Is Mustard Oil Safe? Clearing Up India's Most Confusing Cooking Oil Debate

If you've ever searched "is mustard oil banned" or "is mustard oil safe for cooking," you've probably landed on a mess of contradictory answers — some sources call it dangerous, others call it a superfood, and somewhere in between you've heard it's "banned in America." So what's actually true?

Here's the clear picture.

Is mustard oil banned in India?

No. Mustard oil is completely legal and approved for cooking in India by the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). It's one of the most widely used cooking oils across North India, Bengal, Bihar, and Rajasthan, and has been part of Indian kitchens for thousands of years.

The confusion usually comes from the fact that the US FDA restricts mustard oil to "external use only" in America. That restriction applies to the US market specifically — it has nothing to do with whether the oil is legal or safe in India.

So why does the US restrict it?

It comes down to one compound: erucic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid found in mustard seeds. Back in the 1950s, animal studies found that very high doses of erucic acid — far beyond anything a person would realistically consume — caused heart issues in rats. Based on that, some Western regulators took a cautious, zero-tolerance approach for food use.

India took a different, more evidence-based path: instead of banning mustard oil outright, the FSSAI regulates it through purity and labelling rules rather than an erucic acid ceiling. Here's a detail most articles online get wrong: the 2% erucic acid cap you'll see quoted everywhere applies only to a separate, specifically labelled category called "low erucic acid mustard oil." Ordinary kachi ghani mustard oil — the kind sold across Indian kitchens, typically 30–45% erucic acid — has no such upper limit under FSSAI's standard for mustard oil (Sarson ka tel). What FSSAI does strictly enforce is purity: since June 8, 2021, blending mustard oil into any multi-source edible oil has been banned nationwide, specifically to stop adulteration and ensure what's sold as mustard oil is 100% mustard oil.

What does the actual human evidence say?

This is the part most confusion-clearing articles skip. The original alarm came from animal studies (largely from the 1970s) where rodents were fed erucic acid in amounts far beyond anything in a human diet. In parallel, regulatory bodies like the EU's food safety authority (EFSA) have separately set a tolerable daily intake for erucic acid and lowered their recommended limit for edible oils over the years, largely as a precaution rather than because of confirmed human harm. Meanwhile, decades of everyday consumption across North India, Bengal, Bihar, and Rajasthan — regions where mustard oil is the dominant cooking fat — haven't shown a corresponding spike in the specific health issues the animal studies raised. No large human clinical trial has established that erucic acid, at typical Indian dietary levels, causes measurable harm.

It's also worth being upfront that this isn't fully settled science: some recent Indian research has flagged that actual erucic acid intake among heavy mustard-oil users may run higher than the international limits set for it, precisely because regular mustard oil isn't capped the way "low erucic acid" oil is. So the honest summary is this: the concern is real enough that regulators abroad remain cautious, human evidence at typical Indian consumption hasn't shown clear harm, and moderation — using mustard oil as one of a rotation of cooking oils rather than your only one — is the sensible, non-alarmist middle ground most nutrition guidance in India actually recommends.

How to make sure your mustard oil is actually pure

Since blending is now banned, purity is the main thing worth checking for:

  • FSSAI licence number printed on the label
  • "100% Mustard Oil" stated clearly — no blend, no mix
  • Kachi ghani / wood-pressed on the label, if you want the traditional, unrefined version rather than a refined one
  • A strong, pungent aroma — refined or adulterated oils tend to smell noticeably flatter

Where Indriya fits in

Indriya's Mustard Oil is wood-pressed the traditional way — no refining, no blending, no chemical shortcuts, and fully compliant with FSSAI's purity standards. It's the same kachi ghani method Indian households have relied on for generations, made in small batches so you know exactly what's going into your bottle.

If you've been avoiding mustard oil because of something you read online, this is a good moment to look past the headlines and go back to how it's actually made — and by whom.

📍 Visit us at Shop No., Bus Depot, 26, Juhu Rd, opp. Juhu Gymkhana, Juhu, Mumbai – 400049, or order online at indriya.online with free local delivery across Mumbai.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. If you have specific health concerns, please consult a doctor or nutritionist.