Leftover cooking oil to be used to produce biodiesel

District Controller of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Purushottam Singh on Wednesday presided over a meeting to address the issue of repeated use of leftover cooking oil after frying and its collection for biodiesel production. The meeting aimed to prevent the harmful reuse of cooking oil and promote its repurposing as biodiesel instead of improper disposal.

The meeting was attended by Food Safety Officer Deepak Raj Anand, food inspectors, president of the trade union Virendra Mahajan, secretary Swapna Mahajan, and other members.The District Controller highlighted that special arrangements were proposed in Chamba to collect used cooking oil from hotels, roadside eateries (dhabas), and other commercial establishments for conversion into biodiesel.

Singh warned that repeatedly heating cooking oil for frying is detrimental to health and should be avoided, as it can cause serious health issues. He advised that cooking oil should not be used more than three times for frying. The use of such oil beyond this limit can lead to various serious illnesses.

Singh sought the cooperation of trade union representatives, urging them to ensure that hotels, dhabas, and other commercial outlets refrain from repeatedly using the same oil. He suggested that leftover oil should not be discarded improperly; instead, it can be stored in containers and later sold, generating income for the establishment.

For this initiative, a firm named Surya Enviro, which manufactures biodiesel and glycerol in Baddi, has been identified to collect used oil. The firm will gather oil from hotels and dhabas and process it into biodiesel. Arrangements will be made to collect the oil once or twice a week or month from commercial outlets in the district. The firm has agreed to purchase the used oil at a rate of Rs 30 per litre.

Singh appealed to all officials and trade union representatives to raise awareness among traders and consumers about the health risks of reusing cooking oil. Representatives from the Food Safety and Standards Department, the District Tourism Department, and members of the trade union also provided valuable suggestions during the meeting.

Heating cooking oil repeatedly harmful

• For this initiative, a firm named Surya Enviro, which manufactures biodiesel and glycerol in Baddi, has been identified to collect used oil from hotels, restaurants, eateries, etc
• District Controller of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Purushottam Singh warned that repeatedly heating cooking oil for frying is detrimental to health. He advised that cooking oil should not be used more than three times for frying.
• Special arrangements have been made to collect used cooking oil from hotels, roadside eateries (dhabas), and other commercial establishments for conversion into biodiesel