Experts call for mandatory opaque packaging for fortified edible oil

Public health experts on Tuesday called for mandatory use of opaque and food-grade packaging for fortified edible oil to preserve Vitamin A and ensure product safety throughout the supply chain.

The call came at a roundtable titled "Safe and Quality Edible Oil for Better Health: An Expert Dialogue", organised by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh at a city hotel.

The experts said transparent packaging should be phased out and replaced with opaque packaging to protect the nutritional quality of fortified edible oil.

The discussion, moderated by Mushtak Hasan Muhammad Iftikhar, consultant to the Large Scale Food Fortification–Bangladesh Country Advocacy Project and founding chairman of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, brought together scientists, researchers, representatives of edible oil refineries, regulatory agencies and policymakers.

The speakers noted that refining edible oil at temperatures above 230°C to achieve greater clarity increases the formation of trans fat, posing health risks to consumers.

Professor Moloy Kanti Mridha of BRAC University said the National Nutritional Surveillance conducted by the university found that 51% of households use packaged edible oil, while 49% still rely on loose edible oil.

The participants said opaque packaging is essential to protect Vitamin A in fortified edible oil and noted that several suitable packaging options are already available in Bangladesh.

SM Abu Sayeed of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) said food-grade certification for edible oil packaging must be obtained from the Product Certification Committee, although the use of the food-grade symbol is not yet mandatory.

Professor Liaquat Ali, chair of Pathikrit Foundation, stressed the need for more public health research, saying different types of edible oil have different impacts on health, while lifestyle, dietary habits and cultural practices also influence public health.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Sultan Alam said dealers often transport edible oil in chemical drums that cannot be properly identified, adding that discontinuing the practice would help improve oil quality.

He also urged research institutions to inform the relevant government authorities before publicly releasing research findings.

The dialogue recommended strengthening coordination between refineries and regulatory agencies to facilitate the adoption of 100% opaque and food-grade packaging, regulating the use of loose edible oil in food processing industries as well as hotels and restaurants, issuing guidelines under the Vitamin A Fortification of Edible Oil Act, 2013, and ensuring heavy metal testing of imported crude edible oil during port clearance.