Indonesia Issues Updated Food Packaging Regulation

Food packaging carries a heavy compliance burden. The materials that touch food must not transfer harmful substances to it, and regulators around the world continue to tighten the limits and the evidence they expect to see. Indonesia is one of the largest consumer markets in Southeast Asia, and its packaging rules apply to brand owners, converters and retailers that supply the market from anywhere in the world. A new regulation from Indonesia's National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) updates migration limits, testing methods and safety assessment procedures, and it sets a clear deadline for packaging already in circulation.

This regulation sets requirements for food packaging materials, including plastic, rubber and elastomers, paper and cardboard, ceramics, glass, metals and metal alloys, and multilayer materials.

Key compliance obligations include:

• Meeting the migration limits specified in Annex I
• Conducting migration testing according to Appendix II, with reusable plastic packaging subject to additional testing requirements under Annex V
• Complying with requirements for food packaging made from recycled materials under Chapter V
• Submitting an application for food packaging safety assessment, supported by the documentation and data required under Chapter VI, Article 11(3), using the form provided in Annex VI

The new regulation was signed on June 23, 2026, and promulgated on June 30, 2026. Article 13(1) provides a transition period: food packaging already in circulation must comply with the new regulation no later than 12 months after the regulation was promulgated, except for migration limits that BPOM may phase in based on risk assessment.

Official source