The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) on Tuesday tightened packaging norms for Pan Masala under the latest amendment, excluding plastic-based or plastic-laminated packaging from the permitted/specified packaging materials list.
Published in the Gazette of India on Monday, the changes were notified through the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026.
The latest amendment modified the hitherto existing Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 by adding pan masala as a new entry under Schedule 4.
Schedule 4 deals with the list of suggestive packaging materials. So far, Pan Masala didn't have a suggestive material.
The FSSAI, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has allowed pan masala packaging in paper, paperboard, cellulose or other naturally derived materials, which are free from plastic, including but not limited to Polyethene, Polypropylene, Polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or any synthetic polymers, copolymers, or laminates.
Apart from conventional plastic packaging, the food security body also banned the use of Aluminium foil and other metallised layers for pan masala packaging.
What is permitted along with naturally derived material for packaging are glass and tin. These materials are listed separately as permitted packaging options under the new entry.
The amendment further added that certain provisions of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, will be applicable to pan masala packaging.
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The final amendment was notified after a consultation process on the proposed changes. On April 28, the FSSAI had first published the draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026. It had invited objections and suggestions from people likely to be affected by the proposed regulations. A 60-day window was granted for feedback, suggestions and objections.