What Packaging Materials Are Allowed for Food Delivery in India? FSSAI and SUP Rules Explained

Two regulations govern what you can and cannot use to package food for delivery in India: the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, and the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022. Between them, they define which materials are legal, which are banned, and what documentation you need to prove compliance.

India’s online food delivery market reached USD 12.3 billion in 2025 and is growing at 18.5% CAGR (RedSeer Strategy Consultants, 2025). That growth means more packaging in circulation, more regulatory scrutiny, and more penalties for operators who get it wrong. A single violation under the Environment Protection Act can attract fines up to INR 1 crore and potential imprisonment.

This article lists exactly what is allowed, what is banned, and what compliance steps food delivery operators and cloud kitchens need to follow.

Key takeaways

• The SUP ban (effective July 2022) prohibits plastic plates, cups, cutlery, stirrers, straws, trays, and polystyrene containers for food service. These items are illegal regardless of whether the plastic is “food grade.”
• FSSAI Packaging Regulations 2018 require all food-contact materials to be food grade, safe for human consumption, and conforming to specified Indian Standards (IS codes).
• Allowed materials include bagasse moulded fibre, food-grade paper and paperboard (meeting IS 6615, IS 1776), aluminium containers, and compostable materials certified under IS 17088.
• Newspaper, non-food-grade recycled paper, and any plastic item on the SUP banned list are prohibited for food contact.
• EPR for Packaging Rules (effective April 2026) add a compliance layer: brands, aggregators, and cloud kitchens must register on the CPCB portal and meet end-of-life targets for their packaging.

The two regulatory frameworks

FSSAI Packaging Regulations 2018

The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 regulate what materials can touch food. The rules apply to every entity in the food chain: manufacturers, restaurants, cloud kitchens, delivery aggregators, and packaging suppliers.

The core requirements are straightforward. All packaging that directly contacts food must be food grade and must not transfer harmful substances to the food. Materials must conform to the Indian Standards listed in Schedule I of the regulations. Packaging must protect the food from contamination, deterioration, and environmental exposure during storage and transit.

Schedule I specifies acceptable materials with their IS codes:
– Greaseproof paper: IS 6622
– Vegetable parchment: IS 7161
– General wrapping paper: IS 6615
– Folding box board: IS 1776
– Aluminium foil: IS 8970

Materials not listed in Schedule I, or materials that have not been tested for food-contact safety, are not compliant. The most common violation is using non-food-grade recycled paper or newspaper for wrapping food. FSSAI has explicitly prohibited newspaper for food contact because printing inks contain mineral oils (MOSH/MOAH) that migrate into food.

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022

The SUP ban, effective 1 July 2022, prohibits the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of specific single-use plastic items. For food delivery, the banned items include:

• Plastic plates and trays
• Plastic cups and glasses
• Plastic cutlery (forks, spoons, knives)
• Plastic stirrers
• Plastic straws
• Polystyrene (thermocol/styrofoam) containers
• Plastic carry bags below 120 microns (raised from 75 microns)

The ban is material-specific, not application-specific. A plastic plate is banned whether it is used in a restaurant, at a catering event, or for home delivery. “Biodegradable plastic” is not an exemption unless it meets IS 17088 compostability certification.

Allowed materials for food delivery packaging

Moulded fibre (bagasse)

Bagasse plates, bowls, trays, clamshells, and meal containers are compliant under both FSSAI food-contact requirements and the SUP ban. Products certified under IS 17088 additionally qualify as compostable, which simplifies EPR compliance. Bagasse handles temperatures up to 220 degrees C, resists moderate grease, and is microwave safe.

For food delivery, specify coated bagasse products (water-based, PFAS-free coatings) for items with heavy gravy or oil. For the format-level decision – venting, condensation and hold time – see how to choose packaging that keeps food hot without getting soggy. Uncoated bagasse handles dry to moderately oily food for 30 to 45 minutes, which covers most delivery windows.

Food-grade paper and paperboard

Paper and paperboard meeting IS 6615 (wrapping paper) and IS 1776 (folding box board) are compliant for food contact. Paper works for dry food items: sandwiches, burgers, baked goods, wraps. It does not work for wet or oily Indian food, where it softens within 15 to 20 minutes.

For wet food applications, paper with food-safe coatings (not PFAS-based) extends hold time. Confirm that the coating itself is food-grade tested, as the base paper certification alone does not cover the coating.

Aluminium containers

Food-grade aluminium containers are compliant and handle high temperatures, grease, and liquids. They are widely used for biryani, curries, and dal delivery. The drawback is that aluminium is not compostable and requires recycling infrastructure. Under EPR rules, aluminium packaging requires recycling target compliance.

