Overview
- Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced IS 19412:2025 on National Consumer Day, formalizing new quality norms for incense sticks.
- Prohibited substances include insecticidal chemicals such as alethrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and fipronil, along with fragrance intermediates like benzyl cyanide, ethyl acrylate and diphenylamine.
- The standard classifies agarbattis into machine-made, hand-made and traditional masala categories and sets requirements for materials, burning quality, fragrance performance and chemical parameters.
- Products that meet the requirements may display the BIS Standard Mark to help consumers identify compliant goods.
- BIS developed the standard through its Fragrance and Flavour committee after stakeholder consultations, responding to international restrictions and a market worth about Rs 8,000 crore with exports of roughly Rs 1,200 crore to over 150 countries.