India's food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has proposed expanding the use of recycled plastics in food-contact packaging, potentially opening up new opportunities for chemical recyclers and recycled polymer manufacturers.

In a draft notification published in the Gazette of India on November 3, FSSAI has proposed amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, to allow the use of recycled polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in food packaging, subject to stringent safety requirements.

Under the proposed amendments, chemically recycled PE and PP produced through the monomer route, as defined under Indian Standard IS 14534, may be used in food-contact materials provided the resulting material is equivalent to virgin plastic and meets the same safety criteria. The monomer route involves breaking down polymers into their constituent building blocks, which are then used to manufacture new plastic.

The draft also proposes allowing recycled polymers sourced exclusively from food-grade packaging waste in the outermost layer of multilayer food packaging. However, the inner layers must provide adequate barrier properties to prevent the migration of substances into food, while complying with prescribed migration limits.

The proposal marks a further expansion of India's regulatory framework for food-grade recycled plastics. FSSAI had earlier permitted recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) for food-contact applications under prescribed standards and guidelines. The latest proposal seeks to extend this pathway to PE and PP, two widely used polymers in food containers, bottles, pouches and packaging films.

The move could help food and beverage companies, packaging manufacturers and recyclers address growing recycled-content requirements under India's Extended Producer Responsibility framework. However, the proposed provisions do not constitute blanket approval for all recycled plastics or mechanical recycling processes.

FSSAI has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 60 days of the notification's publication, before finalising the amendments.