The study to be conducted by the consumer affairs ministry’s standardization arm—the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)—will help determine if existing packaging safety limits are still effective amid higher ambient heat, longer transport durations and shifting storage patterns caused by climate change.
It will examine how chemicals from various types of plastic packaging including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled-PET, polycarbonate, and laminated films leach into food when exposed to intense heat and humidity, one person said. The findings will determine if the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, need to be revised, this person added.
Any change in packaging standards will result in higher compliance requirements for major food delivery platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy. The development assumes significance for India’s $22.48 billion plastic packaging market and the $48 billion food delivery market.
The Indian online food delivery market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 27.3% to $537.23 billion during the period from 2025 to 2034. The sector’s expansion is driven by rising consumption of packaged food and beverages, rapid growth in e-commerce, and increasing reliance on delivery-based services across urban centres
Queries sent to the consumer affairs ministry, the BIS, Zomato and Swiggy remained unanswered till the time of publishing.
The evaluation of the norms has been initiated keeping in mind that the country has been experiencing record heat spells, especially in the northern and western regions, where even small temperature variations can affect the integrity of packaging materials, the second person said. On the basis of the study’s findings, the rules will be revised, this person added.
Packaging integrity
“With India’s climatic profile changing and delivery-based food consumption becoming a daily norm, it’s essential to test packaging safety in real Indian conditions rather than rely only on global standards,” said Ashim Sanyal, chief executive officer of Consumer Voice. “This study could serve as a model for other tropical economies where similar environmental pressures affect packaging performance.”
According to Ankit Gupta, president of the Authentication Solution Providers’ Association, the initiative is both timely and essential.
“As consumers express concerns about product safety linked to packaging integrity, there is an urgent need to ensure that packaging not only preserves product quality but also maintains authenticity and traceability, even in rising temperature conditions. As climate conditions evolve, this initiative will play a crucial role in strengthening consumer trust and promoting innovation towards safer, sustainable, and authentic packaging practices,” Gupta said.
“It is true that plastic leaches out when it comes into contact with food, but within defined safety limits,” said Ravi Singh Awadhwanshi, advisor and senior consultant (visiting), product packaging development at 4P Centre.
However, it is a fact that leaching increases at elevated temperatures, Awadhwanshi said. In addition to migration limits, packaging materials must be free from heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, he said.
“These limits, if made mandatory, could be accompanied by clear markings on packages to indicate suitability for elevated temperatures and to ensure single-use only for added safety,” Awadhwanshi said.
India recorded an average of 19.8 heatwave days in 2024, of which 6.6 days would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, according to the 2025 Lancet Countdown report published in October. It estimated that heat exposure in 2024 resulted in the loss of 247 billion potential labour hours, mostly in the agriculture and construction sectors, amounting to an economic loss of about $194 billion.
Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that February 2025 was the hottest and one of the driest in India in 125 years. The situation was more critical in the southern peninsular and central India, while it was marginally better in east, northeast and northwest India, as per the IMD.