New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on 7 August issued a notification with norms for plastic-free packaging for pan masala sachets. The notification said that paper, cardboard, or cellulose packaging for pan masala must be free of any kind of plastic or aluminium.
The notification means that no kind of plastic, including polyethene, polyester, PVC, or even plastic lamination, can be used for packaging pan masala, which is a mixture of areca nut and other spices used for recreational consumption. According to a 2025 market report by IMARC Group, the pan masala industry has a market share of Rs 48,000 crore.
The FSSAI has amended the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, and laid out a list of allowed packaging materials for pan masala. It includes paper, cardboard, cellulose, or other naturally derived materials, as well as tin or glass containers.
Addressing plastic waste at the source
The new guidelines align with the existing Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016, which imposed a ban on plastic packaging for selling or storing gutkha, pan masala, and tobacco. The FSSAI also said in its notification that the relevant provisions from the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, will be applicable.
A new study released by the Centre for Science and Environment said that India produces 1,58,619 tonnes of solid waste every day, of which 10-12 per cent is plastic waste. It has a short shelf life but remains longer in the environment as well as the waste stream.
“The actual cost of managing plastic waste varies significantly across cities and plastic categories,” said Tribhuvan Singh Bisht, deputy programme manager, municipal solid waste, CSE, in a press release.
The ban strengthens plastic waste management by addressing the source at the packaging level. Moreover, by explicitly prohibiting plastic layers or lamination, the FSSAI has recognised that many pan masala packets and sachets utilise plastic in different forms and percentages, calling for complete plastic-free packaging.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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