The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, which alters the rules regarding the use of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) in food packaging. This notification was published on March 28, 2025.
The amendment modifies sub-regulation (4) of regulation 4 in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018. Specifically, clause (e) has been replaced with the following:
“Products made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) may be used for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing of food products as and when standards and guidelines are notified by the Food Authority and such packaging materials shall comply with national standards or regulations as applicable to such materials.”
It may be recalled, that prior to this amendment, the FSSAI regulations stipulated that products made of recycled plastics including carry bags could not be used for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
The amendment now allows for the use of recycled PET in food packaging, but only after the FSSAI notifies specific standards and guidelines.
All recycled PET packaging must also comply with relevant national standards or regulations.
The FSSAI will be responsible for developing and publishing the standards and guidelines that will govern the use of recycled PET in food packaging.
