India is conducting consultations on a new standard for PET bottles for edible oils.

On 18 May 2023 the Indian Standards Bureau (BIS) published a draft revised standard regarding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for packaging of edible oils. PET, a plastic resin formed by poly-condensation reaction of ethylene glycol with either terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate, is a commonly used material for FCM. BIS will be accepting comments on this draft until 17 July 2023. 

In India Food Contact Materials (FCMs) are regulated under Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) and its related regulations such as Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations (2020) and Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations (2018). Last year, the authority also published a Direction regarding the use of recycled plastics. In addition to the FCM regulations, the Indian government also uses BIS standards to address individual materials used for packing food or have direct contact with food.  

The draft revised standard prescribes the requirements and methods of sampling and testing for PET bottles up to 5 kg or 5 liters of edible oil and has a total migration limit for all compounds of 60 mg/kg,  

Additionally, the updated draft sets the following precise limitations for heavy metals and the phthalate DEHP: 

According to the specification, PET material must be virgin grade and in compliance with Indian Standard (IS) 12252:2017. For bottles to be recyclable, additives for biodegradability or compostability must be avoided. High density polyethylene (HDPE) or another virgin food-grade polymer must be used for plastic bottle caps. The IS 15495 standard must be followed for all printing inks and coating chemicals used on labels, and all inks, coatings, glues, and adhesives must be bisphenol-free.