The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India-FSSAI has moved an amendment into the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations to include the provisions of coloured packaging material for water.
The new provision will allow the food businesses to use coloured bottles for packaged water, however the packaging material must comply with the food grade requirement under the FSS Act.
Under the new proviso, “other food grade packaging materials compatible with the water to be packaged may also be used. In such cases requirements of transparent bottle would not apply.”
Called the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) First Amendment Regulations, 2021, the stakeholders can share the comments with the FSSAI on the same.
This amendment is related to regulation number 4 of the packaging regulations which specify the requirement for primary food packaging and the amendment is proposed in the sub regulation 4 of regulation 4 related to plastic materials intended to come in contact with food products.
The sub regulation 4 has 4 clauses specifying the requirements and their provisos.
Under clause A- Plastic materials used for the manufacturing of containers for packing or storing the food products shall conform to either of the Indian Standards specifications as provided in Schedule – III:
Provided that Drinking Water (both Packaged and Mineral Water) shall be packed in colourless, transparent and tamper-proof bottles or containers made of polyethylene (PE) conforming to IS: 10146 or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conforming to IS: 10151 or polyalkylene terephthalate (PET and PBT) conforming to IS: 12252 or polypropylene (PP) conforming to IS: 10910 or food grade polycarbonate conforming to IS: 14971 or polystyrene conforming to IS: 10142 or sterile glass bottles only. The transparency of a container shall not be less than 85 percent in light transmittance:
Provided also that all pigments or colorants as specified in Indian Standard IS: 9833 may be allowed in plastic containers of five litre and above made of Polycarbonate and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) used for packaging of mineral water and packaged drinking water. The transparency of such containers shall not be less than 85 percent in light transmittance.
The new proviso will follow the above two which says, “Provided further that other food grade packaging material compatible with the water to be packaged may also be used. In such cases requirements of transparent bottle would not apply.”
Other clause under the sub regulation 4 of regulation 4 of the said packaging regulations include,
B- 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.
C- Plastic materials and articles shall not release the substances in quantities exceeding the specific migration limits listed in these regulations. And D- Pigments or Colorants for use in plastics in contact with food products and drinking water shall conform to IS: 9833. And E Products made of recycled plastics including carry bags shall not be used for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
