India
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is currently accepting comments on its revised Guide on Suitability of Plastics for Food Packaging. According to BIS, “[t]his standard covers primarily various thermoplastics singly or in combination which are considered suitable for direct food contact applications. This standard provides a general guidance to the food packer in selecting the specific thermoplastic material, singly or in combination, to design an acceptable food packaging system.” The document was last revised in 1999; major updates include that “[t]hermoplastics such as Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate and Nitrocellulose have been deleted for use in direct contact with the food because of health [and] safety related concerns.”
Effective March 28, 2025, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) amended packaging regulations to allow recycled PET in food packaging. This follows earlier 2022 amendments on migration limits for phthalates and metals (FPF reported).
Indonesia
Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) officially notified the WTO in November 2024 of a new food contact material regulation covering all major material groups. It sets overall and specific migration limits, a positive list and banned substances, with a compliance period up to 12 months post‑promulgation. The final document looks to be the same as the draft regulation published in October 2023 (FPF reported).
In parallel, the Ministry of Industry enacted Regulation No. 6 of 2025, on January 24, 2025. It mandates the new Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 8218:2024 for paper and cardboard primary food packaging developed by the National Standardization Agency in 2024. The previous standard was developed in 2015. Regulation No. 6 also includes quality standards (ISO 9001), and declaration of conformity (e.g., DoC in the EU) requirements. It comes into force on July 24, 2025.
Singapore
Singapore has advanced regulatory oversight of food-contact materials and packaging waste with two major developments. The Food Safety and Security Bill, passed in January 2025, provides the legal foundation for regulating food contact articles, enabling future bans on hazardous substances and allowing authorities to order product recalls. It replaces the Sale of Food Act of 1973. Components of the new bill will go into effect between late 2025 and 2028.
Meanwhile, under the Resource Sustainability Act 2019, large businesses were required to submit their 2024 packaging data and 3R plans by March 31, 2025. These measures support a broader national strategy toward extended producer responsibility (EPR) and sustainable packaging use outlined in a Parliamentary Act in 2019.
Thailand
Chemical Watch reports that Thailand’s Ministry of Industry plans to “start regulating food contact paper… as controlled goods by the end of this year.” There are concerns of “low-quality goods potentially containing excessive levels of heavy metals and chemicals” (FPF reported, also here).
Thailand has increased its focus on food contact material related standards in recent years (FPF reported).
Additionally, according to reporting from The Guardian, as of January 1, 2025, Thailand completely stopped importing plastic waste to curb pollution. This is in line with goals laid out in late 2022 (FPF reported).
This article is part of a series from the Food Packaging Forum reviewing global regulatory and waste management from Q1 and Q2 2025. Other articles in the series cover Europe, US states, Africa and the Middle East, and South America.
References
FSSAI (March 28, 2025). “Food safety and standards authority of India notification.” The Gazette of India. (pdf)
BIS (May 26, 2025). “Draft Indian standard in wide circulation.” (pdf)
BIS (May 26, 2025). “Guide on suitability of plastics for food packaging.” (pdf)
Indonesia Ministry of Industry. (2025). “Regulation No. 6 of 2025.” (in Indonesian, pdf)
Indonesian National Standardization Agency. (2025). “SNI 8218:2024.” (in Indonesian, pdf)
Singapore Parliament. (January 2025). “Food safety and security act of 2024.”
Singapore National Environment Agency. (2025). “Mandatory packaging reporting.”
Uzair Aftab (May 15, 2025). “Thailand to regulate food contact paper as controlled products by end of year.” Chemical Watch News and Insight
Sandra Laville (January 7, 2025). “Thailand bans imports of plastic waste to curb toxic pollution.” The Guardian
Read more
Editorial Team (January 13, 2025). “Singapore Food Safety and Security Bill Passes Parliament.” Food Safety Magazine
Packaging Law (February 11, 2025). “Singapore Parliament Passes New Food Safety and Security Bill.”
Theory Wen (April 29, 2025). “Indonesia notifies mandatory standard for paper and paperboard for packaging.” ChemLinked
Ministry of Industry (Thailand). (April 25, 2025). “‘Ekanat’ concerned for consumers, controls heavy metals in “food-contact paper”, prepares businesses before enforcement in Dec 2025.” (in Thai)
