The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on a PIL seeking to stop the reuse of crores of liters of edible oil used in hotels etc.
The division bench of Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Ajay Kumar Srivastava-I passed this order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Udgamya Seva Samiti Society Registered Under The Provisions Of The Societies Reg.Lko Thru.President
Describing the re-use of edible oil used in cooking as injurious to public health, the petition has urged for a process to collect it and use it as biodiesel.
The petitioner said that crores of liters of used edible oil and vegetable oils are being used again in the state to make food items, which is dangerous for the health of the people.
In the petition, especially in hotels, restaurants, canteens and other food shops, crores of liters of such used edible oil has been requested to be collected and monitored at the state level so that it is not used again in food items and converted into biodiesel.
“Let a counter affidavit be filed by the respondents within a period of three weeks.
A week’s time thereafter shall be available to counsel for the petitioner to file a rejoinder affidavit.
Since the present petition raises important issues relating to public health, we require the Commissioner, Food Safety & Drug Administration to file his personal affidavit on behalf of the State”, the Court ordered.
The Court has fixed the next hearing of the petition on April 20, 2022.