Overview

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Second Amendment Regulations 2026, taking effect 1 July 2026. The amendment introduces Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) star labels on the front of pack, mandates allergen disclosure for 8 priority allergens, and requires bilingual Hindi-English labelling for all packaged food sold or stored in India — including export-bound stock held in domestic warehouses. India packaged food market crossed USD 70 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit USD 96 billion by 2028, making compliance a strategic, not just tactical, issue.

Key Provisions

The INR system assigns 0.5 to 5 stars based on sugar, salt, saturated fat and energy content per 100g — products below 2.5 stars must carry the rating prominently on the front panel. Eight allergens — milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean — must be declared in bold within the ingredient list and in a separate Contains statement. Manufacturing date, best-before date, FSSAI licence number (14 digits), and country of origin must be in 3mm minimum font. Export-only packs are exempt only if physically segregated and labelled For Export Only — Not for Sale in India.

Compliance Cost & Timeline

Mid-size processors are reporting redesign costs of INR 8-14 lakh per SKU, including artwork, plate changes and stock write-down. Laboratories charge INR 25,000-40,000 for the full nutrition panel needed to calculate INR stars. Small exporters with under 50 SKUs typically complete transition in 90 days; larger players need 4-6 months. FSSAI is allowing a 6-month grace window — non-compliant stock manufactured before 1 July 2026 may be sold through till 31 December 2026.

Strategic Outlook

The regulation will accelerate consolidation: smaller exporters without in-house labelling teams will route through co-packers, and dual-purpose plants (domestic + export) will need parallel artwork stacks. International buyers — especially in Singapore and the UAE — are already requesting FSSAI-compliant labels as a quality signal. Early adopters who upgrade now will benefit from a clean two-year compliance runway before the next FSSAI review cycle in 2028.