FSSAI bans plastic and aluminium foil in pan masala packaging from 10 August
Pan masala must now use plastic-free paper, paperboard, cellulose or other natural materials, alongside tin and glass containers. The rule removes plastic, aluminium foil and metallised layers from permitted packaging formats.
The development
FSSAI has barred plastic, aluminium foil and metallised layers in pan masala packaging. From 10 August 2026, pan masala may be packed only in plastic-free paper, paperboard, cellulose or other natural materials, plus tin and glass containers.
The numbers
- 10 August 2026
- Food Safety and Standards Packaging Amendment Regulations 2026
- Packaging Regulations 2018
- Schedule 4
- 28 April 2026
- 60 days
- Food Safety and Standards Act 2006
- Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016
Why it matters to operators and investors
Packaging groups should assess acquisitions or partnerships in paper-based barrier, cellulose and recyclable rigid-packaging capabilities to capture the mandated format transition.
What to watch next
- FSSAI clarifications on whether paper packs may use coatings, inks, adhesives, waxes or thin barrier layers and how 'metallised layers' are defined.
- State food-safety enforcement notices, seizure activity, penalties and any grace period for pre-deadline inventory.
- Announcements of capacity expansion, price increases or supply allocation by paperboard, cellulose-film, tin and glass suppliers.
- Pan masala brand launches in tins, glass, paper sachets or multipack formats, plus disclosed packaging-cost pass-through.
- Evidence of retail stockouts, declining sachet availability, increased loose sales or counterfeit/illicit product activity after 10 August.
- Legal challenges or industry representations seeking amendments, exemptions or delayed implementation.
- Audit all pan masala SKUs for plastic, foil, metallised film, adhesive and barrier-layer exposure; freeze procurement of non-compliant materials for post-deadline production.
- Qualify multiple suppliers of coated paper, paperboard, cellulose films, tin and glass; secure capacity for moisture and aroma barrier applications.
- Redesign packs and run accelerated shelf-life, migration, sealing, transit-damage and humidity testing before commercial conversion.
- Build a state-by-state compliance plan, including retailer inventory withdrawal, documentation, regulatory engagement and inspection-response protocols.
- Rework pricing, pack-size architecture and trade margins to absorb higher packaging costs without sharply weakening consumer affordability.
- Monitor whether adjacent products, including tobacco-linked mouth fresheners and supari-based products, receive similar packaging restrictions.
The counter-case
The commercial impact may be overstated: manufacturers can redesign packs using compliant paper-based laminates, cellulose films or tin-lined formats, while large packaging converters are likely already developing substitutes. The rule could shift material mix and margin allocation rather than disrupt pan masala volumes. Enforcement may also be uneven, especially across fragmented regional producers, limiting immediate demand destruction or industry-wide cost inflation.