Kaju katli with a shimmering top, a box of barfi glinting under the shop lights: silver leaf is part of how Diwali sweets look. With Diwali on Sunday, 8 November 2026, here is what the shiny layer is supposed to be, what FSSAI says it must be made of, and the one home check FSSAI itself suggests.

This page reads FSSAI's standard and its household test. It does not name any shop or brand, and it makes no health claim for silver.

What chandi ka varq is

Varq (also written vark or warq) is silver beaten into a sheet so thin it is laid on sweets with a sheet of paper and sticks to the surface. FSSAI's standard covers it as "silver leaf (chandi-ka-warq), food grade" under regulation 2.11.4 of the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations.

What FSSAI's silver leaf standard says

The Gazette notification of 15 July 2016, which came into force on 1 August 2017, replaced the old entry with five conditions. Food-grade silver leaf:

  1. shall be in the form of a sheet of uniform thickness, free from creases and folds;
  2. shall weigh up to 2.8 g per square metre;
  3. shall have silver content of minimum 999/1000 purity;
  4. shall not be manufactured using any material of animal origin at any stage;
  5. shall comply with FSSAI's regulations on contaminants, toxins and residues, and on packaging and labelling.

Myth or fact: "All varq is made with animal intestines"

That was the traditional method, and it is why the rule exists. A Telegraph report hosted by FSSAI explains that the leaf was made by placing silver inside the intestines of a cow or buffalo and hammering it on a granite stone. The Delhi High Court stayed the 2016 rule in July 2017 after traditional makers objected, and vacated the stay after FSSAI described alternative processes that beat the sheets between specially treated paper and polyester coated with food-grade calcium powder. FSSAI then asked food safety commissioners in all states and union territories to conduct surveillance and ensure compliance.

So under the law, food-grade varq must be made without animal material. If this matters to your family, ask your sweet shop how its varq is made.

The DART home check for aluminium

FSSAI's DART household tests include one for silver leaf adulterated with aluminium. Use a small piece of leaf, not the whole sweet:

  1. Crush. Rub a little leaf between two fingers. Pure silver leaf crushes easily and crumbles to powder. Aluminium leaf breaks into smaller shreds.
  2. Burn. Roll a piece into a small ball and hold it to a flame on a steel plate or spoon. Pure silver burns away completely, leaving glistening balls. Aluminium is reduced to grey ash.

Do the burn step yourself, not with children, and keep it away from anything that catches fire. A home check is a quick screen. If you suspect a problem, report it to your state food safety department rather than relying on a kitchen test.

Did you know? An old study found many samples fell short

The same Telegraph report cites a 2005 study by the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre in Lucknow: only 46 percent of 178 silver foil samples met the desired 99.9 percent purity. That was before the 2016 standard, so it does not tell you about the sweets on sale today. It does show why the standard set a purity floor.

What varq adds to your plate

Nothing you need. FSSAI's standard treats silver leaf as an ingredient that has to be pure and clean, and says nothing about nutrition. For Diwali, the sweet beneath the leaf is the part to think about: portions, sugar and timing. If anyone in the family has diabetes, ask their doctor or dietitian how sweets fit their plan. Our festive food safety guide covers FSSAI's household checks on ghee, paneer and khoya.

A quick buying checklist

  • Buy from a licensed shop. FSSAI's labelling rules require food businesses to display their licence or registration number on the premises.
  • Look at the leaf. The standard describes a uniform sheet free of creases and folds.
  • Ask how the varq is made if you want to be sure no animal material was used.
  • Keep a sample if you are unsure, and try the DART crush-and-burn check on a small piece.

FSSAI's food-grade silver leaf must be at least 999/1000 silver, up to 2.8 g per square metre, uniform, crease-free and made without animal material. Genuine silver crumbles and burns to shiny balls; aluminium shreds and turns to grey ash.

This article is general information, not medical advice.

Sources

Hero photo: "Kaju katli, photographed in West Bengal, India, February 10, 2024" by Billjones94, Wikimedia Commons, CC0. See Credits.

Questions

Is chandi ka varq real silver?

It should be. FSSAI's standard for food-grade silver leaf requires silver content of at least 999/1000 purity, a uniform sheet free of creases and folds, and a weight of up to 2.8 grams per square metre. The leaf must also meet FSSAI's rules on contaminants and on packaging and labelling.

Is silver varq vegetarian?

FSSAI's 2016 standard says no material of animal origin may be used at any stage of making food-grade silver leaf. A Telegraph report hosted by FSSAI explains why: the leaf was traditionally beaten between layers of animal intestine. FSSAI told the Delhi High Court about alternative methods that beat the sheets between specially treated paper and polyester coated with food-grade calcium powder, and in 2018 asked states to enforce the rule.

How do I check for aluminium foil at home?

FSSAI's DART page gives a two-step check on a piece of leaf, not on the sweet. Crush a little between two fingers: pure silver crumbles to powder, while aluminium only breaks into smaller shreds. Then roll a piece into a ball and burn it: pure silver burns away leaving glistening balls, while aluminium is reduced to grey ash. Do it on a steel plate, away from children and anything flammable.

Does silver varq have health benefits?

This page makes no such claim. The FSSAI standard treats silver leaf as a food product that must be pure and clean. It does not describe it as a nutrient, and the amount on a sweet is tiny. The sweet underneath is what counts for sugar and calories.

How common was impure silver leaf?

The FSSAI-hosted Telegraph report cites a 2005 study by the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow, which found that only 46 percent of 178 silver foil samples met the desired purity of 99.9 percent. That study is two decades old and predates the 2016 standard, so it is not a measure of today's market.

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