FSSAI bans plastic, aluminium foil packaging for pan masala; only paper, tin and glass allowed now

Pan masala packaging is getting a significant overhaul. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has introduced new regulations specifying exactly what materials can and cannot be used to package the product, and the list of prohibited options is long. Plastic in all its forms, aluminium foil and metallised layers are all out. Paper, paperboard, cellulose, tin and glass are in.

The changes were formalised through the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on August 10, and come into force from the date of publication.

What the rules say

The amendment adds pan masala as a new entry under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, which covers recommended packaging materials. Under the revised framework, pan masala may be packaged in paper, paperboard, cellulose or other naturally derived materials, but only if those materials contain absolutely no plastic content.

The prohibition is comprehensive. The new provisions specifically rule out polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride and any other synthetic polymers, copolymers or laminates. The restriction also extends to aluminium foil and metallised layers, meaning that packaging with a paper outer shell but plastic or foil layers inside would not comply with the new specifications.

Two additional options are explicitly permitted: tin and glass containers. These are listed separately as approved packaging alternatives under the new entry.

The amendment also states that relevant provisions of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, will apply to pan masala packaging.

What these rules do not do

The notification is specifically a packaging regulation. It does not announce a ban on pan masala as a product. The focus is narrowly on moving the product's packaging away from plastic-based materials and toward more environmentally suitable alternatives.

How the rules came about

FSSAI published a draft of the proposed amendment on April 28, opening it for public feedback over a period of 60 days. Objections and suggestions received during that window were reviewed before the final version was issued. The notification was issued under powers granted to FSSAI under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with prior approval from the Central Government.