Substandard edible oil fuels cardiovascular crisis, threaten public health in Sindh
- 3 out of 10 deaths in Pakistan are associated with cardiovascular disease due to substandard oil and fat consumption
- Globally, Pakistan is the largest oil consumption estimated 22kg per capita per year. Whereas country is already facing high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer
Parkash Meghwar & SM Ghufran Saeed | Karachi
In the Holy Month of Ramdan, the consumption of fried and deep-fried food items at the time of IFTAR will rise. This huge demand for oil based fried food such as Samosa, Pakora, Paratha, Halwa Puri, Bakery items, fried meat etc., will be a challenge for food business units such as bakeries, hotels, restaurants and small street food vendors to fry more food items in limited oil stock. The oil condition of said units will not be monitored and compliance as per the standard set by the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). The selling of loose oil without packaging, labelling and batch number is not allowed under the PSQCA standards.
Interestingly, fats and oils are essential for human health as they provide more energy than carbohydrates and protein, these help body support and insulate organs of the body and contribute to the taste and flavor of food products. Although, the loose oil (which either producing acrylamide at high temperature range beyond the smoke or flash point or oxidized containing trans-fatty acids) used in all mentioned food items consumed at the time of IFTAR, may cause many diseases particularly heart-stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
Recently, it was reported that some factories in Mirpurkhas are producing oil from poultry waste which is supplied in rural areas surrounding the district and division including other districts such as Umerkot and Tharparkar. They are not producing oil but mixing different sub-standard oils extracted from different animal wastes which is causing a serios public health issue in the division. Such factories lack proper quality testing of edible oil at their units. Concern authorities should take serious action against such factories in Sindh to ensure public health during Ramdan.
Several reports showed that Sindh Food Authority (SFA) had seized the sub-standard loose oil factories in Karachi, Thatta, and Mirpurkhas (trade of such oil is prevalent in rural areas where it is cheap for poor communities – an alarming situation arise in increased case of cardiovascular diseases and cancer in said areas). Also, the SFA teams had discarded tons of loose oil which was prepared in local units by utilizing animal waste. Such oils lack essential vitamins (A &D) and contain trans-fatty acids, and toxic residues. Based on news reports, the SFA formally banned the selling of loose edible oil in 2018 as recommended by the scientific panel board. While taking such enforcement operations, teams had faced legal challenges and traders’ protests. In 2024, the DG SFA Mr. Muzzamil Hussain Halepoto devised a mechanism of a zero-tolerance policy for substandard edible oil by imposing heavy fines and cancellation of license issued. During his tenure, an operation team of district Thatta seized oil depo and discarded about 12000 Liters of unsafe oil and similar operations were conducted throughout the province to ensure public health. Moreover, federal committees directed the PSQCA to seal such factories producing oil by utilizing poultry waste.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Syed Muhammad Ghufran Saeed, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Karachi added, 3 out of 10 deaths in Pakistan are associated with cardiovascular disease due to substandard oil and fat consumption.
Based on experts’ opinion, such alarming findings are not focused and neglected by the policy makers and concern authorities by poor coordination between regulatory authorities and stakeholders.
Food scientists stress that proper refining processes and quality testing of edible oils should be taken to ensure oil safety and quality. Experts have proposed some recommendations like it is mandatory that oil should be sealed, packaging and labeling, traceable batch numbers, licensing and registration of all stakeholders from the SFA and PSQCA, regular laboratory testing, joint inter-provincial inspection teams and elimination of unbranded oil sales.
Globally, Pakistan is the largest oil consumption estimated 22kg per capita per year. Whereas country is already facing high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Moreover, the consumption of fruits and vegetables decreases and salt, sugar and processed foods increased. It is estimated that the proper and complete elimination of trans-fats in our food products can save 17 million lives by 2040 worldwide.
_________________
