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FSSAI issues guidelines for acceptance of rPET as Food Contact Material
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Thursday, 05 June, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued guidelines for acceptance of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as Food Contact Material (FCM-rPET).
According to FSSAI, these guidelines pertain only to the recycling process/operation of transforming post-consumer PET used for food applications into recycled PET as Food Contact Material (FCM-rPET) resins suitable for making Food Contact Materials and cover the acceptance criteria for using (FCM-rPET) resin in Food Contact Materials, apply only to recycling technology approved by FSSAI and do not apply to production of resins for non-food grade consumer applications.
The food authority has identified/prescribed four recycling processes including super clean recycling process, melt-in recycling process, paste-in recycling process and chemical recycling process. 
The guidelines also prescribed testing for such recycled materials, which include challenge test, extraction test, and migration test for lab analysis.
The FSSAI prescribed that Recycled PET as Food Contact Materials (FCM-rPET) shall be tested in NABL/ILAC accredited Lab in compliance with IS: 12252, IS 9845, IS 9833 and amendments or latest versions thereof.
Meanwhile, the recycling process required certain provisions to be followed which include process input, process validation, process output and process operation & management.
The guidelines lay down that the process input shall be sourced in accordance with the minimum quality standard on FCM-rPET Resin.
For process validation, tests shall be performed where applicable depending on the technology used, as specified in any national or international regulatory body.
“The level of decontamination shall be below the 220 µg/kg limit in the resin for each surrogate contaminant by a challenge test; or The level of decontamination shall be below the 10 µg/kg limit in the food or food simulant for each surrogate contaminant by a migration test. The recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as Food Contact Material (FCM-rPET) shall conform to the specifications for Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) i.e IS: 12252,” read the guidelines.
The process output shall be subject to a monitoring programme that ensures the continuity of Recycled Food Contact Material PET quality over time and under process operation & management recycling process shall operate under the principles of Good Manufacturing Practices, including the application of a quality assurance programme as established by the manufacturer.
The food authority has also launched a logo for the recycled material for the repurpose of labelling
Further, the manufacturers, converters, beverage bottlers, food packers and food businesses, are required to maintain and provide relevant documentation as specified including declaration of compliance, NOC from a. Competent au authority for capabilities regarding recycling and supply chain records.
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