Blister packaging is widely used for packaging small consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and food products. It consists of a pre-formed plastic cavity or pocket, sealed with a backing of paperboard, aluminum foil, or a combination of materials. Benefits of blister packaging include product protection, tamper resistance, and enhanced product display. In India, blister packaging coding is mandatory under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act — CDSCO guidelines require batch number, expiry date, and MRP to be clearly printed on all pharmaceutical blister packs sold in the Indian market.
What are the different applications of Blister Packaging?
Pharmaceuticals: Pharmaceutical blister packs must carry batch number, expiry date, MRP, and manufacturer details — as mandated by CDSCO under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. Accurate, automated coding on PVC/PVDC and aluminium foil blisters is essential for compliance and patient safety.
Consumer Goods: Blister-packed consumer goods — batteries, accessories, hardware components — require MRP, batch code, and manufacturing date printing for Legal Metrology compliance and retail shelf traceability.
Food Products: Food products in blister packaging require FSSAI-compliant MFD, best-before date, and batch code printing. Accurate date coding prevents expired product from reaching consumers and supports targeted recalls.
What information is coded on blister packaging?
- Batch number and lot code — mandatory under CDSCO for all pharma blister packs
- Expiry date and manufacturing date (MFD) — mandatory under Drugs & Cosmetics Act
- MRP (Maximum Retail Price) — mandatory under Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules
- 1D barcodes and 2D DataMatrix codes — for track-and-trace, serialisation, and supply chain compliance
- Serial numbers — for pharmaceutical serialisation under CDSCO Schedule M requirements
- Manufacturer details and licence number — required on regulated pharmaceutical packaging
Marking and coding on Blister Packaging
Coding on blister packaging is a mandatory compliance requirement for pharmaceutical manufacturers in India. Variable data — including batch number, expiry date, MRP, and 2D barcodes — must be printed accurately on PVC, PVDC, and aluminium foil blister packs at production line speed. The challenge: blister pack substrates are heat-sensitive and require precise, non-damaging print methods.
Methods of Marking and Coding
Continuous Inkjet Printer (CIJ): CIJ printers are widely used for high-speed blister pack coding in India — printing batch numbers, expiry dates, and MRP on PVC and aluminium foil at production line speed. Non-contact printing makes CIJ suitable for heat-sensitive blister substrates.
Laser Marking Machine: Laser marking etches permanent, tamper-evident batch codes and expiry dates directly onto aluminium foil blister backing — with no ink or ribbon cost. Laser-coded marks cannot be altered, making them the preferred choice for pharmaceutical serialisation and anti-counterfeiting applications.
Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO): TTO systems deliver high-resolution, registration-accurate batch and expiry date printing on flexible blister lidding films and labels. Widely used in pharma and FMCG blister lines in India for clear, scan-ready codes on heat-sealed packaging.
FAQ
A blister packaging coding machine is an industrial printer — CIJ, laser, or TTO — that prints batch numbers, expiry dates, MRP, and variable data on blister packs during production, without stopping the packaging line.
Yes. Under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act and CDSCO guidelines, batch number, expiry date, and MRP must be printed on all pharmaceutical blister packs sold in India. Non-compliance can result in product rejection or regulatory action.
For PVC and PVDC blister packs, CIJ printers are preferred for high-speed non-contact batch and expiry date coding. For aluminium foil blister backing, laser marking delivers permanent, tamper-proof codes. TTO is recommended for flexible lidding film coding.
Yes. CO2 laser markers are widely used on aluminium foil blister backing in Indian pharma manufacturing — delivering permanent, smudge-proof batch codes and expiry dates with no ink or ribbon consumables.
Common blister packaging substrates in India include PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride), cold-form aluminium foil, PET-based laminates, and combinations of these with aluminium lidding foil.
Why pharma manufacturers in India choose Videojet for blister pack coding
- Widest technology choice: CIJ, laser, and TTO — one partner for every blister packaging substrate and production requirement
- 170+ service engineers across India: Guaranteed response times across all major pharma manufacturing hubs — Ahmedabad, Baddi, Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai
- CDSCO and GS1 compliance support: Pre-validated templates for batch, expiry, MRP, and 2D DataMatrix codes on pharma blister packs
- 45+ years of pharmaceutical coding expertise: Trusted by leading Indian pharma manufacturers for reliable, audit-ready blister pack coding
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