Labelling Requirements

Why labelling is regulated

Food labelling protects consumers' right to information and safety. FSSAI's Labelling and Display Regulations prescribe what every packaged food label must declare.

Mandatory declarations

A compliant label must show: the name of the food, list of ingredients (in descending order of weight), nutritional information, declaration of additives, allergen information, net quantity, manufacturer/packer details, batch/lot number, date of manufacture and best-before/expiry, FSSAI logo and licence number, and country of origin for imports.

The veg/non-veg symbol

India mandates a green dot for vegetarian food and a brown/red dot for non-vegetarian food, prominently displayed. Misusing these symbols misleads consumers and is a labelling violation.

Claims and misbranding

Claims like 'natural', 'organic', 'sugar-free' or health claims are tightly regulated and must be truthful and substantiated. False or misleading labels make a product 'misbranded', attracting penalties. Accurate labelling is both a legal duty and a trust-builder.