BFSA Chairman Warns Burnt Cooking Oil Poses Serious Risk to Heart Health

Repeatedly using burnt cooking oil poses a significant threat to heart health, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) Chairman Md Safiqul Islam has warned, urging consumers and food businesses to avoid using degraded cooking oil.

“Among the many enemies of the heart, burnt oil is one of the most dangerous. We must avoid it both individually and at the business level,” he said.

He made the remarks on Wednesday at a seminar titled “Harmful Effects of Used Cooking Oil on Human Health and the Environment”, jointly organised by the BFSA and Biotech Energy Limited at the authority's headquarters in Dhaka.

The BFSA chairman said food businesses could strengthen consumer confidence by using fresh cooking oil, even if this required slightly higher food prices.

“If a business fries a singara in fresh oil instead of burnt oil and charges a little more, customers will still prefer the food prepared with fresh oil. Businesses need to build that trust,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of proper used cooking oil management, Safiqul said transferring discarded oil to specialised companies such as Biotech Energy could reduce disposal costs while helping protect the environment.

He assured that the BFSA would continue supporting initiatives to ensure the safe collection and disposal of used cooking oil.

At the seminar, BFSA member Mohammad Shoeb presented the keynote paper, outlining how used cooking oil is generated and its potential consequences for human health and the environment.

He warned that repeatedly using cooking oil could increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, fat accumulation in blood vessels, liver damage and cancer.

His presentation also addressed edible oil consumption, trans-fatty acids, their associated health risks and measures to control trans fats.

Presiding over the event, BFSA member and Joint Secretary Md Anwarul Islam Sarker highlighted the importance of raising public awareness about the dangers of repeatedly used cooking oil.

Special guests ANM Nazim Uddin and Mohammad Mostafa, both BFSA members, called for converting used cooking oil into biodiesel instead of allowing it to pollute the environment and threaten public health.

They said the initiative could reduce health and environmental risks while generating alternative fuel for vehicles and machinery.

Biotech Energy Managing Director Abdullah Al Hamid said his company currently collects more than 100 tonnes of used cooking oil every month from at least 3,000 food establishments nationwide.

“We hope to increase the collection to 1,000 tonnes per month by 2030,” he said, adding that the company manufactures biodiesel from the collected oil at its factory in Savar.

Hamid further claimed that a single litre of used cooking oil could contaminate nearly one million litres of water.

BFSA officials, Biotech Energy representatives, food business operators, journalists and other stakeholders attended the seminar.