Food Packaging India: FSSAI Compliance Guide

Every food product that reaches an Indian consumer travels inside packaging. That packaging is not just a container — it is a legal document, a safety system, and a brand touchpoint rolled into one. Whether you are launching a cloud kitchen, scaling a D2C snack brand, or supplying to modern retail, the packaging materials and labels you choose must meet specific standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Getting this wrong does not just result in a fine; it can shut down your food business. Explore food-grade packaging solutions at Unbox It that are designed to meet Indian regulatory requirements from day one.

Unbox It has worked with Indian food entrepreneurs across categories including bakery, spices, ready-to-eat meals, dairy alternatives, and nutraceuticals. Our packaging advisory experience, combined with direct sourcing relationships with food-grade material manufacturers, means we understand the gap between what brands want and what regulations permit. Learn more about our work and team on the Unbox It about page.

This guide covers everything you need to know about food packaging regulations, FSSAI compliance, approved materials, mandatory labelling, and best practices — so you can build a food brand that is both compelling and legally sound.

Written by Sahil Rao, Packaging Consultant.

Last reviewed: May 2026

1. What Is Food Packaging and Why Does Regulation Matter?

Food packaging is any material — rigid, flexible, or semi-rigid — that encloses, protects, or presents a food product at any point between production and consumption. Its functions span physical protection from damage, contamination barrier against microbes and moisture, tamper evidence, and consumer communication through labelling.

In India, the food processing sector is one of the largest employers and a critical export earner. The FSSAI estimates that packaged food retail in India was worth over Rs 5 lakh crore in 2024 and is growing at around 9 percent annually, driven by urbanisation, rising incomes, and the D2C boom. With that growth comes elevated regulatory scrutiny. Contamination through packaging is a real and documented risk: inappropriate plastics can leach phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) into food; recycled paperboard can transfer mineral oils; and non-food-grade adhesives in multi-layer laminates can migrate into food over time.

Regulation exists to protect consumers from these risks. It also creates a level playing field: brands that invest in compliant, quality packaging are not undercut by competitors who skip safety requirements. For food entrepreneurs, understanding the regulatory framework is not a bureaucratic burden — it is a competitive and legal necessity.

2. How FSSAI Governs Food Packaging in India

FSSAI operates under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and administers a suite of regulations covering food safety, labelling, quality standards, and packaging. The primary instrument governing packaging materials is the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, which replaced earlier BIS standards for food contact materials and consolidated requirements in a single framework.

Key Regulatory Instruments

The 2018 Packaging Regulations specify which materials are permitted for food contact, what additives are allowed in those materials, and what migration limits apply. Alongside these, the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 govern what information must appear on food packaging and how it must be presented. Both sets of regulations are amended periodically, and food businesses must monitor FSSAI's official communications for updates.

FSSAI also issues Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations that directly ban certain packaging types — most notably single-use plastics below specified thickness thresholds, in line with India's broader plastic waste reduction policy under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 as amended in 2022.

Who Needs to Comply

Compliance obligations extend to food business operators (FBOs) of all sizes: manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers. If you sell food in India, the packaging it comes in must comply with FSSAI regulations regardless of whether you manufactured the packaging yourself or sourced it from a third party. The legal responsibility rests with the FBO whose FSSAI license number appears on the pack.

3. Approved Food Packaging Materials Under FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 provide a positive list — meaning only materials explicitly approved are permitted for food contact. Materials not on the list are not allowed, regardless of whether they appear safe in general use.

Migration Limits and Testing

Beyond material type, FSSAI sets migration limits — the maximum amount of a substance that can pass from packaging into food. The overall migration limit (OML) for plastics is 60 milligrams per kilogram of food (or per 6 square decimetres of packaging surface area). Specific migration limits (SML) apply to individual substances such as monomers and additives. Food brands procuring packaging should request migration test certificates from accredited laboratories, particularly for products with high fat, acid, or moisture content, as these accelerate chemical migration.

4. Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Packaging Explained

Understanding the three levels of food packaging helps you apply regulations correctly. Not all packaging levels face the same compliance requirements.

Primary Packaging

Primary packaging is in direct contact with the food. This is where FSSAI material regulations are strictest. Examples include the plastic pouch inside a cereal box, the PET bottle containing juice, or the aluminium foil wrapping a chocolate bar. Every material specification in the FSSAI Packaging Regulations applies to primary packaging.

