The presence of total polar materials (TPM) is found to be high in edible oil used by hotels and restaurants operated along the highway in Palpa. The presence of TPS in cooking oil shall be below 25 percent and the level exceeding is not suitable for eating.

The quality of edible oil used by eateries along the Siddhartha Highway was tested by oil test meter. As per the government standard, the acceptable upper limit of TPM presence in fry oil is 25 percent and the scale above it is not entertained, said Food Technology and Quality Control Division Office Chief Naresh Shrestha.

During monitoring, the bottles containing inedible cooking oil were confiscated and the eateries were reprimanded for the violation of rule and asked to use standard oil. Shrestha added the use of newspapers to wrap food is an unhealthy practice as chemical used in printing ink is likely to make the food unhygienic causing negative health effects.