RSSL Calls for More Help for Food Manufacturers

According to Rob Griffiths, Head of Oils and Fats analysis at Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL), there are now a great many oils on the market for which there are no universally accepted criteria for quality or authenticity.

1 Apr 2010 --- The exploitation of an ever-increasing range of speciality oils has raced ahead of the regulatory framework, leaving a tricky 'grey area' for food manufacturers when it comes to deciding oil authenticity.

According to Rob Griffiths, Head of Oils and Fats analysis at Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL), there are now a great many oils on the market for which there are no universally accepted criteria for quality or authenticity. Codex has published parameters for a range of oils, such as olive, palm and soybean oil, but many of the more unusual or exotic oils are not covered by Codex.

"We have a range of methods that we can use to look at oil quality and composition," says Dr Griffiths. "By profiling fatty acids and other key markers we are confident that we can form a good opinion about the quality and authenticity of the oils we are asked to look at. The problem for manufacturers is always in the margins, where there is a suspicion of adulteration or deterioration but no conclusive evidence. The absence of definitive criteria from regulators about what is or isn't acceptable makes it difficult in these cases to reject an oil or challenge a supplier."