Parliament Question: Food Packaging and Recycling Infrastructure

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 4733 TO BE ANSWERED ON20th MARCH, 2026 FOOD PACKAGING AND RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE 4733. SHRI KAMAKHYAPRASAD TASA: Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a)the detailsof anyincentives, schemesor support providedbythe Government tosmall- scale Food Business Operators (FBOs) to facilitate their transition to sustainable and compliant food packagingmaterials andif so, the detailsthereof; (b) the current certification or verification framework inplace for validating recycled content in food-contact packaging materials, particularly PET, PE and PP and the manner in which India’sstandards alignwith international benchmarksandbest practices; (c) the details of the Government’s position from the perspective of food safety and regulatory oversight onthe adoptionof mechanical andchemicalrecyclingtechnologies bythe food and beverage industry for packagingmaterials; and (d) the details of the Government’s vision and policy roadmap for enabling the industrial- scale adoptionof advancedpolymer recyclingtechnologiesinthe country? ANSWER THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) to (d): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006isa shared responsibility between the Central andStateGovernments.Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has informed that it is implementing Research and Development Scheme, which is a part of Human Resource & Institutions Scheme under the umbrella scheme i.e.Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADAYojana (PMKSY). Under the scheme,financial assistance asGrant-in-aid isgiventovarious Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Central/ State Government Institutions, Government funded organizations, Research and Development (R&D) laboratories and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) recognized R&D units in private sector topromote and undertake demand driven R&D work inthe field of processed food sector for product & process development, design and development of equipment, improved storage, shelf-life, packaging etc. FSSAI has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, wherein, requirements for food-grade packaging are specified. These regulations mandate that any material which comes in direct contact with food or likely to come in contact with food used for packaging, preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation and sale or service of food shall be of food grade quality. Furthermore, FSSAI has issued guidelines for recycling of post-consumer Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) for food contact applications, which provide a regulatory framework for the use of recycled PET in food packaging, subject to strict safety requirements. These guidelines prescribe conditions such as the use of food-grade recycling technologies, compliance with migration limits, traceability of input materials and approval of recyclingprocesses toensure consumer safety. *****