Edible Oils & Fats Testing

Technical Testing Parameters

The following parameters describe product-specific testing considerations. Test availability, method suitability and accredited coverage are confirmed against the sample and specification before quotation.

• Physicochemical: acid value; free fatty acids; peroxide value; iodine value; saponification value; unsaponifiable matter; moisture and volatile matter; insoluble impurities; refractive index.
• Identity and deterioration: fatty-acid methyl ester profile; trans fatty acids; sterol profile; p-anisidine value and TOTOX as agreed quality investigations; argemone oil or mineral oil where relevant.
• Microbiology: apply to emulsified spreads and products with an aqueous phase; select aerobic colony count, yeast and mould and relevant pathogens. Do not assign routine pathogen testing indiscriminately to neat oil.
• Contaminants: lead; arsenic as applicable; pesticide residues appropriate to the oilseed; Aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins where relevant; benzo[a]pyrene and PAH4 for agreed export/buyer specifications.

Select the applicable subset; these are not universal mandatory tests or a statement that every listed test is within the laboratory’s accredited scope.

Regulatory Standards & Compliance

Product mapping: 2.2; use 2.1 for applicable dairy-fat product standards.

Read the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 as amended, together with the product-specific criteria. Apply the current Contaminants, Toxins and Residues Regulations, 2011 and Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 where relevant.

For microbiology, identify the applicable Appendix B table, sampling plan and test portion. For additives, confirm the correct Appendix A classification and any product-specific restrictions. FoSCoS licensing identifiers are not equivalent to product-standard clauses.

Export limits depend on the destination, commodity and residue definition. Confirm the applicable MRL, reporting limit and effective date. BIS product standards, export certification and laboratory recognition require separate verification; a test report does not itself confer regulatory approval.

• FSSAI food product standards and additives
• FSSAI additive classification in Appendix A
• FoSCoS product mapping
• FSSAI regulations and amendments

Sample Requirements & TAT

Use leakproof, light-protective containers; avoid heating or repeatedly opening the sample.

Confirm the required quantity, number of unopened units, containers and transport conditions with the laboratory before dispatch. Chemistry portions and sterile microbiology portions may need separate containers; a composite cannot automatically replace an n-unit sampling plan.

Provide the product designation, ingredient list, processing state, batch identity, storage instructions, target market and required specification. Turnaround is confirmed in the quotation after the scope is agreed. Shelf-life, challenge and specialist investigations require a separate study schedule.

Technical FAQs