Your pickle tastes superb – and gets seized at a retailer’s gate for a missing veg logo, wrong font size, or no MRP declaration. Product label compliance in India rests on two regimes: FSSAI for food, and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities Rules) for declarations every packaged product must carry. This guide covers both in plain words, the declarations checklist, and where label design meets the printing press.
Our service: label and sticker printing – materials, sample packs, compliance-checked layouts. Deep dives: label materials, GS1 barcodes.
What must a food label carry under FSSAI?
Every pre-packaged food label needs: product name, veg or non-veg logo, FSSAI licence number with logo, complete ingredient list in descending order, nutritional information per 100 g, net quantity, MRP inclusive of taxes, manufacturing and best-before/use-by dates, lot or batch number, manufacturer name and address, and customer-care contact. Allergen declarations and claims (natural, organic, fortified) carry extra conditions. Design the label around these blocks first – artwork squeezed around compliance text fails both retail buyers and inspections.
What does Legal Metrology require on every pack?
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules require on every packaged commodity: manufacturer/packer/importer name and address, net quantity in standard units, MRP inclusive of all taxes, month and year of manufacture or import, and customer-care details. Font-size minimums apply by pack area – declarations must be readable, contrasting and firmly affixed. Retail chains audit these declarations before your first listing; e-commerce platforms reject listings with mismatched MRP or quantity data.
What are the most common label rejections?
- Missing or wrong veg/non-veg logo size and placement.
- MRP without “inclusive of all taxes” or mismatched across platforms.
- Net quantity in non-standard units or unreadable font size.
- Missing FSSAI licence number on food packs or expired licence in records.
- Date format errors – best-before versus use-by confusion.
- Unsubstantiated claims (“100% natural”, health claims) without FSSAI conditions met.
Check all six on proofs before bulk printing – reprints cost more than reviews.
How do compliance and label printing connect?
Compliance decides content blocks and minimum sizes; material decides survival (oil, moisture, refrigeration – see material selector); barcodes decide retail acceptance (see GS1 basics). Send us your product, pack size and sales channel; we return a layout with declarations placed, material recommended and a sample pack to test on your actual jars. Contact us.
Last updated: 20 September 2026. FSSAI and Legal Metrology rules amend periodically – verify current gazette requirements for your category before final artwork.