Only quality cooking oil in polybags, not recycled, says MPOB

 

The targeted subsidy is for consumers who buy cooking oil in 1kg polybags for personal use, especially the low-income group. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The quality of olein cooking oil in 1kg polybags sold in the local market meets the prescribed quality and is not of a recycled variety, Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) director-general Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said today.

He said the price of cooking oil in polybags was controlled by the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry, therefore the retail price could not exceed RM2.50.

“The perception that subsidised cooking oil in polybags is of lower quality is wrong. The price is subsidised and controlled by the government, hence it is cheaper than the price of bottled cooking oil in the market,” he said in a statement today.

He explained that the subsidy kept the price of cooking oil in polybags at RM2.50 despite the increase in the price of crude palm oil in the market, and it was aimed at reducing the burden of consumers to get cooking oil at an affordable price.

“This targeted subsidy is for consumers who buy cooking oil in 1kg polybags for personal use, especially the low-income group.

“Whereas bottled cooking oil of various brands offers an option to consumers from the M40 and T20 households who are willing to pay a higher price,” he said.

Elaborating, Parveez said there are 49 refineries and 312 packaging companies that are actively operating for the supply of cooking oil to the local market which is estimated at one million tonnes a year.

He said MPOB conducted monitoring and testing of cooking oil samples in the market on a regular basis and found that the quality and important characteristics were in line with the criteria set by the Department of Standards Malaysia.

He said it comprised oleic acid content, colour and essential qualities including polar and polymer compounds, oxidative stability index and vitamin E (tocotrienols and tocopherols).

In 2020, Malaysia produced 19.14 million tonnes of crude palm oil and the consumption of olein cooking oil for the local market accounted for only 4.1% of the country’s total crude palm oil production. - FMT