Secondary Packaging

Secondary packaging groups multiple primary units together and may carry the consumer-facing branding and label. The cardboard box that holds six packets of biscuits is secondary packaging. FSSAI labelling requirements apply fully to secondary packaging when it is the outermost layer seen by the consumer. Material regulations are less strict at this level — recycled cardboard is permitted — but any component that could contact food through migration or leakage must still be food-safe.

Tertiary Packaging

Tertiary packaging is used for bulk handling and logistics — shrink wrap on pallets, corrugated outer cartons, strapping. This level is largely outside FSSAI's direct food-contact material requirements but must still comply with environmental regulations including plastic waste management rules.

5. FSSAI Labelling Requirements for Food Packaging

The Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 are the most detailed piece of food packaging law Indian brands must comply with. These regulations specify what must appear on the label, how it must appear, and in what font size and colour contrast it must be displayed.

Mandatory Label Elements

Every pre-packaged food product sold in India must display the following on its label: the name of the food, a complete list of ingredients in descending order of weight including food additives with their class names and INS numbers, nutritional information per 100g or 100ml, the net quantity by weight or volume, the name and complete address of the manufacturer or importer, the country of origin for imported products, the FSSAI license number of the manufacturer, a batch or lot number for traceability, the date of manufacture, and the best before or use by date.

Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Symbols

India is unique in requiring explicit symbols to indicate vegetarian and non-vegetarian status. A green circle inside a green square indicates a vegetarian product; a brown or maroon circle inside a brown square indicates non-vegetarian. These symbols must appear prominently on the principal display panel. Products containing eggs are classified as non-vegetarian under FSSAI.

Allergen Declarations

FSSAI requires allergen information to be declared on labels whenever a product contains or may contain any of the major allergens recognised in Indian regulations, including cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, and sulphites above 10 mg/kg. The declaration must be clear, legible, and in a colour that contrasts with the background.

6. How to Choose the Right Food Packaging Format

Selecting a packaging format involves balancing regulatory compliance, product requirements, shelf life, consumer experience, and cost. Here is a decision framework used in practice when advising Indian food brands.

Step 1: Identify the Food's Key Vulnerabilities

Different foods have different enemies. Moisture-sensitive products like dry snacks, spices, and cereals need high-barrier flexible films such as BOPP laminates or metallised polyester. Fatty foods like ghee and chocolates are vulnerable to oxidation and require oxygen-barrier packaging. Fresh produce needs breathable films or ventilated containers to prevent anaerobic deterioration. Understand your product's vulnerabilities before choosing a format.

Step 2: Match Shelf Life to Packaging Technology

Products requiring shelf lives of 12 months or more typically need vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) combined with high-barrier materials. Products with short shelf lives of one to four weeks can often use simpler formats. The packaging format must support the shelf life claim on your label — a mismatch creates both a consumer safety risk and an FSSAI violation.

Step 3: Consider the Distribution Channel

Packaging for modern retail must survive a logistics chain involving sorting machines, distribution centres, and retail shelf handling. D2C shipping requires packaging that survives courier handling. Food service packaging prioritises speed of use and portion control over retail aesthetics. Each channel has different structural requirements that must be designed into the packaging from the start.

Step 4: Factor in Regulatory Compliance Before Finalising

Any format under consideration must be checked against the FSSAI Packaging Regulations before tooling or printing commitments are made. Changing packaging formats after regulatory review is expensive. Build compliance verification into your design process, not as a final step.

7. Common Compliance Mistakes Indian Food Brands Make

After working with dozens of Indian food entrepreneurs, certain compliance errors appear repeatedly. Understanding these in advance can save significant time and money.

Using Recycled Plastic for Primary Packaging

Many small-scale producers source inexpensive packaging without checking whether the plastic is virgin or recycled grade. Recycled plastics are explicitly prohibited for direct food contact under FSSAI regulations. The cost saving is real but the liability is greater. Always request a virgin resin certificate from your packaging supplier.

Incorrect Date Format on Labels

FSSAI specifies that dates must be printed in DD/MM/YYYY format. Using MM/YYYY or any other format is a labelling violation. The date must also be legible and printed directly on the pack — not on a sticker applied over another surface.

Missing or Incorrect FSSAI License Number

The FSSAI 14-digit license number must appear on the principal display panel. Some brands print only a state-level registration number or omit the number entirely on secondary SKUs. All units of a product — regardless of pack size — must carry the correct, current FSSAI number.

