Quality of palm oil still unclear

Following the directives of the apex courts, the chemical experts from HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Karachi University, PCSIR Laboratory and CDGK Food Laboratory on Saturday collected the oil samples from IFFCO Refinery in the presence of journalists, customs officials, Special Health Secretary Dr Abdul Majid and Deputy Health Secretary Dr Jamal Sheikh to conduct further chemical analysis. Prof Dr Khalid M Khan and Dr Shakil Ahmed of the HEJ institute, Dr Jawwad Sheikh CDGK Food Laboratory, Kishwar Shabina and Waheed Bhatti, Tahira Khatoon and Rubina Saleem from PCSIR Laboratory were also present on the occasion.

Talking to newsmen, the experts said that it was difficult to understand scientifically that 9-year old dumped oil could not change chemically and bio-chemically after long time. They astonished over the fact that melting point of the said oil was 38 degree centigrade nine years ago and the current laboratory reports showed that the oil still has the same melting point.

“It is really difficult to comprehend that the oil has low per oxide value, free fatty acid and no rancidity, which shows there is something wrong in the storage system.

Further reports will prove that whether the oil is edible or not. If in the original state, it could not be declared edible oil because it was mixed with palm stearin in large quantity”, they said.

It is worth mentioning here that palm stearin is the more solid fraction obtained by fractionation of palm oil after crystallisation at controlled temperatures.