Women carry fodder for their cattle through mustard ground on the outskirts of Srinagar. File | Photo Credit: Reuters
RApesEed-Sustard Oil (after this ‘mustard oil’) is the third largest edible oil eaten in India. Two executive and judicial decisions on mustard oil – one from 2021 and another from 2024 – major public health implications, but hardly they are worth public attention and investigation. In the first judgment, the Food Safety and Standards Authority in India (FSSAI) banned the manufacture and sale of mixed mustard oil in India, effective from June 8, 2021. According to Indian Food Safety Acts, the sale of a edible oil mixed with another edible oil is allowed, provided that the ratio of oil mixed with one oil is within 20%. Reports suggest that FSSAI’s ban decision aims to prevent mustard oil adulteration and promote domestic mustard crop production. In the second, the Supreme Court ruled on July 23, 2024 against India’s indigenous Mustard Hybrid -11 (DMH -11) environmentally developed approval for the environmental release of India’s indigenously developed genetically developed (GM) mustard. A major base on which one of the two judges pronounced a decision against DMH-11 was insufficient evaluation of the impact of DMH-11 on human health. A general policy goal behind these two decisions was to protect the health of Indian mustard oil consumers. However, a close eye on the facts suggests that this goal cannot be fully achieved through these two decisions.
Irusc acid
Mustard oil extracted from Indian mustard crop has a high level of unique fatty acids, called irrackic acid (40% to 54% of total fatty acids). This is much higher than the internationally sanctioned level <5%. Mustard oil with high irrackic acid is considered undesirable for human consumption, especially in advanced countries such as America, Canada and Europe. Lab experiments demonstrated that animals fed with high irrackic acid containing mustard oil were suffering from heart diseases, slow growth, premature death and adequate changes in liver, kidney, skeletal muscle and adrenal glands. Although there is no decisive evidence of equal health effects on humans, the stigma of high irrackic acid in mustard oil prevails in advanced economies. In those countries, mustard oil irrackic acid content is strictly controlled using canola oil for cooking. The canola crop (oil) developed by Canada contains less than 2% irrackic acid content.
Edible oil combination
Due to adverse climatic conditions, India has not been successful in growing a high-produced canola-quality mustard crop. Therefore, the easiest way to reduce high eucicic acid content in mustard oil is to mix with other edible oils. Several scientific studies have proved the low appearance of irrackic acid in mixed mustard oil. In addition, since mixed mustard oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, its intake reduces LDL cholesterol and increases HDL cholesterol. A primary anxiety with edible oil combination is artificial taste and adulteration with toxic substances. A nationwide survey of FSSAI in August 2020 found that 24.21% of the 4,461 edible oil samples collected did not meet the criteria of quality parameters. Maximum adulteration and contamination were found in mustard oil.
Instead of the ban, the sale of mixed mustard oil may be allowed, but in the pack/branded form which is mixed with a clear declaration of oils. Branded edible oil consumed in India is less than 30%. Strict implementation of food safety and standards laws and strengthening of food security infrastructure are also necessary in preventing adulteration. Since health is a state subject, the Food Safety Administration at the state level has to play an important role in this regard. According to industry sources, other oils mixed with mustard oil in India ranges from 5% to 50%. Although it does not correspond to the law, which allows a combination up to 20%, it has the unexpected positive result of reducing irrackic acid content. Therefore, the sale of mixed mustard oil should not be completely banned.
GM mustard
Alternatively, irrackic acid content in Indian mustard oil can be reduced by cultivating indigenous GM mustard crop DMH-11, which, in addition to high yield, is less eucicic acid content (30–35%) than traditional Indian mustard crops (40-54%). As a result, oil extracted from DMH -11 requires low amounts of other edible oils for measuring to reduce irrackic acid content. This, in turn, helps reduce imports of other edible oils. India is the world’s largest importer of edible oils. Its edible oil import bill is $ 20.56 billion by NITI Aayog.
Therefore, deciding on the approval of GM mustard crop, DMH -11 and related health and economic benefits (in terms of low edible oil imports) need to be factored by all stakeholders. Development of indigenous DMH-11 with low irrekic acid content is not a remarkable achievement by Indian genetic scientists. After years of research, Canada and Europe have successfully introduced low-arcic acid symptoms in their rapeseed farming. Therefore, the purpose of the breeding programs of plants should be given top priority in India’s indigenous GM mustard crop development programs at an internationally sanctioned level with the aim of reducing erecicular acid content in mustard crop.
Sthanu R Nair, Professor of Economics, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. Views are personal
Published – June 04, 2025 01:49 AM IST
