FSSAI in talks with industry to convert used-cooking oil into bio-diesel

Food regulator FSSAI today said it is in discussion with the Indian Biodiesel Association for setting up of an ecosystem for collection of used-cooking oil and its conversion into bio-diesel.

Small quantities of used-cooking oil is already being collected from food businesses either through a barter arrangement or at cost, but there is a huge scope for expanding this ecosystem, it said in a statement.

"Annually, about 23 million tonnes of cooking oil is consumed in India. There is potential to recover and use about 3 million tonnes of this for production of bio-diesel," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said.

This will have an estimated value of Rs 18,000 crore per year, it said, and added used-cooking oil is viewed as the most reasonable and advisable feedstock for biodiesel production.

Bio-diesel is non-poisonous and biodegradable fuel with better burning emission profile and high flash point therefore easy to transport. "Thus, time is right for India now to take up large scale bio-diesel production using used-cooking oil as feedstock through a coordinated effort."
Commenting on this issue, FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said: "Effective implementation of used-cooking oil standards is a win-win for the public health, environment and the energy security."