Sanjeev Kapoor urges targeted penalties and used-cooking-oil collection

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says restaurants should face penalties for food-safety violations rather than blanket blame for reusing oil, advocating proper filtering and collection of used oil for biofuel, including sustainable aviation fuel.

— Source publishedMon, 24 Aug, 2026, 13:44 IST·First seen Mon, 24 Aug, 2026, 14:13 IST·Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

Indian Restaurant Industry · Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says restaurants should be penalised for food-safety violations but not broadly blamed for reusing oil. He

Why this matters

Foodservice groups can pursue partnerships with oil-collection and biofuel players to turn a regulatory obligation into a circular-economy capability and potential sustainability differentiator.

What to watch

  • New FSSAI, state, or municipal rules specifying fryer-oil testing, reuse thresholds, traceability, or penalties.
  • Expansion of authorized used-cooking-oil collection networks and published purchase prices for waste oil.
  • SAF policy incentives, refinery offtake agreements, or biofuel mandates that raise demand for used cooking oil.
  • Restaurant-chain disclosures, franchise mandates, or delivery-platform food-safety certification programs.
  • Enforcement actions or foodborne-illness incidents tied to reused cooking oil.
  • Restaurant chains should audit fryer-oil handling, establish documented filtering and replacement schedules, and retain disposal manifests.
  • High-volume foodservice operators should solicit bids from licensed used-cooking-oil collectors and biofuel aggregators.
  • Franchise systems should add oil-quality controls, staff training, and violation escalation procedures to operating manuals.
  • Delivery platforms and restaurant aggregators may develop food-safety verification badges or require compliance documentation from listed partners.