New Delhi: Pan masala can longer be packaged and sold in plastic.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced new packaging requirements for pan masala, specifying plastic-free materials that can be used.
Not only plastic, even aluminium foil and metallised layers can’t be used to package the product.
The changes were notified through the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on August 10.
The amendment modifies the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 by adding pan masala as a new entry under Schedule 4, which deals with the list of suggestive packaging materials.
The FSSAI, which comes under the Union Ministry of Health and Welfare, has mandated that pan masala can now be packaged in paper, paperboard, cellulose or other naturally derived materials, but these materials must be completely free from plastic.
The notification mentions that the packaging cannot contain polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or any other synthetic polymers, copolymers or laminates.
Tin or glass containers will also be permitted for packaging pan masala.
The amendment also states that certain provisions of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, will apply to pan masala packaging.
The draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, was first published on April 28, when objections and suggestions were invited from stakeholders.
FSSAI said the objections and suggestions received from the public in response to the draft were considered before the final amendment was issued.
FSSAI issued the final notification under powers granted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the previous approval of the Central government.