Tiny plastic pan masala sachets may soon be history

Pa
masala
may
ow
o ly
be
packaged
i
pape ,
pape boa d,
cellulose,
o
othe
atu ally
de ived
mate ials
(Photo:
Age cies).

NEW
DELHI:
The
ti y
plastic
sachet
that
has
become
sy o ymous
with
pa
masala
may
fi ally
be
o
its
way
out.
The
Food
Safety
a d
Sta da ds
Autho ity
of
I dia
(FSSAI)
has
otified
plastic-f ee
packagi g
o ms
fo
the
p oduct,
a
move
expe ts
say
could
fu the
e fo ceme t
of
a
existi g
ba
by
allowi g
the
food
egulato
to
act
di ectly
agai st
violato s.The
ame ded
Food
Safety
a d
Sta da ds
(Packagi g)
Regulatio s,
2026,
equi e
pa
masala
to
be
packed
o ly
i
pape ,
pape boa d,
cellulose
o
othe
atu ally
de ived
mate ials
f ee
f om
plastic,
o
i
ti
o
glass
co tai e s.
The
otificatio
p ohibits
use
of
mate ials
co tai i g
polyethyle e,
polyp opyle e,
polyeste ,
PVC,
sy thetic
polyme s,
lami ates,
alumi ium
foil
a d
metallised
laye s,
a d
also
makes
the
packagi g
subject
to
Plastic
Waste
Ma ageme t
Rules,
2016.

The
ules
came
i to
fo ce
upo
thei
publicatio
i
the
gazette

A
se io
FSSAI
official
told
TOI
that
pa
masala
has
bee
specifically
i cluded
u de
Schedule
IV
of
packagi g
egulatio s
to
p ovide
Food
Busi ess
Ope ato s
with
clea
guida ce
o
suitable
packagi g
mate ials,
give
the
widesp ead
use
of
small
si gle-use
packs
a d
the
e vi o me tal
co ce s
a isi g
f om
thei
disposal.
Howeve ,
e vi o me tal
expe ts
said
the
otificatio
p ima ily
fu the s
e fo ceme t
athe
tha
imposi g
f esh
p ohibitio .

“The
Plastic
Waste
Ma ageme t
Rules,
2016,
had
al eady
placed
a
explicit
legal
ba
o
plastic
sachets
fo
gutka,
tobacco
a d
pa
masala.
The
FSSAI
otificatio
ei fo ces
that
ma date
th ough
food
safety
egulatio s,”
said
Siddha th
G.
Si gh,
p og amme
ma age ,
solid
waste
ma ageme t
a d
ci cula
eco omy,
Ce t e
fo
Scie ce
a d
E vi o me t.He
said
e fo ceme t
of
Plastic
Waste
Ma ageme t
Rules
has
emai ed
patchy
because
it
la gely
depe ds
o
state
pollutio
co t ol
boa ds
a d
local
bodies.
B i gi g
the
equi eme t
u de
the
ambit
of
food
safety
egulatio s
will
allow
FSSAI
to
act
di ectly
agai st
Food
Busi ess
Ope ato s,
pluggi g
a
e fo ceme t
gap
that
e vi o me tal
laws
alo e
st uggled
to
add ess,
he
said.Si gh
said
pa
masala
was
specifically
ta geted
because
the
secto
elies
heavily
o
use
of
small
si gle-use
sachets,
which
have
a
high
litte i g
pote tial
a d
amo g
the
lowest
collectio
ates.