SEA asks govt to curb edible oil imports, check violation of SAFTA norms

Edible oil industry body SEA today demanded that the government should curb import of palmolein and refined soyabean oils from the neighbouring nations as shipments are taking place flouting the SAFTA norms.

Custom officials are releasing the cargos on the same day of arrival without testing the quality, it said.

In a representation made to the ministries of finance, commerce and food, the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said about 800-1,000 tonnes of RBD palmolein and refined soyabean oils are being imported daily from Bangladesh.

The shipments are undertaken in tank lorries and in packed-form through land border of West Bengal and Assam.

"We appeal to the government to kindly check and regulate the import from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries under SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) by roads as there is neither real value addition nor the check on quality and SAFTA norms are flouted," it said.

The Association requested the government to ask customs and the FSSAI officers at land ports to take appropriate action to stop the import.

According to the SEA, the imports are happening via road flouting norms of the SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) and there are also concerns over the quality of edible oils as imported edible oil from Bangladesh are having high transfat of 4 to 5 per cent and being used for adulteration in the local markets.

"There is no check for selling and marketing such imported refined oils in India and could be serious health hazardous too," it noted.

The SEA said the customs are releasing the cargo without testing the quality on the day of arrival itself. Normally, food safety regulator FSSAI and customs take minimum 4-7 days to test the quality of the product imported.

India imports over 14 million tonnes of edible oil to meet more than 60 per cent of its domestic demand.