FSSAI’s guidelines for rPET in F&B packaging

A notification issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) consists of guidelines that specify the parameters for testing, process requirements, approval criteria, marking and labelling, documentation, and authorisation for converting post-consumer PET into recycled PET (rPET) appropriate for producing food and beverage packaging.

The Association of PET Recyclers (Bharat) have voiced concerns on 2 June about FSSAI’s delayed issue of licenses. Production budgets and timelines may be impacted due to the delays, and the body raised concerns that, as a result, factories established by recycled PET producers may be forced into bankruptcy.

Leaders in the industry are concerned that it will take two to three years to expand recycling capacities despite ongoing investments. Only five FSSAI-approved recycled plants are capable of producing food-grade rPET, which satisfies 15% of industry demand, according to industry experts present at the fourth edition of ResPack International Conference in Mumbai.

India’s top bottlers have introduced 100% rPET bottles for beverages, and they are committed to scaling eco-friendly packaging solutions across operations. This resonated at the ResPack conference, where industry is confident about the use of recycled materials, but a reinforcement of India’s shared responsibility towards environmental stewardship.

According to the guidelines, only rPET produced using verified decontamination procedures and recycling technologies that have been certified by the FSSAI will be accepted for use in food and beverage packaging. Authorised recycling technologies include melt-in and super-clean recycling, which involve decontamination procedures to guarantee food safety.

This means that manufacturers and operators of food businesses must comply with strict testing and documentation criteria stipulated by the FSSAI. To guarantee the quality and safety of recycled PET, the notification requires a number of testing methods.

These consist of the migration, extraction, and challenge tests. By ensuring that recycled plastic packaging is safe for direct food contact and supporting India’s efforts to create a circular economy, these regulations seek to ensure that recycled plastics used in FCM-rPET meet strict safety standards, advance sustainability, and increase consumer confidence.

Guidelines for labelling and marking materials of the FCM-rPET resin have been included in the notification. The materials must include the FCM-rPET-X symbol, where X symbolises the percentage of recycled resin utilised. In addition, the label must mention that the packaging material is composed of rPET.

The announcement was made in accordance with the recently enacted Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, which repeal the earlier prohibition on the use of recycled plastics in applications involving FCM. Manufacturers can now package, store, transport, and dispense food goods using rPET, given that the packaging material meets strict safety standards.