Getting food labelling wrong in India isn't just a compliance headache — it's a business-ending risk. In 2024–25 alone, FSSAI pulled thousands of products off shelves, rejected import consignments at ports, and issued penalties running into lakhs of rupees, all for labelling violations. With the regulatory landscape tightening further in 2025–26 through new amendments and stricter enforcement, every food business operating in India needs to understand exactly what must appear on every food package.
This guide breaks down the complete FSSAI labelling framework as it stands in 2025–26: the governing regulations, mandatory declarations, recent amendments, specific rules for imported foods, and the penalties you face for non-compliance.
Food labelling in India is primarily governed by the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which replaced the earlier labelling provisions under the FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. These regulations derive their authority from the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — specifically Sections 16, 22, and 92.
Several other regulations intersect with labelling requirements:
Understanding labelling compliance requires navigating all of these simultaneously. Missing a requirement from any one of them can trigger enforcement action.
Under Regulation 3 of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, the following particulars are mandatory on every pre-packaged food product sold in India:
The label must carry the common or usual name of the food. If a standard of identity exists under the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, that standard name must be used. For example, you can't label a product "cheese" if it doesn't meet the compositional standard for cheese under Regulation 2.1.2.
The name must be prominent and not misleading. Brand names alone are insufficient — the nature of the food must be clear.
All ingredients must be listed in descending order of their composition by weight at the time of manufacture. This includes:
Critical note on allergens: Under Regulation 3(2)(d), the label must contain a declaration of any allergens present. The eight major allergens — cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk (including lactose), and tree nuts — must be highlighted using the phrase "Contains ___" immediately after the ingredient list. If there's a possibility of cross-contamination, a "May contain ___" declaration is also required.
The nutritional information panel is mandatory for all pre-packaged foods (with limited exemptions for single-ingredient products like raw agricultural commodities). Under Regulation 4, the label must declare per 100g or per 100ml (and optionally per serve):
The % Daily Value based on a 2,000 kcal reference diet must also be included. This requirement was strengthened by the 2022 and 2023 amendments that specifically mandated the declaration of total sugars and added sugars separately.
This is uniquely Indian and non-negotiable. Under Regulation 3(2)(h), every food package must carry:
The symbol must be displayed on the front of the package and must be of a specified minimum size depending on the package area. For packages up to 100 cm², the symbol must be at least 3mm in diameter; for larger packages, at least 5mm.
The net quantity must be declared in metric units:
For products packed in liquid media (e.g., canned fruits in syrup), the drained weight must also be declared. These declarations must also comply with the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
The full name and complete address of the manufacturer, packer, or importer must appear on the label. For imported foods, the name and address of the Indian importer is mandatory, along with the country of origin.
Every pre-packaged food product must display the FSSAI license number of the manufacturer, packer, re-labeller, or importer. The license number must be preceded by the FSSAI logo. This is a direct requirement under Section 26 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulation 3(2)(k) of the Labelling Regulations.
Products with a shelf life of less than 7 days must carry the Use By date, not merely a Best Before date.
Every package must carry a batch or lot number or code that enables traceability. This is critical for recall situations and is mandated under Regulation 3(2)(g).
The MRP inclusive of all taxes must appear on the label as per the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. This isn't technically an FSSAI requirement, but a missing MRP triggers enforcement under the Legal Metrology Act.
Where applicable, the label must provide storage instructions (e.g., "Store in a cool, dry place" or "Keep refrigerated below 5°C") and preparation instructions if the food requires preparation before consumption.
FSSAI has been actively working on Front-of-Pack Nutritional Labelling (FOPL) since 2018. While multiple rounds of stakeholder consultations and committee recommendations (including the IIM Ahmedabad report) have occurred, mandatory FOPL implementation has been repeatedly deferred.
