Project Saarthi: RUCO awareness and eat right programme for food industry stakeholders

The Chamber for Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses (CASMB), in collaboration with the Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) (AFSTI), Chennai Chapter, and with the support of M11 Energy Transition Pvt. Ltd., successfully organized “Project Saarthi – RUCO Awareness and Eat Right Programme for Food Industry Stakeholders” at Courtyard by Marriott, Anna Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The initiative brought together regulatory authorities, food industry professionals, hospitality representatives and other stakeholders to promote responsible used cooking oil management, strengthen food safety compliance and encourage sustainable practices across the food industry.

The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Prabodh Halde, Chairman, CASMB and Regulatory Head at Marico, followed by addresses from distinguished dignitaries. The occasion was graced by Mr. R. Lalveena, IAS, Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Government of Tamil Nadu, as the Chief Guest. Other distinguished dignitaries included Mr. V. K. Pancham, Regional Director, FSSAI South Zone; Ms. Ananya Pandey, Manager, FSSAI, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Dr. Sanu Jacob, Director, National Food Laboratory (NFL), Chennai; Mr. M. Ravi, President, Chennai Hotel Association; and Mr. Mohamed Riyazuddin, Treasurer, AFSTI Chennai Chapter.

A key highlight of the programme was an awareness session on FSSAI’s Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) initiative by Ms. Ananya Pandey, who emphasised the importance of explaining the fundamentals of RUCO in simple, accessible and citizen-friendly language to generate widespread awareness and encourage public participation. She highlighted the significance of the three pillars of Enforcement, Ecosystem and Education (the 3 Es) in building momentum for the initiative and strengthening its implementation. The session also provided an opportunity to obtain feedback from used cooking oil aggregators, biodiesel manufacturers and representatives of the hotel industry on the practical challenges and opportunities associated with the collection and responsible management of used cooking oil. Discussions focused on developing a Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation) model to progressively expand used cooking oil collection networks, with the long-term vision of extending collection mechanisms to gated residential societies as well/last drop reach. It was emphasised that achieving this ambitious goal would require sustained awareness generation, greater public understanding and active participation by citizens, alongside coordinated efforts by industry stakeholders and regulatory authorities.

Mr. Anwar Hussain Ahmed, General Manager, M11 Energy Transition Pvt. Ltd., delivered a presentation highlighting the importance of responsible used cooking oil collection and its conversion into sustainable resources such as biodiesel, supporting circular economy principles and environmental sustainability.

The programme concluded with a collective clarion call for a pan-India RUCO awareness drive, with stakeholders and members of the public present at the event reaffirming the need to take the message of safe used cooking oil management to every segment of society. The collective emphasis was on building widespread awareness, strengthening stakeholder collaboration and fostering Jan Bhagidari to ensure that used cooking oil is responsibly collected and channelled towards productive uses such as biodiesel production. The initiative underscored that sustained public awareness, effective implementation and collective responsibility are essential to transforming RUCO into a broad-based people’s movement, contributing to food safety, environmental protection and a more sustainable circular economy.

Project Saarthi reflects CASMB's continued commitment to strengthening food safety awareness, encouraging responsible food business practices and promoting sustainability through collaboration between government authorities, industry associations and food businesses. The initiative supports the broader objectives of FSSAI's Eat Right India movement while contributing towards a safer, healthier and more sustainable food ecosystem.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Umesh Kamble, Secretary, CASMB, followed by certificate and information kit distribution to the participants