Compostable materials (IS 17088 certified)

Any material certified under IS 17088 (Indian standard for compostable materials) is both SUP-compliant and EPR-advantaged. IS 17088 requires:
– 90% biodegradation within 180 days
– 90% disintegration into particles below 2mm within 12 weeks
– No ecotoxicity to plant growth
– Heavy metal content below specified limits

Materials that claim “biodegradable” without IS 17088 certification are not necessarily compliant. The certification is the dividing line between a legal claim and a marketing claim.

Banned materials: what you cannot use

The penalty framework is tiered. FSSAI violations can result in improvement notices, fines, license suspension, or cancellation. Environment Protection Act violations for SUP non-compliance can reach INR 1 crore and imprisonment. In practice, enforcement varies by state and municipality, but major metro areas (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai) are actively enforcing.

EPR for Packaging Rules: the 2026 addition

The Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Rules, effective April 2026, add a third compliance layer. Brand owners, importers, and e-commerce entities (including delivery aggregators) must:

1. Register on the CPCB portal
2. File half-yearly and annual returns declaring packaging quantities
3. Meet recycling or composting targets for their packaging
4. Maintain records and documentation for audit

For food delivery operators, this means tracking how much packaging you put into the market and ensuring that an equivalent quantity is recycled or composted. Compostable packaging certified under IS 17088 simplifies this because it enters organic waste streams. Non-compostable packaging (aluminium, paper without compostability certification) requires proof of recycling.

Cloud kitchens and delivery-only brands are directly captured by these rules. Restaurant brands selling through aggregators (Swiggy, Zomato) need to clarify with the aggregator who holds the EPR obligation for the packaging.

Compliance steps for food delivery operators

Step 1: Audit your current packaging. List every packaging item used in your delivery operations: primary containers, lids, cutlery, bags, wraps, and inserts. Check each item against the SUP banned list and FSSAI Schedule I.

Step 2: Request documentation from suppliers. For every packaging item, obtain: food-grade test report from an NABL-accredited laboratory, IS 17088 certificate (if claiming compostable), and material safety data sheet for any coatings.

Step 3: Replace non-compliant items. Prioritise replacing any SUP-banned items still in stock. Then address FSSAI non-compliance (newspaper, non-food-grade paper).

Step 4: Register for EPR. If you are a brand owner or importer, register on the CPCB portal before the April 2026 deadline. File your first returns as required.

Step 5: Train staff. Ensure kitchen and packaging staff know which items are allowed and which are banned. The most common violations happen when staff substitute banned items during stock shortages or peak demand periods.

Frequently asked questions

Is all coated paper allowed for food delivery in India?
Only paper with food-safe coatings that meet FSSAI requirements. The base paper must conform to relevant IS codes (IS 6615, IS 1776), and the coating must be tested for food-contact safety. PFAS-based coatings are under regulatory review; a draft FSSAI amendment proposes restricting them.

Can restaurants still use plastic containers for delivery?
Plastic containers that are not on the SUP banned list (for example, rigid PP containers above specified thickness) are technically allowed. However, under EPR rules effective April 2026, using plastic creates additional compliance obligations. Many operators are transitioning to compostable alternatives to simplify compliance.

What happens if my supplier provides packaging without certification?
You assume the compliance risk. If the packaging is non-compliant, the restaurant or cloud kitchen using it is liable, not just the supplier. Always obtain and keep food-grade test reports and IS 17088 certificates on file.

Are biodegradable plastics allowed under the SUP ban?
Only if they are certified under IS 17088. The term “biodegradable” alone is not sufficient. Many materials marketed as biodegradable do not meet the composting timeframe, disintegration, or ecotoxicity requirements of IS 17088.

Do delivery aggregators (Swiggy, Zomato) have packaging compliance obligations?
Yes. Under EPR rules, e-commerce entities have obligations for the packaging they put into the market. The specific allocation of responsibility between the restaurant, the aggregator, and the brand depends on the commercial arrangement. Clarify this contractually.

How do I verify that a packaging product is genuinely IS 17088 certified?
Ask the supplier for the IS 17088 certificate issued by an accredited testing laboratory. The certificate should name the specific products (not just the raw material) and include test results for biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity, and heavy metals. If the supplier can only provide a brochure or a self-declaration, the product is not certified.

Need compliant packaging for your food delivery operations? Talk to our team about IS 17088 certified compostable containers, food-grade paper, and EPR compliance support.

Specifying paper for food wrap and carry applications? Pakka’s food wrap and carry paper range carries spec sheets with food-contact and barrier data on the category page. For grade-level questions, talk to the Pakka team.

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