Published Nov 05, 2026 | 5:45 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 05, 2026 | 5:45 PM
Chemically recycled plastic in food packaging. (iStock)
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed allowing chemically recycled polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in food-contact packaging, subject to conditions that ensure the recycled material meets virgin plastic safety standards.
The proposal also allows recycled plastic made exclusively from food-grade packaging materials in the outermost layer of multilayer food packaging, provided adequate barriers prevent chemical migration into food.
The draft amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, were notified on 2 November 2026. FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders and the public within 60 days of the Gazette notification being made available.
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Under the proposed amendments, chemically recycled PE and PP produced through the monomer route may be used in food-contact materials if the final output meets the safety criteria applicable to virgin materials.
The draft specifically states that recycled PE and PP produced through chemical recycling, “may be used for food-contact materials, only when the output (end product) is considered equivalent to virgin material and meets the criteria applicable to virgin material.”
The provision refers to chemical recycling processes defined under Indian Standard IS 14534. It does not extend blanket permission to all recycled plastics or recycling methods.
The second proposed amendment concerns multilayer food packaging, which uses different layers of materials to provide protection and preserve food products.
FSSAI has proposed allowing recycled polymers derived exclusively from food-grade packaging materials in the outermost layer of multilayer packaging intended for food contact.
However, the proposal makes this conditional on the packaging having adequate barrier properties to prevent substances from the recycled outer layer from migrating into food.
The draft states that such recycled polymers “may be used in the outermost layer of multilayer packaging material intended for food contact, provided that the inner layers possess adequate barrier properties to prevent migration of substances from the outermost layer into the food.”
It further specifies that the packaging “shall fulfil the already prescribed migration limits for packaging materials.”
This means manufacturers will have to ensure that the inner layers effectively prevent substances from the recycled outer layer from reaching the food and that the packaging complies with existing migration limits.
The draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, have been issued under Section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The notification states that the proposed regulations will be considered after 60 days from the date copies of the Gazette notification are made available to the public.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sumit Jha)
