Palm Oil in Your Biscuits and Namkeen? Centre Says It’s Safe, Legal Under FSSAI Rules

Palm oil may have become one of the most debated ingredients on packaged-food labels, but the Centre has made its regulatory position clear: its use in food is permitted under India's safety standards.

Responding to questions in Parliament over the use of palm oil in products such as biscuits, snacks and namkeen, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav said it is classified as a standardised edible fat under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulations. The government's argument rests on two points: palm oil is permitted, and consumers must be told when it is being used.

What does FSSAI say about palm oil?

Under Sub-regulation 2.2 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, palm oil is classified as a standardised edible fat. That means food manufacturers are permitted to use it as an edible-oil ingredient in packaged products, including bakery items, snacks and savouries, provided they comply with prescribed standards. Palm oil is regulated by FSSAI under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

How does the government decide whether it is safe?

Jadhav said India's food-safety standards are based on scientific assessments conducted by independent risk-assessment bodies, including FSSAI's Scientific Panels and Scientific Committee. The standards are also harmonised with internationally recognised Codex Alimentarius norms. “The FBOs are mandated to comply with the defined standards,” Jadhav said, adding that food-safety standards are based on scientific opinion and internationally accepted Codex standards. The Centre's clarification is significant because it distinguishes the regulatory safety and permissibility of palm oil from the broader debate over the nutritional merits of consuming different fats and heavily processed foods.

Can companies simply call it ‘vegetable oil’?

This is where the rules get more specific. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, packaged-food companies must disclose the specific edible oil used in a product. So if palm oil is used, manufacturers cannot simply hide it behind a vague “edible vegetable oil” description. The requirement is intended to give consumers enough information to know what they are eating and make their own dietary choices.

So, what's the Centre saying?

The message is straightforward: palm oil itself is not a prohibited ingredient in packaged food. It is a recognised and regulated edible oil that can legally be used in biscuits, namkeen, bakery products and other packaged foods as long as manufacturers comply with FSSAI standards and labelling requirements. So, the next time you turn over that packet of biscuits or namkeen, the ingredient list should tell you whether palm oil is inside.

(With inputs from ANI)