Vegetable oil is the predominant cooking medium used in Indian homes. Safeguarding the interest of its consumers, the levels of toxic residues of nickel in 4 popular brands of hydrogenated vegetable oils, marketed in the country, viz. Dalda, Rath, Ruchi & Gagan Vanaspati, were screened. The samples collected were analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer & the presence of 26.5, 23.0, 26.0 and 27.0 ppm of nickel was confirmed in the 4 brands, respectively. The frequency of detection in all the 4 brands was found to be 100%.

Vegetable oils used as a sole cooking medium, thus form an integral constituent of our diet- the average consumption of these vegetable oils is about 40 gm per person/day, thus the total intake of nickel through these oils is more than 5.0 mg/day/person. It would be imperative to highlight the toxicological impacts of nickel on human health- it is a putative carcinogen & cause lung and nasal cavity cancer. its ability to interact with DNA and crossing the placental barrier has serious implications which lead one to question its very presence in a mass consumer product like vegetable oil. The toxicological implications of findings and results of the study vis a vis the relevant acts & status controlling food standard are highlighted in the report. Based on these findings the Central Committee on Food Standards has recommended to the Director General Health Service to fix the maximum upper limit of 1.5 ppm of nickel in vanaspati & amend the PFA Act accordingly!