BAN on plastic sachets: Will pan masala, gutka packaging change soon? FSSAI explains

FSSAI said pan masala and gutka sachets should be “free from plastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, poly vinyl chloride and other plastic materials or any other synthetic polymers or laminates.”

To prohibit the use of plastic and multilayer packaging materials used in pan masala and gutka packets, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed rules. In a draft notification, FSSAI proposed amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018. It proposed that pan masala should be packed only in materials like paper, paperboard or materials derived from naturally occurring substances.

“Pan Masala shall be packed only in paper or paperboard or cellulose-based materials or other materials derived from naturally occurring substances free from plastic material,” FSSAI said in a draft notification.