible oil from time to time. “This extension was limited up to 2020 and was not a permanent permission,” it said.Meanwhile, FDA suspended the license of Ayub’s Restaurant in Fort last Saturday over improper storage of food items like eggs at room temperature, failure to segregate and store raw and cooked food, presence of houseflies, and lack of pest control.
