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FSSAI label checklist for packaged food
Under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, a prepackaged food label in India must carry the name of the food, ingredients, nutritional information, the veg or non-veg symbol, additive declarations, the brand owner's name and address, the FSSAI logo and licence number, net quantity, retail price and consumer care details, a lot or batch number, date marking and, where they apply, country of origin, instructions for use and allergen declarations. Tick each one off below; each item links to the regulation on fssai.gov.in.
Checked against FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020: FSSAI compendium, Version VIII (09.09.2025) on . This is a summary to help you prepare, not legal advice; category-specific standards can add requirements, so confirm against the current FSSAI text or with a food regulatory consultant before you print.
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- Regulation 5(1) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(2) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(3) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(4) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(5) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(6) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(7) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(8) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(9) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(10) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(12) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(13) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 5(14) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 4(5)–4(7) (fssai.gov.in)
- Regulation 4(2) (fssai.gov.in)
Is a QR code on the label mandatory?
No. FSSAI's advisory of 12 October 2023 encourages QR codes so that visually impaired consumers can reach product information, and the government's Lok Sabha reply of December 2023 described using them as voluntary. A QR code is an addition: everything in the checklist above still has to be printed on the pack. Our guide FSSAI QR code on food labels: voluntary or mandatory? covers the advisory and how an information QR differs from a traceability QR.
The lot number is the item that links a pack to its records
Of everything on the list, the lot or batch number is what lets a brand, a retailer or the regulator trace a pack back to its production run, for a complaint or a recall. Use a consistent format; the batch number generator creates codes in three common formats. If you need an FSSAI registration or licence first, see the guide to the FSSAI licence for small food brands.
Put a batch page behind the lot number
IndiTrace gives each batch a QR label that opens its source, processing steps and lab reports, alongside the label you already print. It does not check or certify label compliance.
Questions
- Is a QR code mandatory on food labels in India?
- No. FSSAI's advisory of 12 October 2023 encourages QR codes so that visually impaired consumers can reach product information, and the government told the Lok Sabha that using them is voluntary. A QR code does not replace anything that must be printed on the label.
- Does every packaged food need nutritional information?
- No. The regulations exempt some foods, including unprocessed single-ingredient products, herbs and spices other than masalas for direct consumption, salt, and coffee. Check regulation 5(3) for the full list.
- Do I have to show the batch number on an e-commerce listing?
- No. Online listings must show the mandatory label information before sale, but the lot number and the date markings are excluded because they only exist on the physical pack.