As of 2025, the latest draft proposals recommend an Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) system — a star-based rating (similar to Australia's Health Star Rating) displayed on the front of the pack. The key thresholds being discussed include:
While not yet mandatory at the time of writing, food businesses should prepare for FOPL requirements to become enforceable in 2026. Companies that proactively adopt FOPL will avoid last-minute reformulation and relabelling costs.
Imported food products face a dual layer of compliance — they must meet both the exporting country's standards and India's FSSAI requirements. Under Regulation 7 of the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020, and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, imported food must carry:
Import clearance at ports — FSSAI's Food Import Clearance System (FICS) requires label review as part of the import inspection process. Consignments have been routinely held up or rejected at JNPT, Chennai Port, Delhi ICD, and others because supplementary labels were missing, or allergen declarations didn't comply with Indian requirements.
A common trap: products labelled as "natural" or "organic" in foreign markets may not meet FSSAI's definitions under the FSS (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 or the Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018. Making such claims on labels without the requisite certification (e.g., NPOP/PGS-India for organic claims) can result in seizure.
The penalties under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 for labelling violations are significant:
| Violation | Section | Penalty |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| Misleading or false label | Section 52 | Up to ₹3 lakhs |
| Sub-standard food (label claims don't match actual composition) | Section 50 | Up to ₹5 lakhs |
| Selling food not of the nature/substance/quality demanded (label mismatch) | Section 52 | Up to ₹3 lakhs |
| Unsafe food (including expired products on shelves due to labelling failures) | Section 55 | ₹5 lakhs minimum, up to ₹10 lakhs and imprisonment |
| Contravention with no specific penalty | Section 56 | Up to ₹2 lakhs |
Beyond financial penalties, the FSSAI can initiate product recalls under Section 28, suspend or cancel licenses under Section 32, and prohibit products from import under the Import Regulations. The reputational damage often exceeds the financial penalty.
In the 2023 case of Nestlé India's Maggi labelling controversy sequel, state food authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu issued fresh show-cause notices over alleged misleading "No Added MSG" claims, demonstrating that enforcement continues to be active and aggressive, particularly for high-profile brands.
Several key amendments and regulatory actions impact labelling compliance in 2025–26:
Use this checklist before any product goes to market or any import shipment is dispatched:
Keeping up with 80+ FSSAI regulations and their frequent amendments is a significant challenge. Tools like FSSAINotice can help — it's an AI-powered FSSAI compliance assistant that lets you instantly query across the full spectrum of FSSAI regulations, including labelling, import, packaging, advertising, and product standards. Instead of manually searching through gazette notifications, you can get regulation-specific answers in seconds.
Yes, nutritional information is mandatory for almost all pre-packaged foods under Regulation 4 of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Limited exemptions exist for single-ingredient raw agricultural commodities, fresh fruits and vegetables, and products in very small packages (surface area less than 100 cm²). However, even exempt products must comply with all other labelling requirements.
Yes. FSSAI permits supplementary sticker labels on imported products to provide mandatory particulars in English or Hindi. However, the sticker must not obscure the original label information, and it must include the Indian importer's name, address, FSSAI license number, and all other declarations required under Indian law. Importantly, the sticker label should be affixed before the product clears customs — not after it reaches retail shelves.
Under the FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, the term "natural" can only be used if the food or ingredient is derived from a recognized natural source, has not been significantly altered by synthetic processing, and does not contain added vitamins, minerals, or other synthetic substances. Using "100% Natural" without meeting these conditions constitutes a misleading claim under Section 24 of the FSS Act and Regulation 4 of the Advertising and Claims Regulations, attracting penalties under Section 52 (up to ₹3 lakhs) and potential product recall.
Yes. Under the FSS (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018, any food product that is fortified in accordance with the specified standards must carry the "+F" logo on the label. The logo must be displayed prominently on the front of the pack, in the specified colors (as outlined in Schedule I of the Fortification Regulations). Failure to display the logo — or displaying it on products that don't actually meet fortification standards — both constitute violations.
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