In a bid to reduce the use of plastic and encourage sustainable materials, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified a ban on plastic packaging for pan masala, finalizing the rule after considering public feedback on its draft proposal from earlier this year.
Manufacturers have been directed to shift to plastic-free alternatives such as paper, paperboard, cellulose and other naturally derived materials, along with tin or glass containers.
The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026 – effective immediately – were notified on 7 August, 2026, and published in the Gazette of India on 10 August, 2026.
As reported by Packaging South Asia on 30 May, the ban follows a draft notification issued on 28 April, 2026, under Section 92(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. A 60-day window was allowed for public objections and suggestions.
The notification states that FSSAI reviewed the feedback received and finalized the amendment under the powers granted by Section 92(2)(k) of the Act, with prior approval from the central government.
The final notification issued by Rajit Punhani, chief executive officer of FSSAI, inserts a new Serial Number 11 for pan masala into Schedule IV of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, which lists suggested packaging materials.
It permits paper, paperboard, cellulose, or other naturally derived materials but bans plastic, including but not limited to polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, PVC, or any synthetic polymers, copolymers, or laminates, as well as aluminum foil or metalized layers
Tin or glass containers – listed separately as permitted packaging options under the new entry – are allowed for pan masala packaging.
The amendment also states that certain provisions of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, will apply to pan masala packaging. The notification, a packaging regulation, does not ban pan masala as a product.
With the amendment now in force, manufacturers no longer have a compliance runway — the shift away from plastic sachets to paper/cellulose-based or tin and glass packaging is now a live legal requirement, not an anticipated one.
Companies still using non-compliant plastic packaging are now exposed to enforcement action under both food safety law and the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
This move is likely to affect the industry, which depends heavily on multilayer sachets that are hard to recycle and contribute to littering and pollution.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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