Compliance with Food Packaging Laws: FSSAI and BIS Standards

When you pick up a packaged food product from a store shelf, have you ever wondered what goes into ensuring that the container keeping your food safe meets specific safety standards? Food packaging isn’t just about convenience or aesthetics-it’s a critical component of food safety that’s governed by strict laws and regulations. In India, organizations like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) work together to ensure that every package that touches your food meets rigorous safety requirements. Understanding these regulations helps food businesses stay compliant while protecting consumers from potential health hazards.

FSSAI packaging regulations: Setting the foundation for food safety 🔗

The cornerstone of food packaging regulation in India is the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, which came into force in December 2018 with full compliance required by July 2019. These regulations represent a comprehensive overhaul of how food packaging is regulated in the country, separating packaging standards from labeling requirements to create a more focused approach to food safety.

One of the most significant aspects of these regulations is the mandatory requirement for food-grade materials. The FSSAI defines food-grade materials as substances that are safe and suitable for their intended use, pose no danger to human health, and don’t cause unacceptable changes to the food’s composition or taste. Every food business operator must obtain a Certificate of Conformity from an NABL-accredited laboratory for packaging materials that come in direct contact with food-a requirement that was elevated to “critical” status in April 2025, reflecting its importance in food safety inspections.

Banned materials and prohibited practices 🔗

The FSSAI regulations take a firm stance on certain materials that pose contamination risks. Recycled plastics, including carry bags, are explicitly prohibited from being used for packaging, storing, carrying, or dispensing food products. This ban addresses concerns about chemical migration and contamination from unknown sources in recycled materials. Similarly, newspaper and similar materials cannot be used for wrapping or storing food-a practice that was once common but poses serious health risks due to printing inks containing harmful chemicals.

Another critical requirement involves printing inks. All inks used on food packaging must conform to Indian Standard IS:15495, and crucially, the printed surface cannot come into direct contact with food products. This prevents ink components from migrating into the food and potentially causing health issues.

Understanding BIS and Agmark: Complementary quality frameworks 🔗

While FSSAI focuses on food safety, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Agmark certification provide additional layers of quality assurance. These standards work alongside FSSAI requirements to create a comprehensive regulatory ecosystem.

BIS standards for packaging materials 🔗

BIS develops and maintains Indian Standards (IS) that specify technical requirements for various packaging materials. The FSSAI Packaging Regulations reference specific BIS standards across three main schedules: Schedule I covers paper and board materials (including standards like IS 6622 for greaseproof paper), Schedule II addresses metals and metal alloys (such as IS 1993 for electrolytic tinplate), and Schedule III details plastic materials (including IS 10146 for polyethylene and IS 12252 for PET).

What makes BIS standards particularly important is that while they were previously voluntary, compliance with relevant IS standards is now mandatory for food packaging materials used in India. This shift ensures consistent quality across the food industry and provides manufacturers with clear technical specifications to follow.

Agmark certification for agricultural products 🔗

Agmark stands for Agricultural Marketing and represents a quality certification mark issued by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection under India’s Ministry of Agriculture. Agmark certification assures consumers that agricultural products like grains, pulses, honey, and spices meet specific quality standards and are produced under hygienic conditions.

While Agmark was previously mandatory for certain products like blended edible oils and ghee, regulatory changes in 2024 have made it optional for many categories, aligning with the “One Nation, One Commodity, One Regulator” policy. This streamlines compliance for food businesses while still allowing voluntary certification for those seeking to demonstrate premium quality standards.

Global migration limits: Protecting food from chemical transfer 🔗

One of the most scientifically rigorous aspects of food packaging regulation involves migration testing-the process of measuring how much chemical substances transfer from packaging materials into food. This is particularly critical for plastic packaging, which is ubiquitous in the food industry.

