FSSAI tightens pan masala packaging rules, bans plastic and plastic-laminated pouches

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has tightened packaging norms for pan masala, ruling out plastic-based and plastic-laminated packaging for the product.

Under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on August 7, plastic-based or plastic-laminated packaging material is not included among the permitted or specified materials for packaging pan masala.

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As per the amendment, which inserts a new entry at Serial Number 11 in Schedule IV of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, pan masala can now only be packaged in paper, paperboard, cellulose or other naturally derived materials, provided such material is free from any plastic, including but not limited to polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or any synthetic polymers, copolymers or laminates, and is also free from aluminium foil or metallised layers.

Tin or glass containers have also been specified as permitted packaging. The provisions of clauses (f) and (i) of sub-rule 1 of rule 4 of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, made under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, will apply as well.

The regulations come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. The notification was signed by Rajit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI.

A draft of the amendment was first published on April 28, 2026, in the Gazette of India, inviting objections and suggestions from the public within 60 days. FSSAI has now notified the final regulations after considering the feedback received.

The latest packaging amendment comes amid a broader FSSAI crackdown on food safety compliance across the country. FSSAI has issued notices to 14 D2C food brands for misleading branding and deceptive health claims, though many of the flagged products continued to remain available on platforms like Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart.

The regulator has also sent Blinkit multiple notices over consumer complaints of spoiled and unhygienic food, including a case where a consumer fell ill after consuming curd ordered through the app.

State authorities have joined the enforcement push as well, with Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration suspending Zepto's food licence at its Dharavi dark store in June 2025 after inspectors found spoiled food, fungal growth and improper cold storage, a suspension that was later revoked following re-inspection.

Also read: Zepto warehouse sealed in Bengaluru over food safety violations

Blinkit dark stores have faced similar action, with a Pune facility shut down for operating without a valid licence and, most recently, a Malad West store in Mumbai having its licence suspended on August 7 after inspectors found cockroaches on stored produce, expired items and poor cold storage.

Between May and July this year, the Mumbai FDA inspected over 3,100 hotels, restaurants and food establishments, issuing hundreds of improvement notices and suspending 165 licences.

FSSAI has also acted against larger food businesses, including sending notices to KFC, Flipkart and Nestle India over social media complaints related to food contamination.