Lok Sabha Question No. 2131 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Presence of Microplastics in Food Items
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri P C Mohan

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2131 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH DECEMBER, 2025

## PRESENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN FOOD ITEMS

## 2131. SHRI P C MOHAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted or reviewed any studies on the presence of microplastics in food materials, water, and packaged products in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the findings regarding the health and environmental risks arising from ingestion or long-term exposure to microplastics;
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to monitor, regulate and reduce microplastic contamination in food, packaging and water systems;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to introduce limits or standards for microplastic content in consumable items in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the alternative packaging materials and technologies being promoted to replace microplasticbased products and reduce plastic leakage into the food chain?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) to (e): The Government is aware of the study which detected microplastics in food materials, water, and packaged products. Various studies conducted by different organizations have been reviewed by the independent experts in the Scientific Panels of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Issues are considered based on the merits of the studies by the experts.

FSSAI has funded the project by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow,

ICAR-Central institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani titled "Micro-and nano-plastics as emerging food contaminants: Establishing validated Methodologies and understanding the prevalence in different food matrices". The objectives of the project are:-

- i. Development and validation of analytical methods for identification and quantification of micro/nano-plastics in foods matrices.
- ii. Interand intra-laboratory comparison of developed methods in identified food matrices.
- iii. Surveillance and determination of exposure levels of micro-/nano-plastics in identified foods matrices.

FSSAI has also notified the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, wherein, requirements for food-grade packaging are specified. It mandates that any material which comes in direct contact with food or likely to come in contact with food used for packaging, preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation and sale or service of food shall be of food grade quality . It also prescribes standards for plastic materials intended to come into contact with food products, which makes reference to the corresponding Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications. These standards are on par with international standards, thereby ensuring consistency with global food safety practices.

Further, it specifies that all packaging materials of plastic origin shall pass the prescribed overall migration limit of 60mg/kg or 10mg/dm2 when tested as per IS 9845 with no visible colour migration.

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