What Is Food-Grade PET? A 2026 Guide for FMCG Brands.
If you’re sourcing packaging for spices, dry fruits, ghee, or confectionery, you’ve probably seen dozens of suppliers claim their jars are “food grade.” Few explain what that actually means — or how to verify it before placing a bulk order. Here’s what the term covers in India in 2026, and how one FMCG brand used it to solve a real packaging problem.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!What “Food Grade” Actually Means
Food-grade PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is plastic resin that’s approved for direct contact with food and tested to confirm it won’t leach harmful substances into whatever it stores. In India, this isn’t a marketing label — it’s governed by specific standards.
PET intended for food contact must conform to IS 12252, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for PET and PBT resins used in packaging. Under IS 9845, plastic food-contact materials must stay within an overall migration limit of 60 mg/kg (or 10 mg/dm²), with no visible colour transfer into the food simulant used for testing. Manufacturers are also expected to hold a Declaration of Compliance and, for materials in direct or potential food contact, a conformity certificate from an NABL-accredited lab.
Recycled PET (rPET) adds another layer: in 2025, FSSAI formally authorized food-grade rPET for food contact use, but only from approved recycling processes, sourced from post-consumer food-only PET, and validated through challenge and extraction testing — not simply any recycled plastic relabeled as food-safe.
In short: “food grade” should mean a specific resin standard, a migration-limit test result, and paperwork you can ask to see — not just a claim on a product listing.
Why This Matters More in 2026
FSSAI’s Labelling and Display Amendment, issued in 2026 and taking effect in mid-2027, tightens declaration and traceability requirements across packaged food categories. Brands that can’t show clean documentation on their packaging supplier now will have less runway to fix it later. For FMCG brands scaling distribution, this makes supplier verification a compliance issue, not just a quality one.
Case Study: Solving Packaging Consistency for a Growing Sweets Brand
Shagun Sweets, an established confectionery brand, was scaling from local to regional distribution and ran into a common growth problem: as order volumes grew, packaging quality started drifting across production batches — inconsistent cap fit, minor clarity variation, seals that weren’t uniformly airtight.
Working with Radhika Polymers, a Ghaziabad-based PET manufacturer operating since 1998, the brand switched to food-grade PET jars with metal-finish screw caps. The choice was driven by two needs at once: shelf appeal (crystal-clear jar body, premium cap finish) and function (an airtight seal to protect freshness through transit and retail shelf life).
The result was consistent packaging quality across repeat bulk orders — which mattered more to the brand long-term than chasing the lowest per-piece price. That trade-off shows up repeatedly across FMCG buyers: a jar that’s marginally cheaper but inconsistent across batches tends to cost more in returns, complaints, and repackaging than the original savings were worth.
What to Ask Before You Order
- Ask for the resin standard and test documentation — IS 12252 compliance and IS 9845 migration test results, not just a verbal “yes, food grade.”
- Request a physical sample before committing to a bulk order — check clarity, cap fit, and seal quality yourself.
- Confirm MOQ and lead time upfront — most manufacturers in this space, including Radhika Polymers, work around 5,000 pieces per SKU.
- Check the closure, not just the jar — a food-grade jar with a mismatched or low-quality cap is still a seal-failure risk.
Frequently Asked Questions :-
What makes PET "food grade" in India?
It must be made from resin conforming to IS 12252, tested for migration limits under IS 9845, and backed by supplier documentation — not just a marketing claim.
Is recycled PET (rPET) allowed for food packaging in India?
Yes, since FSSAI’s 2025 authorization — but only food-grade rPET from FSSAI-approved recycling processes, sourced from food-only post-consumer PET, and validated through challenge and extraction testing.
What migration limit does food-grade PET have to meet?
Under IS 9845, the overall migration limit is 60 mg/kg (or 10 mg/dm²), with no visible colour migration into the food simulant.
How do I verify a supplier's claim before a bulk order?
Ask for their Declaration of Compliance and an NABL-accredited lab’s conformity certificate, and request a physical sample before committing.
Does the FSSAI Labelling Amendment 2026 affect packaging suppliers?
It primarily affects labelling and declaration requirements for food business operators, effective July 2027 — but it raises the bar for traceability, making supplier documentation more important upfront.
What's a common mistake FMCG brands make when choosing a jar supplier?
Prioritizing the lowest price per piece over batch-to-batch consistency — inconsistent quality tends to cost more later in returns and repackaging than it saves upfront.
