The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India issued the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) First Amendment Regulations, 2026, after considering public objections to the draft published in November 2022. These amendments, effective from 1 July 2027, introduce significant changes to the existing 2020 regulations to enhance clarity, flexibility, and traceability in food labelling. Key changes include exemption for infant nutrition products from declaring per-serving RDA percentages and number of servings, and refined definitions of minimally processed foods. The amendments also relax logo display requirements for small packages (below 100 sq. cm) while mandating such information on multi-unit packs. For non-retail containers, detailed labelling norms are prescribed, allowing certain information to be provided through accompanying documents or electronic means, provided traceability is ensured. The regulations emphasize clear, legible, and tamper-evident labelling. Additionally, updated requirements for fortified foods, pan masala warnings, and artificial sweetener declarations have been introduced, along with inclusive terminology changes. Overall, the amendments aim to balance regulatory compliance with practical industry considerations while strengthening consumer information standards.
FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 24th March, 2026
F.No. STD/SP-08/A1.2022/N-01.—Whereas a draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Amendment Regulations, 2022 were published as required by sub-section (1) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) vide notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number F. No. Std/SP-08/A1.2022/N-01, dated the 30th November, 2022 in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, section 4, inviting objections and suggestions from the persons likely to be affected thereby, before the expiry of the period of sixty days from the date on which the copies of the Official Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the public;
And whereas the copies of the said Gazette were made available to the public on the 5th December, 2022;
And whereas the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft regulations have been considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India;
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (k) of sub-section (2) of section 92 read with section 23 of the said Act, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, with the previous approval of the Central Government, hereby makes the following regulations further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, namely: –
Regulations
1. (1) These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) First Amendment Regulations, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on 1st July,2027.
2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 (herein after referred to as the said regulations), –
(a) in regulation 5, in sub-regulation (3), –
(i) in clause (b), in sub-clause (iv), after the proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely :-
“Provided further that per serve percentage (%) contribution to Recommended dietary allowances (RDA) and number of servings per pack may not be given for Infant Nutrition products as defined under the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020.”;
(ii) in clause (c), –
(A) for sub-clause (i), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
“(i) Raw agricultural minimally processed products such as wheat, rice, cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables and/or products that comprise a single ingredient.
Explanation. – Minimally processed foods are the ones that are slightly altered for the main purpose of preservation but which do not substantially change the nutritional content of the food, which may involve cleaning and removing inedible or unwanted parts, grinding, refrigeration, pasteurization, fermentation, freezing, and vacuum-packaging.”;
(B) sub-clause (ii) shall be omitted;
(C) for sub-clause (xiii), the following sub-clause shall be substituted, namely :-
“(xiii) Health supplements, Nutraceuticals and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (FSDU) in tablet, pills and capsule format, with respect to macronutrients, when sources of energy are insignificant.”
(b) in regulation 8, sub-regulation (1) (a) shall be renumbered as (1A) and after sub-regulation (1A) as so renumbered, the following sub-regulation shall be inserted, namely :-
“(1B) The logos notified under Food Safety and Standards Regulations may not be given where the surface area of the package is not more than 100 square centimetres, but this information shall be given on the multiunit packages.”
(c) in regulation 10, –
(i) for sub-regulation (1), the following shall be substituted, namely :-
“(1) Every packaged food meant for non-retail sale shall provide the following mandatory information either on the container or pasted on the label thereto:
(a) Name of the food;
(b) FSSAI Logo and License number;
(c) Date marking and storage instructions, when required for the safety or integrity of the product;
(d) Lot number or Batch number or Code number; and
(e) Name and address of the manufacturer or packer (including country of origin for imported packages)
Provided that in case of non-retail container containing multiple types of food, the mandatory information shall be provided for all the types of foods contained therein:
Provided further that non-retail container, which provides access to all the information required by sub-regulation (1) of regulation 10 on the label of pre-packaged foods within the non-retail container, the information stipulated in sub-regulation (1) of regulation 10 is not required.”;
(ii) for sub-regulation (2), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
“(2) The following information if not provided on the label shall be provided in the accompanying documents:
(a) List of ingredient;
(b) Declaration regarding Veg or Non-Veg and
(c) Net Quantity
Provided that the information required under sub-regulation (2) of regulation 10 shall be traceable to the food in non-retail container:
Provided further that if all information required under sub-regulation (2) of regulation 10 is made available on the label of non-retail container or pre-packaged foods within the non-retail container, sub-regulation (2) of sub-regulation 10 does not apply:
Provided also that in the case of a non-retail container used as a food transportation unit that is not amenable to possess a label, all the information required under sub-regulations (1) and (2) of regulation 10 shall be provided in the accompanying documents or through appropriate other means (e.g. electronically between food businesses) and shall be effectively traceable to the food in such containers.”;
(iii) for sub-regulation (4), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
“(4) Every package meant for non-retail sale shall be clearly identifiable as such. If the container is not clearly identifiable as a non-retail container, the container shall-
(a) bear a statement to indicate that the food is not intended to be sold directly to the consumer or to clearly identify it as a non-retail container. Some examples of such statements are:
(i) NON-RETAIL CONTAINER;
(ii) NON-RETAIL CONTAINER – NOT FOR DIRECT SALE TO CONSUMER; or
(b) carry any other mark that indicates that the container is not intended to be sold directly to the consumer.”;
(iv) after sub-regulation (4), the following sub-regulation shall be inserted, namely :
“(5) General Information:
(a) Information and the statements required to appear on the label by virtue of these Regulations or any other Regulations shall be clear, prominent, readily legible and applied in such a manner that any tampering with it will be evident.
(b) The mandatory information required on the label under sub-regulation (1) of regulation 10 shall appear in a prominent position on the non-retail container and shall be readily accessible under normal handling and use of the container.”
(d) in the said regulations, in Schedule-I, for the paragraph (1), the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely :-
“(1) Every package of food fortified as per Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018, shall carry the words “fortified with…………………. (name of the for tificant)” and the logo, as specified below, on the label and may also carry a tag line “Sampoorna Poshan Swasth Jeevan” under the logo.”;
(e) in the said regulations, in Schedule-II, –
(i) in paragraph 1, in sub-paragraph (3), in the Table,-
(A) against serial number 1, under column (3) with the heading “Declarations”, after the existing entry, the following note shall be inserted, namely :-
“Note: This warning statement shall be clearly legible or audible in advertisements related to Pan Masala”.
(B) against serial number 3, under column (3) with the heading “Declarations”, for clause (iv), following shall be substituted, namely :-
“(iv) Not recommended for phenylketonurics; for children; pregnant or lactating women (in case of Aspartame-Acesulfame salt or admixture or combination of Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium)”.
(ii) in paragraph 1, in sub-paragraph (4), in the Table, –
(A) against serial number 1, under column (3) with the heading “Declarations”, for clause (iv) the following clause shall be substituted, namely :-
“(iv) Not recommended for phenylketonurics; for children; pregnant or lactating women (in case of Aspartame-Acesulfame salt or admixture or combination of Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium).”;
(B) against serial number 2, under column (3) with the heading “Declarations”, after the proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely :-
“Provided further that the repetition of information may not be required for combination of sweeteners.”;
(iii) for the words “pregnant and lactating mothers”, wherever they occur, the words “pregnant or lactating women” shall be substituted.
RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./785/2025-26]
Note: The Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary Part III, section 4 vide notification number F. No. 1-94/FSSAI/SP(Labelling)/2014 (Pt-2), dated the 17th November, 2020 and last amended vide notification number F. No. SS-T017/1/2023-Standard-FSSAI, dated the 8th August, 2025.