Omitting Nutritional Information for Packaged Foods

The 2020 labelling regulations made nutritional information mandatory for all pre-packaged foods, with no exemption for small pack sizes or artisanal producers above the basic registration threshold. Many D2C brands underestimate the detail required: energy in kilocalories, protein, carbohydrate (including sugars), total fat (including saturated fat), and sodium must all be declared per 100g or 100ml.

Using Non-Compliant Colours for Veg or Non-Veg Symbols

The vegetarian and non-vegetarian symbols have specific colour requirements. Using a blue or black square instead of the required green or brown is a labelling violation. These symbols must also meet minimum size requirements relative to the pack size.

8. Sustainable Food Packaging Options Available in India

Sustainability is no longer optional for Indian food brands selling to urban, educated consumers or exporting to international markets. Fortunately, the range of FSSAI-compliant sustainable food packaging options has expanded significantly in the past three years.

Bagasse and Sugarcane Fibre Packaging

Sugarcane bagasse — the fibrous residue from sugarcane crushing — is processed into food-grade trays, plates, bowls, and clamshells. India produces approximately 350 million tonnes of sugarcane annually, making bagasse one of the most locally abundant raw materials for sustainable packaging. Bagasse packaging is compostable, moisture-resistant when appropriately coated, and increasingly available at price points competitive with virgin plastic alternatives. View Unbox It's eco-friendly food packaging range for bagasse options available for Indian businesses.

Kraft Paper and Natural Board

Kraft paper pouches with food-grade inner liners are widely used for dry foods including coffee, tea, spices, and nuts. The inner liner — typically PE or PET — provides the food-contact barrier, while the kraft outer layer provides the sustainable aesthetic. Natural board boxes are used for bakery, confectionery, and gifting applications. According to research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, paper-based food packaging has significantly lower lifecycle carbon emissions than equivalent plastic formats for short shelf-life products.

PLA (Polylactic Acid) Packaging

PLA is a bioplastic derived from plant starches, typically corn. It is compostable in industrial composting conditions and is approved by FSSAI for food contact use. PLA cups, lids, and clamshells are growing in adoption among cloud kitchens and food service operators in Indian metros. The key limitation is heat tolerance: PLA softens above approximately 55°C, making it unsuitable for hot liquids or heat-sealed applications without specialist grades.

Reusable Glass and Stainless Steel

Premium food brands are increasingly using glass jars and stainless steel tins as primary packaging, positioning the container itself as part of the product value. This approach eliminates single-use waste at the consumer end and commands a higher price point. FSSAI approval for glass and food-grade stainless steel is straightforward.

9. Expert Tips for Scaling Food Packaging Operations

As a food brand grows, packaging operations become a significant operational challenge. These are the considerations that most often catch scaling brands off-guard.

Standardise Your Packaging Specifications Early

The single most common scaling mistake is developing packaging specifications informally, then discovering inconsistencies when placing larger orders. Before scaling, create a formal packaging specification document for every SKU — specifying material grade, thickness, dimensions, print colours in Pantone codes, and required certifications. This document becomes the basis for supplier qualification and quality audits.

Build a Supplier Diversification Strategy

Single-supplier dependence for food packaging is a serious operational risk. Lead time disruptions, quality issues, or supplier shutdowns can halt production. Qualify at least two suppliers for each critical packaging component, and maintain a minimum buffer stock of four to six weeks' packaging inventory for high-velocity SKUs.

Invest in Artwork Management Before You Need It

At small scale, managing packaging artwork in email threads and shared drives is manageable. Once you have more than five SKUs or are working with multiple suppliers, a structured artwork approval process with version control becomes essential. FSSAI compliance errors most commonly enter the system during artwork updates — a new allergen ingredient gets added to a recipe but the artwork is not updated before the next print run.

Plan for Packaging Localisation

If you are selling across India's diverse linguistic regions, consider whether your packaging requires regional language labelling. While FSSAI does not mandate regional language labelling for all foods, several state governments have specific requirements, and major retail chains often preference products with regional language information. Planning for this early avoids costly reprints. Explore custom packaging options that accommodate multi-language print runs efficiently.

10. Who Uses Compliant Food Packaging in India?

Food packaging regulations apply across every segment of India's food industry. Understanding the specific requirements and priorities of each segment helps brands select packaging that serves both compliance and commercial goals.

11. Related Reading

12. Frequently Asked Questions