Under the revised SOP, standard pack sizes have been prescribed for major edible oils | Photo Credit: branex

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has said that the impact of the recent decision of the government to revise the standard operating procedure (SOP) for edible oil packaging and labelling could be far wider.

Complimenting the government and the Department of Consumer Affairs for this move, Sanjeev Asthana, President of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), said this may appear to be a packaging change at first glance, but the impact could be far wider. “It is a consumer-first initiative that will help reduce confusion and strengthen trust across the edible oil value chain, he said.

BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said this is a fine example of constructive collaboration between the government and industry. It demonstrates that meaningful reforms can be achieved when stakeholders come together with a common objective.

Permitted standards

Under the revised SOP, standard pack sizes have been prescribed for major edible oils, which include palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, mustard/rapeseed oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, and corn oil, as well as blended edible oils.

The permitted standard pack sizes include 500 ml, 1 litre, 2 litre, 3 litre, 4 litre, 5 litre, 15 litre / 15 kg and 20 litre /20 kg, while packs below 200 ml remain outside the standardisation framework. In addition, minor edible oils have been exempted from the standard pack size requirement.

All edible oil packages displaying quantity in litres or millilitres will also be required to clearly mention the equivalent weight. These new provisions will apply uniformly to both domestically manufactured and imported edible oils.

To facilitate smooth implementation, manufacturers, packers and importers will be provided a transition period of three months to comply with the new requirements. However, it’s clearly stated that businesses willing to adopt the prescribed standard pack sizes earlier may do so with immediate effect.

Published on June 8, 2026