New Delhi, July 3 (KNN) For setting up of an eco-system for collection of used-cooking oil and its conversion into bio-diesel, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) is in talks with the Indian Biodiesel Association, said FSSAI.

FSSAI said that there is a huge scope for expanding this ecosystem as already small quantities of used-cooking oil is being collected from food businesses either through a barter arrangement or at cost.

"Annually, about 23 million tonnes of cooking oil is consumed in India. There is potential to recover and use about 3 million tonnes of this for production of bio-diesel," FSSA said. In addition, it will have an estimated value of Rs 18,000 crore per year, FSSAI added.

It is viewed as the most reasonable and advisable feedstock for biodiesel production, it added.

Highlighting the features of the bio-diesel, the FSSAI pointed out that the bio-diesel is non-poisonous and biodegradable fuel with better burning emission profile and high flash point therefore easy to transport.

FSSAI believes that it is the right time to take the bio-diesel production on a large scale using used cooking oil as feedstock through coordinated efforts.

Concerning the public health and food safety, FSSAI has notified norms for food business operators to monitor the quality of oil during frying.

These norms have been made effective from July 1 by FSSAI.

Besides, the FSSAI has prescribed a limit for Total Polar Compounds (TPC), to set the benchmark for measuring the degradation of oil.

Cooking oil with TPC beyond 25% will be considered as unsuitable for the use as its repeated use for repeated frying leads to the formation of TPC making it unfit for human consumption and can lead to many diseases.

Currently, used-cooking oil is either not discarded at all or disposed of in an environmentally hazardous manner, thereby, choking drains and sewerage systems.

Commenting on this issue, FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said: "Effective implementation of used-cooking oil standards is a win-win for the public health, environment and the energy security."

Ensuring the food safety, the State Food Safety Commissioners are being advised to take up awareness and education programs, surveillance and enforcement activities, he said in a statement.