Unsafe cooking oil found during check at McDonald’s outlet

Jaipur: In a surprise inspection of a McDonald facility at Gaurav Tower Monday, Rajasthan health department food safety officers found higher than permissible levels of total polar compound (TPC) levels in the refined palm cooking oil used by the restaurant to fry French fries and other items. While the prescribed maximum limit of TPC is 25%, officials said the oil used for non-vegetarian items had a TPC of 28%, while the oil used for vegetarian food had a TPC of 31%.When TOI contacted the McDonald's restaurant in Gaurav Tower, the resuraurant administration refused comment. "TPC is a parameter that indicates the quality of cooking oil. When its quantity exceeds 25%, the oil becomes toxic in a way that carcinogenic elements are formed and the amount of trans fat becomes very high, which is a major cause of heart diseases," said Dr Manish Mittal, chief medical health officer (Jaipur-II).Mittal said the team found the oil had become "extremely black and unusable", yet food items were being fried in it after heating it to about 150° Celsius. Samples were taken and around 40 litres of oil were destroyed. He said frying was being done in the oil from morning till night.He said the restaurant's manager, Sambhav Bhardwaj, who was present at the spot, was directed to use fresh oil with immediate effect. An improvement notice will be issued to the restaurant under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and further action will be taken based on the sample test report.Officials also found rotten tomatoes stored in plastic crates in the cold room and destroyed 40kg of tomatoes on the spot.