Centre moves to standardise edible oil pack sizes, 850 ml and 910 ml packs to be phased out

Consumers purchasing edible oils in Gujarat may soon stop seeing pack sizes such as 850 ml, 870 ml and 910 ml, with the Centre initiating the process of reintroducing standardised packaging norms for edible oils.

Under the new rules, manufacturers, packers, and importers will be required to comply with prescribed pack sizes within the next three months.

According to the guidelines, edible oils can be sold only in standardised packs of 200 ml, 500 ml, 1 litre, 2 litres, 3 litres, 4 litres, 5 litres, 15 litres, and 20 litres.

As a result, pack sizes such as 650 ml, 700 ml, 810 ml, 850 ml, 870 ml, and 910 ml are expected to be gradually phased out from the market.

The move is considered significant for Gujarat, which is a major hub of the country's edible oil industry.

Industry sources said around 400 edible oil mills and refineries are currently operational in the state, while the total number of small and large units is estimated to exceed 1,000.

The industry has a strong presence in districts including Rajkot, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Kandla, Morbi, and Ahmedabad.

The impact of the new norms is expected to be most visible in the market for groundnut oil and cottonseed oil in Gujarat.

A substantial share of the country's groundnut production comes from Gujarat, where groundnut oil remains a widely consumed cooking medium.

In addition, palm oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil imported through Kandla and Mundra ports are processed in Gujarat's refineries and supplied across the country, making the state a key centre of the edible oil industry.