India Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in india, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Labeling/Marking Requirements
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Labeling is an important consideration for exporting to India. English is the preferred language for labeling in the country. Indian customs authorities ensure that imported items include the legally required labelling information, which can vary for different products. The Indian Ministry of Commerce requires all pre-packaged commodities intended for direct retail sale that are imported into India to carry the following information on the label:

  • Name and address of the importer
  • Generic or common name of the commodity
  • Net quantity in terms of standard unit of weights and measurements, in metric, and
  • Month and year in which the commodity is manufactured, packed, or imported, depending on the product, and the maximum retail sales price (MRP). The MRP includes all taxes, local or otherwise, freight, transport charges, commission payable to dealers, and charges for advertising, delivery, packing, forwarding, and any other relevant charges. 

Note that pre-packaged food products meant for institutional use do not require the MRP, but a ‘Not for Retail Sale’ declaration on the label is required. Pre-packaged commodities such as raw materials, components, and bulk imports that undergo further processing before sale to end consumers are not included under these labeling requirements.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as a statutory body for regulating the manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale, and import of food products as well as its labelling and packaging requirements. 

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulation (2018), pre-packaged food or pre-packed food, including multi-piece packages, should carry the following mandatory information on the label:
1.    The name of the food
2.    List of ingredients, except for single ingredient foods
3.    Nutritional information
4.    Declaration regarding vegetarian and non-vegetarian
5.    Declaration of food additives
6.    Name and address of the manufacturer
7.    Net quantity
8.    Lot/code/batch identification
9.    Date of manufacture or packing
10.    Best before date or use by date or date of expiry
11.    Country-of-origin
12.    Instructions for use, if applicable
Please refer to GAIN-INDIA-IN2024-0061-FAIRS Country Report Annual for additional information.

Wherever applicable, the product label also must contain the following information: 

  • The purpose of irradiation and license number in case of irradiated food, and
  • Extraneous addition of coloring material
     

Non-vegetarian Food: Any foods which contain whole or part of any animal, including birds, fresh water or marine animals, eggs, or any ingredient of animal origin (excluding milk or milk products), must have a symbol of a brown color-filled triangle inside a square with a brown outline prominently displayed on the package, contrasting against the background on the display label near the name or brand name of the food item. 
Vegetarian Food: All vegetarian foods must have a similar symbol of a green-filled circle inside a square with a green outline prominently displayed. 

All labeling declarations must meet the following requirements: 

  • Printed in English or Hindi on a label securely affixed to the package (Hindi must be in the Devanagari script); or printed on the package itself
  • Products only exhibiting a standard U.S. label will not be allowed entry.
  • No false, misleading or deceptive representation shall be made which can create an erroneous impression of the pre-packaged food
  • Content of the label shall be clear, prominent, indelible, and legible by the consumer.
     

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2018, states that, “Custom Authorities shall not clear any article of food unless it has a valid shelf life of not less than sixty%, or three months before expiry, whichever is less, at the time of import.” Product shelf life is calculated based on the information provided on the label of a product. 

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