Examining Ban on the Blending of Mustard Oil in India: A Food Nutrition Perspective

Abstract

This article aims to critically examine India’s ban on the manufacturing and sale of blended mustard oil from a food nutrition point of view. The presence of erucic acid in India’s traditional mustard crop varieties is far higher than the internationally accepted level of erucic acid content in the rapeseed mustard oil and the canola-quality oil. Human consumption of rapeseed mustard oil containing high erucic acid has been a significant concern for public health and nutrition experts due to the perceived health hazards of erucic acid. As the concentration of erucic acid is proven to reduce if the mustard oil is blended with other edible oils, the ideal way to consume Indian mustard oil is by blending it with other edible oils. Therefore, from a public health point of view, the ban on mustard oil blending is not an appropriate policy move.