What Must Be on a Packaged Food Label in India

If you sell packaged food in India, the label is regulated by the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. A label that misses a mandatory detail can be a reason for a notice or for the product being pulled, so it is worth getting right before the first print run.

The core details

Every pre-packaged food label should carry the name of the food, the list of ingredients in descending order of weight, and the nutritional information. It also needs the name and address of the manufacturer or the packer, the net quantity, and the lot or batch number. The FSSAI logo and the 14-digit licence or registration number must be printed too.

Dates

The label must show the date of manufacture or packing, and either the best-before or the use-by date. These are not the same. Use-by is a safety date and the food should not be sold or eaten after it, while best-before is about quality.

Vegetarian and non-vegetarian logo

Packaged foods must carry the vegetarian or non-vegetarian mark. Vegetarian products use a green circle inside a square with a green outline, and non-vegetarian products use a brown symbol inside a square with a brown outline. The symbol goes on the principal display panel near the name of the product.

Additives, allergens and imported food

If the food contains additives, they have to be declared in the ingredient list with their class name and number. Common allergens should be declared as well. For imported food, the label also needs the country of origin and the importer’s details.

Claims on the label

Words such as high protein, low fat or sugar free are regulated claims and have conditions attached. Do not put them on the pack unless you meet the conditions in the claims regulations.

How we can help

You need a licence or registration before you can print the FSSAI number, so see FSSAI registration or the state and central licence pages. Products outside the standard categories may need FSSAI product approval. More guides are in our food, drug and medical licences section.