Centre brings back standard oil pack sizes; consumers to get 'better value comparison'

The Centre has reinstated standard pack sizes for major edible oils, asking manufacturers, packers and importers to comply within three months as it moves to curb the spread of odd-sized packs in the market.

The Department of Consumer Affairs issued the revised advisory late Friday under the Legal Metrology framework, saying the change is meant to improve transparency and make it easier for consumers to compare prices across brands.

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Standard pack sizes return to the shelf

According to the revised standard operating procedure, the prescribed pack sizes for major edible oils include 200 grams, 500 grams, 1 kg, 2 kg, 3 kg, 4 kg, 5 kg, 15 kg and 20 kg.

In volume terms, the corresponding sizes are 200 ml, 500 ml, 1 litre, 2 litres, 3 litres, 4 litres, 5 litres, 15 litres and 20 litres. The rule covers palm oil, palmolein, soybean oil, sunflower oil, mustard or rapeseed oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil and blends of these oils.

Packages below 200 grams or 200 ml will remain unrestricted.

An untidy assortment meets its reckoning

Non-standard packs such as 650 grams, 700 grams, 810 grams, 850 grams and 870 grams will be phased out from the market within three months.

The Mint quoted Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association president Sudhakar Desai as saying, “This move will restore structural sanity to retail shelves and level the playing field.”

Consumer Voice chief executive Ashim Sanyal said, "Standardising edible oil pack sizes is a consumer-friendly step because it makes it easier for buyers to compare prices and understand the actual value of the product they are purchasing.”

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A return to rules after the free-for-all

The advisory follows a stakeholder meeting chaired by consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare on May 20, where industry bodies reportedly agreed on restoring standard pack sizes.

The pack-size norms had been relaxed in 2023, after which unconventional packaging formats proliferated and made shelf comparisons more difficult, while Akashvani said the revised framework is intended to bring greater uniformity and transparency to the marketplace.

Minor edible oils not included in the list of major oils will remain exempt, but they must still follow existing unit sale price disclosure rules under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.