FSSAI Food Labelling Requirements for Packaged Foods India 2026: Complete Guide

Why Food Labelling Compliance Matters

Food labels are a legal document. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, every packaged food sold in India must carry specific mandatory information. A non-compliant label can result in:

• FSSAI misbranding penalty: Up to ₹3 lakh
• Product recall and destruction
• Suspension of FSSAI license
• Consumer litigation under Consumer Protection Act

Label compliance is not a design exercise — it is a legal requirement that must be verified against the current regulations before printing.

Mandatory Declarations on All Packaged Food Labels

1. Name of the Food Product

• Must be the standard name (if prescribed by FSSAI) or a descriptive name that clearly identifies the nature of the food
• Must not be misleading — "fruit juice" must contain only fruit juice; if it's a "fruit drink" (less than 10% fruit content), it must say "fruit drink"
• Must be displayed prominently on the principal display panel

2. List of Ingredients

• Must list all ingredients in descending order of weight at the time of manufacture
• Water must be listed if added (except in products where water evaporates during processing)
• Compound ingredients (e.g., "chocolate coating") can be listed as a group if less than 5% of the food — but individual components must appear if they are allergens
• Additives must be listed by their functional class name + INS number (e.g., "Preservative (INS 202)" or "Emulsifier (INS 471)")
• Flavouring agents: "Added flavour (natural)", "Added flavour (artificial)", or "Added flavour (nature-identical)" as appropriate

3. Nutritional Information

The format prescribed by FSSAI for the Nutrition Facts panel:

Parameter	Per 100g / 100ml	Per Serving
Energy (kcal)	Must declare	Must declare
Protein (g)	Must declare	Must declare
Carbohydrate (g) — of which sugars (g)	Must declare	Must declare
Total Fat (g) — of which saturated fat, trans fat	Must declare	Must declare
Sodium (mg)	Must declare	Must declare

4. Net Quantity

• Must be declared in metric units: grams (g), kilograms (kg), millilitres (ml), or litres (l)
• Must appear on the principal display panel
• Font size requirements: Packages ≤50g: 1mm minimum; 50–200g: 2mm; 200g–1kg: 3mm; >1kg: 4mm

5. FSSAI License/Registration Number

• The 14-digit FSSAI number must appear on the label
• Format: "FSSAI Lic. No. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX" or "FSSAI Reg. No. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
• The FSSAI logo (the green triangle + "FSSAI") must be printed on the label (note: the FSSAI logo artwork must be obtained from FSSAI — do NOT recreate it yourself)

6. Vegetarian / Non-Vegetarian Symbol

• Vegetarian foods: Green circle inside a green square (solid green)
• Non-vegetarian foods: Brown/dark red circle inside a brown/dark red square
• Size: Minimum 3mm × 3mm
• Must appear on the principal display panel adjacent to the product name
• Products containing eggs are non-vegetarian by FSSAI classification

7. Best Before / Use By Date

• Products with shelf life >3 months: "Best Before [Month, Year]" (e.g., "Best Before December 2026")
• Products with shelf life ≤3 months: "Best Before [Day, Month, Year]" (e.g., "Best Before 15 July 2026")
• For perishables: "Use By [date]" — must not be consumed after this date

8. Manufacturer / Packer Details

• Full name and complete address of the manufacturer or packer
• If manufactured by a third party (contract manufacturing): "Manufactured by [Name] for [Brand Owner Name and Address]"
• Country of origin must be declared for imported foods

Allergen Labelling Requirements

The 8 major allergens that must be declared prominently on Indian food labels:

1. Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats)
2. Crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster)
3. Eggs
4. Fish
5. Peanuts / Groundnuts
6. Soybeans
7. Milk / Dairy
8. Tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, etc.)

Allergens must be highlighted in bold, italic, or different colour within the ingredients list AND a separate "Contains: [allergen]" statement must appear near the ingredients list.

Front-of-Pack Labelling — FSSAI High Fat, Sugar, Salt (HFSS) Labelling

FSSAI is implementing Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) rules. Products high in fat, sugar, or salt must display a visible indicator on the front panel. While the regulation is still being finalised, food manufacturers should prepare for mandatory HFSS labelling implementation in 2026–27.

Common Label Compliance Mistakes to Avoid

• Using non-standard unit abbreviations ("gms" instead of "g")
• Listing additives by brand names instead of INS numbers
• Missing trans fat declaration in the nutrition table
• Using the wrong veg/non-veg symbol (wrong colour or shape)
• Best Before printed only on packaging (not on label itself)
• Claiming "No Preservatives" when INS 202 or INS 211 is present
• Saying "Natural" when artificial flavours are used

Conclusion

FSSAI food labelling compliance is detailed and exacting — but it is manageable with careful preparation. Before printing any packaging, have your label reviewed against the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. One non-compliant label can mean scrapping an entire print run and facing FSSAI enforcement action. Velco Legal India offers FSSAI label compliance review for food manufacturers — we check your label against all mandatory requirements before you go to print.