FSSAI to come up with new regulation on food packaging

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will soon come up with new regulation on food packaging. The decision was taken after observing that loose packaging like coloured and black carry bags, disposable containers with aluminium coating and sweet boxes have emerged as major contaminants of packaged food.

The food regulator has conducted a national survey of food packaging material which found out that around 80% of food samples packed in coloured carry bags, 59% in black carry bags, more than 24% in aluminium coated disposable containers and 21% in sweet boxes were chemically contaminated.

In a bid to curb this menace, FSSAI is set to notify new regulations for food packaging that will prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics.

Pawan Agarwal, Chief Executive of FSSAI, said, "The new packaging regulation would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level. The implementation of the rules may be a challenge in the unorganised sector and therefore, we have given sufficient lead time before the regulations come into force."

"The primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from microbiological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food. Food businesses shall have to comply with the new regulations by July 1, 2019," Agarwal added.