FDA’s New Order on Vegetable Oil as Blended Oil

On 29 March 2024, the Food and Drug Board of Authority (“FDA”) issued Order No. 2/2024 addressing the production, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of vegetable oil as blended oil. This new order establishes specific requirements for blending vegetable oils and mandates labeling guidelines.

Blending requirements for vegetable oil as blended oil

The FDA’s order outlines specific requirements for blending vegetable oil into blended oil:

• Only two types of vegetable oil are permitted for blending.
• Each of the oils must have a concentration of at least 40% of the blend.
• No fragrances are to be added to the oil.
• Animal oil and crude cottonseed oil are prohibited from being used in blended oil production.

Labeling requirements for vegetable oil as blended oil

In addition to the existing FDA regulations outlined in Notification No. 8/2022 dated 20 January 2022, the following labeling rules apply to blended oil:

• Highlight the dominant oil: The blend must be labeled with the type of oil that constitutes the higher percentage. If the percentages are equal, either oil can be displayed on the label as the oil with the higher percentage.
• Minimum font size: The wording “blended oil” on a 1-liter container must be at least the size of a 6mm Burmese letter “O.” This can be adapted to the container size
• Contrasting colors: The text color for the wording “blended oil” on the container’s front must contrast with the background color so it is clearly visible.

Penalties for non-compliance

Individuals or entities found producing, storing, transporting, distributing, or selling low-quality foodstuffs in violation of this order may result in the imposition of penalties under Section 28(a) of the National Food Law, such as imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to MMK30,000, or both.

Hence, we strongly urge individuals and entities to strictly follow the blending and labeling requirements specified in the order.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding compliance, please contact July Win Naing ([email protected]) or your usual VDB Loi adviser.