New Delhi: In a move to end confusion between price and quantity printed on edible oil packets, the government is looking to bring uniformity. Against the current practice of manufacturers citing pack sizes as 650, 700, 810, 850 and 870 grams, the new standard will be 200 ml, 500 ml, 1-5 liters, 15 liters or kg and 20 liters or 20 kg.
The Department of Consumer Affairs said it is examining the possibility of bringing standard pack sizes for edible oils within the framework of legal standards following suggestions received from major industry bodies representing around 90% of players in the industry. It added that a meeting chaired by Secretary Nidhi Khare with representatives of major edible oil industry associations took note of concerns regarding the increasing number of pack sizes available in the market and the resulting difficulties faced by consumers in comparing prices.
The ministry said there is consensus among industry associations to introduce standard packaging sizes for major edible oils.They suggested that packages of less than 200 ml may continue to remain outside the scope of standardization to ensure the availability of affordable small packages.