Food watchdog clarifies further on sunflower oil substitutes

Products labelled as containing sunflower oil may now also include fully refined palm, coconut or soybean oils, Food Standards Agency said on Friday (29) while giving further details over the types of oils that can be switched due to the current shortage of sunflower oil.

The FSA said at the beginning of April that food manufacturers were allowed to switch the ingredients without having to print new packaging, but gave more details about the types of oils that can be switched in recently.

It said the risk of allergic reactions from palm oil and coconut oil is low, and the risk from soybean oil is “negligible”.

The FSA added that this was a temporary measure and that suppliers should print accurate labels as soon as possible.

The war in Ukraine has disrupted the flow of sunflower oil to the UK food industry and supplies are said to be running out fast.

Suppliers can already switch to using rapeseed oil due to what the watchdog says are “extraordinary circumstances”.

The substitute oils are now being used in some products without changes to the labels being made.

Emily Miles, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency, said,  ”It is an absolute priority for us that food is safe, and what it says it is.

“If industry decisions are made around the substitutions of these oils, we expect accurate labels to be prepared and printed as soon as possible so that consumers can be confident in the food they buy,” BBC quoted Miles as saying.

“Any inaccuracies in labelling must only be temporary.”

The FSA urged the industry to consider using the “healthier and more sustainable oils” out of the three.

“Consumers should contact the manufacturer or brand for more information if they are unsure of the content of any product or have concerns about substitution,” Miles added.