Regulation 2 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Regulation 2.3.15 sets special conditions for the sale of vegetable oils and fats. It requires edible oil to meet the quality standards and to be packed and labelled as FSSAI regulations specify, keeps harmful colours and flavours out, controls what vanaspati and margarines may be made from, limits solvents, and caps total polar compounds in frying oil. Oil packers and refiners starting out can look at FSSAI registration for a food manufacturer.
The text is read as amended up to 23 May 2026 (FSSAI Compendium Version XI dated 02.04.2025, consolidated to the notification of 17 October 2024, and the notification of 23 May 2026 omitting regulation 2.3.14(8)); that last change does not touch 2.3.15. FSSAI compendia are reference consolidations and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in.
Edible oil may be sold, offered or delivered for sale only if it conforms to the quality standards under the Act and is packed, marked and labelled as FSSAI regulations specify. No vegetable oil may contain any harmful colouring, flavouring or other matter deleterious to health, no solvent other than n-Hexane (Food Grade) may be used for extracting cocoa butter, oils and fats and edible soya flour, and used vegetable oil or fat with Total Polar Compounds above 25% shall not be used. Oil packers, refiners, bakers, restaurants and frying outlets are the main groups affected.
Sub-regulation (1): standards, packing and labelling
No person shall sell or expose for sale, distribute, offer for sale, dispatch, or deliver to any person for the purpose of sale any edible oil (a) that does not conform to the standards of quality in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the rules and regulations made under it, and (b) that is not packed in a container, marked and labelled in the manner specified in FSSAI regulations. Both conditions are joined by "and" in the printed text, so the sub-regulation names the standard and the packing duty together.
A proviso lets the State Government, in the public interest, for reasons recorded in writing, in specific circumstances and for a specific period, by notification in the Official Gazette, exempt any edible oil from "the provisions of this Act". The wording is printed as it stands. For the product standard, see the sister article on edible oils standards; the Act's labelling rule is in section 23 on packaging and labelling.
Sub-regulations (2) to (5): colours, flavours, base oils and additives
| Sub-regulation | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| (2) | no vegetable oil shall contain any harmful colouring, flavouring or any other matter deleterious to health |
| (3) | vanaspati, interesterified vegetable oil or fat, bakery shortening, bakery and industrial margarine, table margarine and fat spreads shall be prepared from any of the edible vegetable oils whose standards are in sub-regulation 2.2 of the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011, or from any other edible vegetable oil with prior approval of the Food Authority |
| (4) | no colour shall be added to hydrogenated vegetable oil unless authorised by the Food Authority, and never a colour resembling the colour of ghee; any flavour shall be distinct from that of ghee, in accordance with the list of permissible flavours and quantities prescribed by the Food Authority |
| (5) | no antioxidant, synergist, emulsifier or other such substance other than those permitted by these regulations shall be added to any vegetable oil except with prior sanction of the Food Authority |
Sub-regulation (3) was substituted by the notification of 31 July 2018 (note 5 in the compendium). Together, (3) to (5) tie the oil to the permitted-oil list and the additive lists in the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations; our sister article on food additives general conditions covers the additive side.
Sub-regulation (6): the solvent restriction
No solvent other than n-Hexane (Food Grade) shall be used in the extraction of cocoa butter, oils and fats and edible soya flour. The Table then sets tolerance limits in mg/kg (ppm) for the solvent in the food:
| Name of solvent | Article of food | Tolerance limit mg/kg (ppm) |
|---|---|---|
| Hexane (Food Grade) | (a) Refined solvent extracted cocoa butter | 5.00 |
| (b) Refined solvent extracted oils and fats | 5.00 | |
| (c) Solvent extracted edible soya flour | 10.00 |
The Table is quoted in full above because it has only three rows. Read it by matching the solvent in column (1) with the food in column (2), and checking that the residue in the food does not exceed the figure in column (3).
Sub-regulation (7): diacetyl
Sub-regulation (7), inserted by the notification of 25 June 2019 (note 7), is headed "Restriction on the use of diacetyl as flavouring substance in oils and fats". The compendium prints only that heading in the line, with no further words, so nothing further can be stated about the restriction from this text. The additives side of the question is in the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations.
Sub-regulation (8): total polar compounds
Inserted by the notification of 26 October 2020 (note 10), sub-regulation (8) says the Total Polar Compounds in unused or fresh vegetable oil or fat shall not be more than 15%, and that used vegetable oil or fat which has developed Total Polar Compounds of more than 25% shall not be used. The two percentages are printed separately for fresh and used oil and are not compared here.
An invented example: Annapurna Fry House runs a deep fryer all day. When a reading on its frying oil shows Total Polar Compounds above 25%, sub-regulation (8) says that oil shall not be used. A fresh drum bought for the kitchen must itself be within the 15% figure printed for unused oil.
Form A
Form A is shown as omitted in the compendium (footnote 16, the notification of 17 October 2024).
The amendment history in one line
The compendium's Note lists sixteen amending notifications from 8 February 2013 to 17 October 2024; the principal notification is dated 1 August 2011.
How this fits with the clauses before it
Sub-regulation 2.3.15 comes after regulation 2.3.14. Clause (11) of that regulation controls multi-source edible oil packs; see our articles on clauses 1 to 10 and clauses 11 to 20. For the trans fat limit, see the post on the FSSAI direction on trans fat limits. An oil manufacturer that needs a licence for a refining or packing unit can read about FSSAI registration for a food manufacturer.
Need help with an edible oil business?
Packing, labelling and additive questions on oils and fats are worth settling before a batch is dispatched. Our team assists oil packers and fat processors through FSSAI registration for a food manufacturer, and can review labels and product claims on request.
Key takeaways
- Edible oil must meet the quality standards and be packed, marked and labelled as the FSSAI regulations specify.
- No harmful colouring, flavouring or deleterious matter in vegetable oil.
- Only n-Hexane (Food Grade) may be the extraction solvent, with tolerance limits in the Table.
- Used oil with Total Polar Compounds above 25% shall not be used.
- Form A is omitted.
Read next
- Regulation 2.3.14 clauses 11 to 20: conditions for sale
- Regulation 2.3.14 clauses 1 to 10: conditions for sale
- Edible oils: FSSAI food standards
- FSSAI direction on trans fat limits
Disclaimer: Based on the FSSAI regulations named above as consolidated in FSSAI's compendium versions or as published in the Gazette, with the later notifications the article names (consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026). Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.