Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ensure that consumers are warned about the possible presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in packaged sugar, drinking water and salt sold in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles and plastic packs, The Hindu reported.
A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, constituted to hear forest and environmental matters, ordered that labels on these products must clearly mention that they may contain microplastics. The warning must be printed in red font of size 10. The court directed the Ministry and FSSAI to issue an official notification within four weeks and instruct all companies selling these products to comply with the new labelling requirements. FSSAI has also been asked to submit a status report by April 10, 2026.
The order came during the hearing of a case related to Tamil Nadu’s ban on single-use plastics. Amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji and M. Santhanaraman told the court that banned plastics were finding their way into forests, including the Nilgiris Biosphere and other parts of the Western Ghats, and were being consumed by wild animals.
During the hearings, the court was presented with an interim report by the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, which examined the potential health impacts of microplastics. The report said microplastics can contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that may interfere with hormone functions. Tests conducted on ten cord blood samples showed BPA levels exceeding recommended safe limits, indicating potential risks to newborns.
The government informed the court that while research on microplastics in food is still at an early stage, FSSAI had launched a project in March 2024 in collaboration with CSIR-IITR, ICAR-CIFT and BITS Pilani to study their prevalence. Initial findings confirmed the presence of microplastics in bottled water, salt and sugar, with iodised salt showing the highest concentrations.
Although FSSAI officials said more research is needed to determine the exact health risks, the court held that the preliminary evidence was sufficient to warn consumers. The judges said safety must remain the priority and that authorities should ensure labels inform customers about the possible presence of microplastics. While decisions on whether PET bottles can continue to be used will rest with FSSAI after further studies, the court stressed that consumer warnings cannot be delayed.
