KUALA LUMPUR: The quality of olein cooking oil in one kg polybags sold in the local market meets the prescribed quality and not recycled, said Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir.

He said the price of cooking oil in polybags was controlled by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, therefore the retail price could not exceed RM2.50.

"The perception that subsidised cooking oil in polybags is of lower quality is wrong. The price is subsidised and controlled by the government, hence it is cheaper than the price of bottled cooking oil in the market," he said in a statement today.

He explained that the subsidy kept the price of cooking oil in polybags at RM2.50 despite the increase in the price of crude palm oil in the market, and it was aimed at reducing the burden of consumers to get cooking oil at an affordable price.

"This targeted subsidy is for consumers who buy cooking oil in one kg polybags for personal use, especially the low-income group.

"Whereas bottled cooking oil of various brands offers an option to middle- and upper-class consumers who are willing to pay a higher price," he said.

Elaborating, Ahmad Parveez said there are 49 refineries and 312 packaging companies that are actively operating for the supply of cooking oil to the local market which is estimated at one million tonnes a year.

He said MPOB conducted monitoring and testing of cooking oil samples in the market on a regular basis and found that the quality and important characteristics were in line with the criteria set by the Department of Standards Malaysia.

He said it comprised oleic acid content, colour and essential qualities including polar and polymer compounds, oxidative stability index and vitamin E (tocotrienols and tocopherols).

In 2020, Malaysia produced 19.14 million tonnes of crude palm oil and the consumption of olein cooking oil for the local market accounted for only 4.1 per cent of the country's total crude palm oil production.

-- BERNAMA