Following union minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra's Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development minister Sunil Kedar's demand to ban margarine, which they say is used as an illegal substitute for butter and is harming the health of consumers, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has sought an explanation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

A communication from Gadkari's office said on Monday that it has also received a response from FSSAI, which has clarified that limit of trans fats is fixed at not more than 5 per cent in bakery and industrial margarine. "The FSSAI says it has issued guidelines for reducing the limit of trans fats in edible oils and fats not more than 3 per cent by 2021 and not more than 2 per cent by 2022. It has also been made mandatory to declare the proportion of trans fats and saturated fats on the labels of products where margarine is used. Products with margarine will have the rider "this is not a dairy product" and it will also have an exclusive logo so that consumers can make an informed choice," the statement said.