Parliament Question: Microplastics in Packaged and Processed Foods

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3226 TO BE ANSWERED ON07THAUGUST, 2026 MICROPLASTICS IN PACKAGED AND PROCESSED FOODS

3226.DR. M PABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:

(a) whether the Government is aware of recent studies highlighting the rising contamination of microplastics leaching from plastic packaging into packaged foods and beverages, if so, the detailsthereof;

(b) whether any national survey or risk assessment has been conducted by food safety authoritiesto quantifyhumanexposure to microplasticsthrough packaged food products, if so, the detailsthereof;

(c) whether the Government plans to establish safety thresholds or standardised testing standards for microplastic levels infood items, if so, the detailsthereof; and

(d) the concrete regulatory steps being taken by the Government to promote safe, biodegradablepackaging alternativestosafeguard public health? ANSWER THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006isa shared responsibility between the Central andStateGovernments.

FSSAI has funded the project by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, ICAR-Central institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani titled "Micro-and nano-plastics as

emerging food contaminants: Establishing validated Methodologies and understanding the prevalenceindifferent food matrices". The objectivesof the project are:- i. Development and validation of analytical methods for identification and quantificationof micro/nano-plastics infoods matrices.ii. Inter- and intra-laboratory comparison of developed methods in identified food matrices.

iii. Surveillance and determination of exposure levels of micro-/nano-plastics in identifiedfoods matrices.

FSSAIhasalso notifiedtheFoodSafetyandStandards(Packaging)Regulations,2018, wherein, requirements for food-grade packaging are specified. It mandates that any material which comes in direct contact with food or likely to come in contact with food used for packaging, preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation and sale or service of food shall be of food grade quality. It also prescribes standards for plastic materials intended to come into contact with food products, which makes reference to the corresponding Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications. These standards are on par with international standards, thereby ensuring consistency with global food safety practices. Further, it specifies that all packaging materials of plastic origin shall pass the prescribed overall migration limit of 60mg/kgor 10mg/dm2when tested asperIS 9845with novisible colourmigration.

The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 also specifies that every food business operator shall obtain the certificate of conformity issued by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) against these regulations for the packaging material which comes in direct contact with food or layers likelytocome incontact with food tobe used.

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