**Executive Summary**
This document answers an unstarred question in Lok Sabha regarding the presence of microplastics in food items, water, and packaged products, scheduled for December 12, 2025. It outlines government awareness of studies on microplastics, and steps taken to monitor and regulate contamination. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has funded research projects and notified packaging regulations to address the issue.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Awareness and Review:**
* The Government is aware of studies detecting microplastics in food, water, and packaging.
* Independent experts in the Scientific Panels of FSSAI review these studies.
* FSSAI considers issues based on the merits of the studies.
* **FSSAI-Funded Research Project:**
* FSSAI has funded a project by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow.
* The project, titled "Micro-and nano-plastics as emerging food contaminants," is conducted in collaboration with ICAR-CIFT, Kochi and BITS, Pilani.
* Objectives of the project include:
* Developing and validating analytical methods for identifying and quantifying micro/nano-plastics in food.
* Inter- and intra-laboratory comparison of developed methods.
* Surveillance and determination of exposure levels.
* **Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018:**
* Specifies requirements for food-grade packaging materials.
* Mandates that any material in direct contact with food must be of food-grade quality.
* Prescribes standards for plastic materials intended to contact food, referencing Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications.
* Sets an overall migration limit for plastic packaging materials of 60mg/kg or 10mg/dm2 when tested per IS 9845 with no visible colour migration.
**Impact Analysis**
**FSSAI Scientific Panels and Experts**
* **Impact:** Responsible for reviewing studies related to microplastics in food, water, and packaged products.
* **Action Required:** Evaluate studies based on their scientific merit and provide recommendations to FSSAI.
**CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, ICAR-CIFT, Kochi, and BITS, Pilani**
* **Impact:** Responsible for conducting research on micro-and nano-plastics as emerging food contaminants.
* **Action Required:** Execute the research project according to its stated objectives, including developing analytical methods, conducting comparisons, and determining exposure levels.
**Manufacturers and Suppliers of Food Packaging Materials**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018.
* **Action Required:** Ensure that packaging materials are of food-grade quality and meet the specified migration limits, as determined by IS 9845.
**Consumers**
* **Impact:** Directly affected by the safety of food packaging and potential exposure to microplastics.
* **Action Required:** (Implicit) Benefit from the government's efforts to monitor and regulate microplastic contamination in food and packaging.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): The regulatory body responsible for food safety standards, including those related to packaging.
Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018: Regulations concerning food-grade packaging, specifying requirements for materials that come into contact with food.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The ministry responsible for addressing the presence of microplastics in food items.
Lucknow: Location of CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, which received funding from FSSAI for the study on microplastics.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Organization referenced by the FSSAI regulations for plastic material standards in food packaging.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2131
TO BE ANSWEREDON12TH DECEMBER, 2025
PRESENCE OFMICROPLASTICS IN FOODITEMS
2131. SHRIPC MOHAN:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has conducted or reviewed any studies on the presence of
microplastics infood materials,water, andpackaged productsin the countryand if so, the details
thereof;
(b) the findings regarding the health and environmental risks arising from ingestion or long-term
exposure tomicroplastics;
(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to monitor, regulate and reduce
microplastic contamination infood, packagingandwater systems;
(d) whether the Government proposes to introduce limits or standards for microplastic content in
consumable itemsinthe countryandif so, the detailsthereof; and
(e) the alternative packaging materials and technologies being promoted to replace microplastic-
based productsandreduce plastic leakageintothe food chain?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to(e): The Government is aware of the study which detected microplastics infood materials,
water, and packaged products. Various studies conducted by different organizations have been
reviewed by the independent experts in the Scientific Panels of Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI). Issues are considered based on the merits of the studies by the
experts.
FSSAIhasfundedtheprojectbyCSIR-IndianInstituteofToxicologyResearch, Lucknow,ICAR-Central institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi and Birla Institute of
Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani titled "Micro-and nano-plastics as emerging food
contaminants: Establishing validated Methodologies and understanding the prevalence in
different food matrices". The objectivesof the projectare:-
i. Development and validation of analytical methods for identification and
quantificationof micro/nano-plastics infoods matrices.
ii. Inter- and intra-laboratory comparison of developed methods in identified food
matrices.
iii. Surveillance and determination of exposure levels of micro-/nano-plastics in
identifiedfoods matrices.
FSSAI hasalso notified the Food SafetyandStandards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018,
wherein, requirements for food-grade packaging are specified. It mandates 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. It also prescribes standards for plastic materials intended to come into
contact with food products, which makes reference to the corresponding Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) specifications. These standards are on par with international standards,
therebyensuring consistency with globalfood safety practices.
Further, it specifies that 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
novisible colourmigration.
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