In 1998, adulterated

mustard oil Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vola ...

poisoning in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

resulted in widespread

dropsy Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels tight, the area ma ...

and deaths of 60 people and illness of more than 3000. It was revealed that white oil, a petroleum product was mixed with edible mustard oil. Sale of mustard in loose quantity was banned by a court order, to prevent more health hazards. In September 1998, the ban on packed mustard oil was removed after a

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

decision with a condition that the date of packing should be prominently displayed. Even though mustard oil is banned as an edible oil in countries like USA, Canada and EU due to its

erucic acid Erucic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, denoted 22:1ω9. It has the chemical formula CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)11COOH. It is prevalent in wallflower seed and other plants in the family Brassicaceae, with a reported content of 20 to 54% i ...

content, the oil is widely used as an edible oil in North India, Pakistan and Nepal.

Legal action

In 1998, the Prevention of Food Adulteration Department booked one trader for adulteration of mustard oil. After a prolonged legal battle, the trader was found guilty and in 2008, was sentenced to just two years imprisonment and a mere ₹5,000 fine.

References

{{Consumer Food Safety 1998 health disasters Deaths by poisoning Accidental deaths in India Health disasters in India Mass poisoning 1998 in India Disasters in Delhi 1990s in Delhi Crime in Delhi