Fssai: FSSAI proposes plastic-free packaging for pan masala, gutka | India Information
NEW DELHI: In a big transfer focusing on single-use plastic in tobacco-related merchandise, the Meals Security and Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a whole shift to non-plastic packaging for pan masala, gutka and related objects.A draft modification to the Meals Security and Requirements (Packaging) Rules, 2018, launched on Tuesday, mandates that these merchandise be packed solely in paper, paperboard, cellulose or different naturally derived supplies. The draft explicitly bars using all plastics — together with polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, PVC and multilayer laminates — in addition to aluminium foil or metallised layers.Officers mentioned the proposed norms will apply throughout the board to each tobacco and non-tobacco variants of pan masala and associated merchandise.The proposal goes additional to ban using particular copolymers resembling vinyl acetate–maleic acid–vinyl chloride in any packaging for gutka, pan masala and tobacco in all varieties.The modifications have been launched as an insertion in Schedule IV of the packaging rules, which lists permissible supplies for particular meals classes. Pan masala has been added as a separate entry with strict materials restrictions.The draft additionally aligns with current plastic waste administration guidelines, reinforcing that plastic packaging can’t be used for storage, packing or sale of those merchandise.The transfer comes in opposition to the backdrop of ongoing state-level restrictions on these merchandise. As of 2026, a number of states — together with Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat and Delhi — have banned the manufacture, sale, storage and distribution of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine, with many renewing these prohibitions yearly.FSSAI has invited objections and strategies from stakeholders inside 30 days of the notification. The authority mentioned all suggestions obtained inside this era will likely be examined earlier than finalising the modification.If notified, the transfer is predicted to impression a big section of the chewing tobacco and pan masala trade, which presently depends closely on multilayer plastic sachets which might be troublesome to recycle and contribute considerably to litter.The proposal indicators a tighter regulatory push on each public well being and environmental fronts, particularly focusing on merchandise which might be broadly consumed and generate high-volume plastic waste.
