How to Prove Aluminium Foil Is Food-Safe: 2 Documents to Ask For (With Our Results)

Written by the Alfa Foil quality team, Eminent Trade and Export Pvt. Ltd., Raipur — manufacturer of ALFA aluminium foil rolls and containers since 2016. Last reviewed 26 October 2026.

“Food grade” is printed on almost every aluminium foil roll sold in India, and the label on its own proves nothing. If you buy food grade aluminium foil in bulk — for a distribution business, a hotel kitchen or a catering operation — the proof that aluminium foil is food-safe comes from two documents: a migration test report from an independent laboratory, and a valid BIS licence for IS 15392. This guide explains what each document shows, how to read them, and what our own ALFA foil scored when we sent it for testing.

Quick Answer: The 2 Documents That Prove Aluminium Foil Is Food-Safe

1. A migration test report from an independent laboratory, showing how much material moved from the foil into a food simulant, measured against a stated limit.
2. A BIS licence for IS 15392, the Indian standard for aluminium and aluminium alloy bare foil for food packaging. Under the Aluminium Foil (Quality Control) Order, 2020, covered foil must carry the BIS Standard Mark under a valid licence.

One shows how the material behaves next to food. The other shows the foil is made to the national specification by a licensed manufacturer. Ask for both. A supplier who can produce neither is asking you to take “food grade” on trust.

Document 1: What an Aluminium Foil Migration Test Measures

Every packaging material can release tiny amounts of its own substances into food. A migration test measures how much — and it is the first piece of evidence that aluminium foil is food-safe. The laboratory places the material in contact with a food simulant — a liquid that stands in for real food — under controlled time and temperature, then measures what has moved across.

Overall migration is the total of everything that moves, expressed in milligrams per square decimetre of surface (mg/dm²). The test method Indian laboratories use is IS 9845:1998, and the overall migration limit applied to food-contact materials is 10 mg/dm². A low result means the material is stable: it keeps its own substances to itself.

One thing an overall migration test does not measure is aluminium itself moving into food. That depends on how the foil is used — acidic, salty or very hot food increases it — so it is a usage question rather than a material-quality one. We cover it in our guide on whether aluminium foil is safe for roti and hot food.

Our Result: ALFA Foil Tested at 0.16 mg/dm²

We sent a sealed sample of our ALFA aluminium foil roll to the IRCLASS Systems and Solutions testing laboratory in Jaipur, which subcontracted the test to a NABL-accredited laboratory. These are the details as they appear on the report:

0.16 mg/dm² is 1.6% of the 10 mg/dm² limit — roughly 60 times below it. In plain terms, almost nothing moved from the foil into the simulant.

What this result covers, and what it doesn’t. It applies to the ALFA foil roll that was tested. It is not a test of our aluminium foil containers, and we don’t present it as one. It is a laboratory test report — not a certificate, approval or licence — and it is dated September 2024. We will update this page when we retest.

Need the report for your own records or a client’s audit? Message us on WhatsApp at +91 92019 58140 and we will send you a copy.

How to Read Any Aluminium Foil Test Report: 6 Checks

Whether the report comes from us or from another supplier, these six checks take two minutes and catch most weak or recycled documents.

1. Report number and date. Every genuine report has a unique number. Note the date: a very old report says little about current production.
2. The laboratory. Look for the lab’s name and address, and whether the test was done by — or subcontracted to — a NABL-accredited laboratory. You can check accreditation on the NABL website.
3. The product named. The report should name the brand and the product, not just “sample”. A container report doesn’t cover foil rolls, and a roll report doesn’t cover containers.
4. Who sampled it. “Sampled by customer” means the supplier submitted the sample; “sampled by laboratory” means the lab collected it. Both are common — just know which one you are reading.
5. Method and result. Look for the method (IS 9845:1998 for overall migration) and the result in mg/dm². Compare the number with the 10 mg/dm² limit yourself rather than relying on a “pass” stamp.
6. Test conditions. A detailed report lists the food simulants, temperature and duration used. If they are not on the page, ask the supplier.

For an example of a multi-condition report, see our DAKON plastic container lab test results, which list overall migration across five food simulants alongside heavy-metal and phthalate checks.

Document 2: A Valid BIS Licence for IS 15392

IS 15392 is the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for aluminium and aluminium alloy bare foil for food packaging. Under the Aluminium Foil (Quality Control) Order, 2020, covered foil must carry the BIS Standard Mark under a valid licence — and BIS enforces it. In August 2026, BIS officials seized around 2,350 substandard aluminium foil rolls from a unit in Northeast Delhi.

The check takes three steps: ask for the licence number (format CM/L- followed by ten digits), confirm it is current on the BIS Manak Online portal or the BIS Care app, and make sure the number printed with the ISI mark on the pack matches. We walk through each step in our aluminium foil roll guide for commercial kitchens. Our licence for ALFA foil is CM/L-5900102814.

The two documents do different jobs. The licence shows the foil is made to the national specification by a licensed manufacturer; the migration report shows how a specific product behaved in a laboratory. Neither replaces the other; together they are the complete answer to whether aluminium foil is food-safe. Both sit alongside our ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP certifications.

4 Questions to Ask Your Foil Supplier Before a Bulk Order

• Can you share a migration test report for this exact product, with its report number?
• What is your BIS licence number for IS 15392, and is it current?
• Which products does each document cover — rolls, containers, or both?
• When was the product last tested?

A supplier who answers all four in one message is one you can build a distribution business on. That is the standard we hold ourselves to — ask us all four on WhatsApp.

Food-Safe Aluminium Foil: FAQs

How do I know if aluminium foil is food-safe?

Ask for two documents: a migration test report from an independent laboratory for that exact product, and a valid BIS licence for IS 15392. A “food grade” label on the box is a claim, not proof.

What is a migration test for aluminium foil?

It measures how much material moves from the foil into a food simulant under controlled conditions. Overall migration is reported in mg/dm² using the IS 9845:1998 method and compared with a limit of 10 mg/dm².

What is a good overall migration result?

Anything below the 10 mg/dm² limit passes, and lower is better. Our ALFA foil roll measured 0.16 mg/dm², about 1.6% of the limit.

Does a migration test show how much aluminium gets into food?

No. Overall migration measures the total of substances moving from the material. How much aluminium transfers into food depends on use — acidic, salty and very hot foods increase it — which is why usage guidance matters as much as material quality.

Is IS 15392 mandatory for aluminium foil in India?

Under the Aluminium Foil (Quality Control) Order, 2020, covered aluminium foil must carry the BIS Standard Mark under a valid licence. Check the licence number on BIS Manak Online or the BIS Care app before you buy in bulk.

Can I get a copy of Alfa Foil’s test report?

Yes. Message us on WhatsApp at +91 92019 58140 and we will share the report for ALFA foil rolls, and the DAKON plastic container report if you need it.

Get Tested ALFA Aluminium Foil Rolls in Bulk

If you need proof that aluminium foil is food-safe before a bulk order, ALFA rolls come with both documents. They are made in Raipur under a BIS licence for IS 15392, with overall migration tested at 0.16 mg/dm². We supply distributors, hotels and caterers across 24 states. Browse the aluminium foil roll range, and message us on WhatsApp at +91 92019 58140 for bulk supply — we will send the documents with your quote.