will now be sold only in a fixed set of pack sizes in India, according to a new government directive. The aim is to let customers compare the prices across brands more easily.
The Department of Consumer Affairs on Saturday, 6 June, prescribed standard pack sizes for edible oils and gave manufacturers, packers and importers a three-month transition period to comply with the new norms.
The order targets a common pricing tactic in the world’s most populous nation, where oils sold in odd, non-standard sizes leave buyers unable to tell which brand offers the best value for the kitchen staple.
Nine standard sizes
Packaging will now be limited to nine standard sizes ranging from — 200 ml/g,
- 500 ml/g,
- 1 litre/kg,
- 2 litre/kg,
- 3 litre/kg,
- 4 litre/kg,
- 5 litre/kg,
- 15 litre/kg, and
- 20 litre/kg
The rules are applicable to both domestically produced and imported edible oils. They apply to all major varieties of cooking oil including palm, soybean, sunflower, mustard, groundnut, sesame, rice bran, cottonseed and corn oil, as well as blended edible oils.
Companies have been given three months to switch to the new sizes.
Packages that declare their contents by volume must also state the equivalent weight, a step the government said would further aid price comparison.
Containers smaller than 200 ml and minor have been exempted to keep affordable small packs on shelves.
‘Structural sanity to retail shelves’
The decision followed consultations with industry associations representing nearly 90% of India’s edible oil sector, the Department of Consumer Affairs said.
Sudhakar Desai, President of the Indian Vegetable oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) welcomed the move and said, “This move will restore structural sanity to retail shelves and level the playing field.”
“While the non-standardisation was done to give freedom to the industry, for over three years, this practice has distorted the market leading to proliferation of such packs creating widespread confusion in the marketplace,” he added.
— With inputs from agencies