Overall migration limits 🔗

The FSSAI regulations establish an overall migration limit of 60 mg/kg or 10 mg/dm² for all plastic packaging materials. This means that when tested under specific conditions using food simulants (substances that mimic different types of foods), the total amount of non-volatile substances that migrate from the packaging into the simulant cannot exceed these thresholds. This overall limit acts as a safety net to ensure that even if individual compounds migrate, the total chemical transfer remains within safe bounds.

Specific migration limits for individual substances 🔗

Beyond the overall limit, the regulations also specify maximum allowable migration levels for particular substances that may be present in plastic packaging. These specific migration limits (SMLs) target substances known to pose potential health risks. For example, barium is limited to 1.0 mg/kg, cobalt to 0.05 mg/kg, copper to 5.0 mg/kg, iron to 48.0 mg/kg, and zinc to 25.0 mg/kg.

The list has expanded over time to address emerging concerns. In August 2022, India added antimony and DEHP (a phthalate plasticizer) to the list of regulated substances, bringing the total from seven to nine substances with specific limits. This demonstrates the regulatory system’s responsiveness to scientific evidence and global safety trends.

Recent developments in recycled plastics 🔗

In a significant policy evolution, India updated its guidelines in March 2025 to permit the use of recycled PET (rPET) in food packaging under strict conditions. The revised Indian Standard IS 12252:2025 outlines stringent safety measures including migration limits, testing protocols, and traceability requirements for recycled materials. This change supports India’s environmental goals while maintaining food safety, positioning the country as one of the largest markets globally to sanction recycled plastics for food use with comprehensive safety controls.

Compliance in practice: What food businesses must do 🔗

For food business operators, understanding these regulations is only the first step. Practical compliance requires several concrete actions. First, businesses must source packaging materials from suppliers who can provide proper documentation, including Certificates of Conformity from NABL-accredited laboratories. This documentation proves that materials meet the required Indian Standards and migration limits.

Second, companies need to conduct regular migration testing according to FSSAI standards and maintain detailed records of packaging material specifications and manufacturers. Third, businesses must stay updated on regulatory changes, as the food packaging landscape continues to evolve with new standards and requirements.

The importance of compliance has intensified since April 2025, when FSSAI reclassified food-grade packaging from “non-critical” to “critical” in inspection checklists. This reclassification increased the penalty points for non-compliance from 2 to 4, making packaging violations more serious during food safety inspections. Food businesses that fail to use properly certified packaging materials now face stricter scrutiny and potential consequences.

The intersection of safety, sustainability, and standardization 🔗

India’s food packaging regulations reflect a careful balance between multiple objectives. They prioritize consumer safety by preventing chemical migration and contamination. They support environmental sustainability through recent allowances for properly tested recycled materials while maintaining bans on unsafe recycled plastics. They also facilitate trade by aligning with international standards and providing clear, science-based requirements that manufacturers can follow.

The regulatory framework recognizes that different food categories have different packaging needs. Liquid products like milk require leak-proof, tamper-evident containers. Fatty foods need materials that resist oil migration. Acidic products demand packaging that won’t degrade or leach harmful substances. The schedules and specific requirements in the regulations account for these variations, providing appropriate standards for each material type and application.

What do you think? How confident are you in the safety of packaged foods you purchase? Do you check for certification marks like FSSAI logos or BIS standards when buying packaged products, or would clearer consumer education about these safety measures be helpful?

References

1. https://fssai.gov.in/
2. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Compendium_Packaging_01_02_2022.pdf
3. https://myfssai.in/fssai_updates/fssai-reclassifies-food-grade-packaging-as-critical/
4. https://www.bis.gov.in/
5. https://www.packaginglaw.com/news/indias-new-food-packaging-regulations-effective-today
6. https://www.kcorptax.in/blog/difference-between-isi-mark-and-agmark-certification/
7. https://www.packaginglaw.com/news/india-announces-new-food-packaging-regulations
8. https://www.packaging-gateway.com/features/regulatory-wave-sweeps-asia-pacifics-packaging-industry/