Karnataka Used Cooking Oil Guidelines: Government Plans To Collect Oil From Hotels And Homes For Biodiesel

Karnataka plans new guidelines to regulate the reuse and disposal of cooking oil in hotels, restaurants, bakeries and homes. The government also plans to collect used cooking oil through local bodies and convert it into biodiesel.

Image Credit : Getty

Used Cooking Oil Management Guidelines

The State Health Department is taking steps to curb the hazardous practice of repeatedly heating and reusing cooking oil in hotels, restaurants, bakeries and households.

Authorities are planning to introduce new guidelines for managing used cooking oil, with a focus on protecting public health and the environment.

Instead of disposing of used oil in drains or repeatedly reusing it for frying, which can pose health risks, the government has formulated an ambitious plan to convert used cooking oil into biodiesel.

Image Credit : Asianet News

Collection Of Used Cooking Oil From Homes And Hotels

The Health Department is also planning to collect used cooking oil from households, apart from hotels and other establishments.

Discussions are underway to collect the oil through local bodies at the ward level and supply it to RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) agencies and biogas or biofuel companies.

The state has set a target to collect a total of 32.68 lakh litres of used cooking oil during 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Image Credit : Asianet News

Strict Monitoring Of Hotels And Food Units

If the new guidelines are implemented, hotels and food manufacturing units will be required to maintain detailed records of the cooking oil they use.

The Health and Food Safety Departments will conduct joint inspections to monitor how many times the oil is reused. Handing over used cooking oil to authorised collection agencies will also become mandatory.

Image Credit : Ai Image

What Do The Health Department's New Guidelines Say?

Limit On Reuse: Cooking oil must not be repeatedly heated for frying and should not be reused more than three times.

TPC Limit: Repeated heating increases the level of Total Polar Compounds (TPC). If the TPC level exceeds 25%, the oil is considered unsafe for human consumption and must be discarded.

Health Risks: Consuming oil with TPC levels above 25% may increase the risk of heart-related diseases, high cholesterol and serious illnesses, including cancer.

Image Credit : Getty

Safe Handling And Disposal Of Used Cooking Oil

Changes In Quality: If the oil emits blue or grey smoke or produces foam while heating, stop using it immediately. Do not use the oil if it turns black or cloudy or if its consistency changes.

Avoid Prolonged Storage: Used oil should not be stored for extended periods and should be used within a day or two.

Do Not Pour Down The Drain: Used oil should not be poured into sinks, sewers or drains, as it can harm the environment. Instead, it should be handed over to authorised agencies for proper disposal.

Overall, the government is taking steps to curb the reuse of substandard cooking oil, which can pose health risks. The hotel industry and the general public will need to follow these new guidelines.