Coimbatore: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has announced that ISI certification will be mandatory for aluminium utensils used in food and beverage applications from October 1.Speaking on the development, G Bhavani, senior director and head, BIS, Coimbatore branch, said aluminium utensils play a crucial role in both domestic and commercial cooking. Given the widespread use of aluminium in beverage packaging as well, compliance with standards IS 1660:2024 for wrought aluminium utensils and IS 14407:2023 for aluminium beverage cans has been made compulsory.She said the standards prescribe strict quality parameters, including thickness, size, handle strength, load-bearing capacity, and resistance to temperature variations. It is also mandatory that aluminium utensils contain at least 99.5% aluminium. The certification requirement will also apply to imported aluminium intended for manufacturing food-related products.As per the timeline, large and medium-scale manufacturers must comply with ISI certification norms from October 1. Small-scale units will have time till January 1, 2027, while micro enterprises must comply from April 1, 2027. Manufacturers or importers failing to adhere to the norms will attract penalties.Bhavani added that BIS has been creating awareness about the BIS CARE app, which allows consumers to verify the authenticity of ISI-certified products. The initiative is also aims to prevent harmful metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic from contaminating aluminium utensils used for food.In Tamil Nadu, 18 aluminium manufacturers have obtained licences so far, including nine units in Coimbatore and two in Madurai.Consumers can verify ISI-certified products by checking the ISI mark on utensils, which includes the standard number (IS 1660:2024) above the mark and a 10-digit CM/L (certification mark/licence) number below it. This number can be authenticated through the BIS CARE app to ensure the product’s genuineness.
