Short answer: a packaged food label in India must carry the product name, ingredients, nutrition information, the veg or non-veg symbol, allergen and additive declarations, net quantity, batch number, date marking, the manufacturer's or brand owner's name and address, and the FSSAI logo with licence number, among other details. These requirements come from the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, as amended. Design comes after compliance: the strongest packs make the legally required panel clean and readable, and use the front of the pack to say clearly what the product is and why someone should pick it up.
Food and beverage is one of the industries we work with most at Arcbig, from namkeen and sweets makers to spice, pickle, honey and beverage brands across western UP and NCR. The two most common problems we see on packs that come to us for a redesign are a missing or wrong mandatory detail, and a front panel so crowded that nobody can tell what the product is from a metre away. This guide covers both. It is general guidance, not legal advice; always confirm the current rules for your specific product with a food regulatory consultant or FSSAI.
Which rules govern food labels in India?
Labelling is covered mainly by the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which replaced the older packaging and labelling regulations, along with later amendments. Legal Metrology rules also apply to declarations such as net quantity and maximum retail price.
The rules keep changing. FSSAI announced in January 2025 that it would use 1 July as the annual date for labelling changes to take effect, with at least 180 days between notification and compliance. Before you print a large run, check whether any change is due.
What must a packaged food label show?
For retail packs of prepackaged food, the main declarations are:
- Name of the food: indicating its true nature, on the front of the pack.
- List of ingredients: in descending order of weight, including additives.
- Nutrition information: energy and key nutrients per 100 g or 100 ml (or per pack, as prescribed), and per-serve contribution to recommended daily allowances where required.
- Veg or non-veg symbol: the green symbol for vegetarian food, or the non-vegetarian symbol, which since the 2020 regulations is a brown triangle inside a square with a brown outline.
- Food additives: declared by functional class with their INS number, and flavours qualified as natural, nature-identical or artificial.
- Allergen declaration: for ingredients such as peanuts, tree nuts, cereals containing gluten, milk, egg, soybeans and fish, plus a cross-contamination warning where relevant.
- Name and complete address of the brand owner and the manufacturer or packer.
- FSSAI logo and licence number: in a contrasting colour to the background.
- Net quantity (and other Legal Metrology declarations such as MRP).
- Lot or batch number.
- Date marking: date of manufacture or packing, and the "use by" or expiry date, with "best before" where applicable.
- Country of origin for imported food.
- Instructions for use and storage, where needed.
Some small packs, non-retail containers and specific categories have exemptions or extra requirements, so check the regulations for your product type.
What changed recently in nutrition labelling?
Two recent moves on sugar, salt and fat are worth knowing about:
- In July 2024, FSSAI moved to require total sugar, salt and saturated fat to be shown in bold letters and a larger font in the nutrition information, as reported by FoodNavigator.
- In a February 2025 draft, FSSAI proposed that the per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance for added sugar, saturated fat and sodium be shown in bold and a relatively larger font.
Drafts are not final until notified, so treat the second point as something to watch, and check the current status before designing a new pack.
How do you fit all of this on a small pack?
Smart layout is the difference between a cluttered pack and a clean one:
- Plan the panels. Decide which face is the front (the principal display panel) and which faces carry ingredients, nutrition, address and batch details.
- Use a consistent information panel. Put ingredients, nutrition table, allergens and storage instructions together in one tidy block, in the same place on every product in your range.
- Leave space for batch, dates and MRP. These are often printed or stamped at the factory. Agree the size and position with your packing line before design is final.
- Choose readable fonts and contrast. Thin text on a shiny metallic film is hard to read, and regulators and customers both notice.
- Get Hindi right. If you print Hindi, check spellings and matras carefully. A mistake on 50,000 pouches is expensive. Our guide to graphic design for small businesses explains which print-ready files to ask your designer for.
How do you design a front of pack that sells?
Once the mandatory details have a home, the front panel can do its real job: getting picked up.
Make the product obvious from a distance
A shopper scanning a shelf in a kirana store or a supermarket decides in seconds. The product type and flavour should be readable from arm's length: "Roasted Makhana, Peri Peri" works better than an abstract brand name alone.
Lead with one strong reason to buy
Choose one thing: taste, a regional origin, no palm oil, made with desi ghee, high protein, family recipe since 1985. Make it the second-biggest message after the product name. Every claim must be true and allowed under the rules, especially words like "natural", "fresh" or "healthy".
Use colour to separate variants
If you sell several flavours, keep the same layout and logo and change one colour per variant. Shoppers learn quickly, and the range looks bigger and more organised on the shelf.
Show the food honestly
Good food photography or illustration sells. It should look like what is inside, because disappointed customers do not buy twice.
Test it in the real world
Print a mock-up at actual size, put it on a shelf next to competitors, and step back. Can you find it? Can you read it? Does it look like it belongs at the price?
What should you check before sending artwork to print?
- The printer's dieline (the cutting and folding template), with bleed and safe areas.
- CMYK colours and any special inks, with a printed proof checked under shop lighting.
- A valid barcode if you sell through retail chains or marketplaces.
- Every number on the pack: weights, nutrition values, licence number, phone and address.
- A final compliance check by whoever is responsible for food regulation in your business.
If you also sell online, the same artwork becomes your product images. Our guide on starting an e-commerce business in India covers what marketplaces and your own store need.
How we help
At Arcbig we design food labels, pouches, boxes and full packaging ranges, along with the logos and brand kits behind them. We lay out the mandatory panels cleanly and design front panels made to stand out on Indian shelves, and you or your regulatory consultant review compliance before anything prints. See branding and print design and our guide to branding for small businesses, or email contact@arcbig.com with your product and pack sizes.
Frequently asked questions
What information is mandatory on a food label in India?
The product name, ingredients, nutrition information, veg or non-veg symbol, additive and allergen declarations, net quantity, lot or batch number, date marking, name and address of the brand owner and manufacturer, and the FSSAI logo with licence number, along with other details that apply to specific products.
What is the non-veg symbol under FSSAI rules?
Under the 2020 regulations, the non-vegetarian symbol is a brown triangle inside a square with a brown outline. Vegetarian food uses the green symbol.
Is the FSSAI licence number required on the label?
Yes. The FSSAI logo and licence number must be shown on the label, in a colour that contrasts with the background.
When do FSSAI labelling changes come into effect?
FSSAI announced in January 2025 that labelling changes would take effect on 1 July each year, with at least 180 days between notification and compliance. Check for any changes before a large print run.
Can I design my own food label?
You can, but have the mandatory details checked by a food regulatory professional before printing, and work with a designer who understands dielines, print colours and readability on small packs.