Page 9 - Plastcs News January 2019

FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN

The New Packaging Norms

ackaging plays a major part, not only for marketing a product but also in protecting it.
PAnd as far as Food and Beverages are concerned then packaging is utmost important for it
needs to preserve the content as well as the Nutritive value of the product. Food packaging
helps protect foods against physical, chemical and environmental factors that could possibly
contaminate all of the food if not packaged correctly.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have recently announced the new
packaging regulations making some amendments in the earlier one, which will replace all
provisions with regards to the packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and
Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
The Food Authority has divided these regulations into two regulations- (i) the Food Safety and
Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018; and (ii) the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and
Display) Regulations, 2018. These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards
(Packaging) Regulations, 2018 and Food Business Operator shall comply with all the provisions
of these regulations by 1st July, 2019.
Besides, general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the regulations
also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic Mr. Rajiv B.Tolat
packaging materials.
There are some major don’ts as well - Paper and board materials intended to come in contact
with food products- shall be free from visible specks, grease marks, cuts, pinholes and other
blemishes apart from being of uniform thickness. Newspaper or any such material shall not
be used for storing and wrapping of food as it has the risk of contamination through the ink
used in the paper. Printed surface of any of packaging material shall not come into direct
contact with food products. Products made of recycled plastics including carry bags shall not
be used for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
As per these regulations, the packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products
shall conform to the Indian Standards provided in the schedules. Similarly Plastic materials
used for the manufacturing of containers for packing or storing the food products shall conform
to the Indian Standards specifications. All packaging materials of plastic origin shall pass the
prescribed overall migration limit of 60mg/kg or 10mg/dm2 when tested as per IS 9845 with
no visible colour migration.

Every food business operator shall obtain the certificate of conformity issued by NABL accredited
laboratory.

I think the new regulations are on its way for, studies had shown that the packaging material
used by the organised sector is largely safe but there are concerns about the use of packaging
material by the unorganized and informal sector. The regulations also specify the suggestive
list of packaging materials for different food product categories in its effort to overcome
unhealthy packaging practices across the country..
We are publishing the copy of the Gazette in this issue for reference of our members.

Happy Reading.
Rajiv B.Tolat
Hon. Editor
publication@aipma.net

9 Januar y 2019 Plastics News