India's 2026 QCO mandates BIS certification for aluminium utensils and beverage cans, removing stainless steel utensils and certain cans from previous requirements.
On January 16, 2026, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued the Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order 2026, mandating the use of two national standards for two product categories of food contact articles. This order also directs the use of the Standard Mark under a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as per Scheme 1 of Schedule II of the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
Mandatory Compliance Standards
All products falling under this order must now comply with the following updated standards:
- IS 1660:2024: Wrought Aluminium Utensils.
- IS 14407:2023: Aluminium Cans for Beverages.
Additionally, the following standards have been removed from the Quality Control Order of 2025:
- IS 14756:2024: Stainless Steel Utensils.
- IS 13983:1994: Stainless Steel Sinks for Domestic Purposes.
- IS 18427:2024: Three-piece round open-top metal cans for foods and beverages.
Certification and Markings
Products that meet the specified standards are required to prominently affix the Standard Mark.
Effective Implementation Dates
The enforcement of this order follows a phased timeline based on the size of the enterprise:
- General enterprises: from 1 October 2026
- Small enterprises: from 1 January 2027
- Micro enterprises: from 1 April 2027
Highlights of the order are summarized in Table.
|
Scope |
Indian standard and title¹ |
Effective date |
|
Cookware, utensils and cans for food and beverages |
I660:2024 |
October 1, 2026, for general enterprises January 1, 2027, for small enterprises April 1, 2027, for micro enterprises |
|
14407:2023 |
||
|
Latest versions of the Indian standards apply, including amendments as notified by the BIS |
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