As per the Draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2022, the Authorization mechanism for recycled plastics manufacturers permitted the use of recycled plastics as food contact materials.
This is in continuation to the direction issued vide order dated 18.01.2022, as specified in section 5 of the ‘guidelines for recycling of post-consumer PET for food contact applications & acceptance criteria for recycled PET resin for food contact applications. It states that the operator of a recycling process/manufacturers of recycled plastics shall apply and obtain an authorization from the Food Authority (FA) by submitting necessary information in the prescribed performa.
Significantly, the Competent Authority (CA) has approved the following mechanism;
(i) Applicant desirous to manufacture Food Contact Materials (FCM) from recycled materials would apply to the FA in the prescribed performa by paying a fee of Rs. 2000/- (Two thousand) only to the Senior Accounts Officer, FSSAI via cheque/DD or through E-Payment (available on www.fssai.gov.in.)
(ii) Such applicants may be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer-FSSAI for obtaining authorization.
(iii) The applications received shall be scrutinized and an appropriate recommendation would be made to the CA for approval within 30 days of the receipt of the application as specified in the guidelines.
(iv) Upon approval of the CA, the applicant would be issued an authorization letter similar to the lines of approvals issued under products/claims approval with a general condition that the ‘FA reserves the right to inspect the records, premises, manufacturing and other related facilities of the applicant prior/post authorization’.
(v) The list of recyclers so authorized by the FA would be hosted on the website through an appropriate order and the list would be updated regularly.
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