FSSAI and Legal Metrology Compliance for Packaged Food Businesses

Understand how FSSAI licensing and Legal Metrology compliance work together — as two distinct but complementary regulatory requirements — for Food Business Operators dealing in pre-packaged food products in India.

Any business that manufactures, packages, or sells pre-packaged food in India must satisfy two separate sets of regulatory requirements. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) governs the licensing of the food business itself and the food-safety information that must appear on the label. Separately, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, as amended from time to time, govern the quantity- and price-related declarations that must appear on pre-packaged commodities. These two frameworks are complementary, not interchangeable — a food business must comply with both, and neither one substitutes for the other.

FSSAI Licensing: Authorization to Operate a Food Business

Every Food Business Operator (FBO) involved in manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, retail, import, export, or marketing of food must obtain the appropriate FSSAI registration or licence before commencing operations. The applicable category — Basic Registration, State Licence, or Central Licence — depends on the scale, turnover, and nature of the business, as applicable.

Legal Metrology Compliance for Pre-Packaged Commodities

Food businesses that sell pre-packaged products must separately ensure compliance with the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, which apply to most pre-packaged goods sold by weight, measure, or number, subject to specified exemptions as applicable. This compliance operates independently of the FSSAI licence — obtaining an FSSAI licence does not, by itself, satisfy Legal Metrology requirements, and vice versa.

How FSSAI and Legal Metrology Requirements Work Together

FSSAI and Legal Metrology regulate different aspects of the same package, and both must be satisfied for a pre-packaged food product to be compliant:

• FSSAI is primarily concerned with food safety and the information a consumer needs to make an informed food-safety decision — for example, ingredients, allergens, and nutritional information.

• Legal Metrology is primarily concerned with fair trade practices — ensuring the consumer knows exactly how much product they are buying and at what price, and can reach the seller if there is a discrepancy.

A pre-packaged food product must therefore carry both sets of declarations. Businesses that treat these as a single combined requirement often miss one set of obligations, which can lead to regulatory observations from either authority.

FSSAI Labelling Requirements

Under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, packaged food labels must clearly carry mandatory food-safety and consumer information, including, as applicable to the product:

• Name of the food product

• Complete list of ingredients, in descending order of composition

• Nutritional information

• Veg or non-veg symbol

• Declaration of food additives, where used

• Name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or marketer

• FSSAI logo and licence number

• Date of manufacture and ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date

• Storage and usage instructions, where relevant

• Allergen declarations, where applicable

• Country of origin, for imported food products

 

Legal Metrology Declarations on Packaged Food

Separately from FSSAI labelling, the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 require every pre-packaged commodity to carry certain mandatory declarations on the package, including, as applicable:

• Net quantity — the net weight, volume, or number of the product contained in the package, in standard units

• Maximum Retail Price (MRP) — inclusive of all taxes, displayed prominently on the package

• Consumer care details — the name, address, telephone number, or email address of the entity a consumer can contact for complaints or grievances

• Name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or importer

• Month and year of manufacture, packing, or import

• Common or generic name of the commodity

• Unit sale price, where applicable to the package format

• Dimensions of the commodity, where required for the product category, as applicable

These requirements apply in addition to, not instead of, the FSSAI labelling requirements described above.

Regulatory Components for Packaged Food Compliance

Compliance Area Purpose

FSSAI Licence/Registration Legal authorization to manufacture, process, package, store, distribute, or sell food in India

FSSAI Labelling Requirements Mandatory food-safety and consumer information that must appear on the label, such as ingredients, nutritional information, allergen declarations, and the FSSAI logo and licence number

Legal Metrology Declarations Mandatory quantity- and price-related declarations on pre-packaged commodities, such as net quantity, MRP, and consumer care details

Food Safety Management System

(FSMS) Supports ongoing food safety practices and regulatory compliance

Documentation Facilitates inspections, audits, and regulatory review

 

Compliance Responsibilities for Food Business Operators

Food Business Operators are responsible for maintaining compliance across both frameworks throughout their operations, including:

• Displaying the FSSAI licence at the business premises

• Allowing regulatory inspections by FSSAI and Legal Metrology authorities

• Reporting significant business modifications to the FSSAI, as applicable

• Maintaining qualified supervisory or technical personnel, where applicable

• Following prescribed food safety and hygiene requirements

• Keeping package declarations updated whenever net quantity, MRP, or consumer care details change

Maintaining accurate documentation and compliance records under both frameworks supports efficient regulatory interactions and business continuity.

Figure 1

Best Practices for Regulatory Compliance

Food businesses can strengthen compliance by adopting a proactive, dual-track regulatory approach:

• Selecting the correct FSSAI licence category for the scale and nature of the business

• Maintaining complete documentation for both FSSAI and Legal Metrology compliance

• Reviewing food labels for FSSAI compliance before every product launch

• Independently verifying net quantity, MRP, and consumer care details for Legal Metrology compliance

• Implementing a documented Food Safety Management System

• Monitoring updates to both FSSAI regulations and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules regularly, as these are amended from time to time

Staying Current with Regulatory Changes

Both FSSAI regulations and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules are periodically amended — for example, through updates to labelling formats, font-size and declaration-prominence requirements, and rules for e-commerce sellers of pre-packaged goods. Because amendments can affect mandatory declarations with limited transition time, Food Business Operators should review official notifications from FSSAI and the Department of Consumer Affairs (which administers Legal Metrology) on a regular basis, or work with a qualified regulatory consultant to track changes as applicable to their product category.

Conclusion

Compliance for a packaged food business is not a single requirement but two complementary ones. An FSSAI licence authorizes the business and governs food-safety information on the label, while Legal Metrology compliance governs the quantity, price, and consumer-care declarations on the package. Food Business Operators should treat these as distinct, parallel obligations — verifying FSSAI labelling requirements and Legal Metrology declarations separately, as applicable to each product — and stay current with regulatory updates to both frameworks in order to build lasting consumer trust and regulatory readiness.

Summary

• Every Food Business Operator requires the appropriate FSSAI registration or licence.

• Legal Metrology compliance is a separate, complementary requirement for pre-packaged commodities — not a substitute for FSSAI licensing or vice versa.

• FSSAI labelling requirements cover food-safety information such as ingredients, allergens, and nutritional information, as applicable.

• Legal Metrology declarations cover net quantity, MRP, and consumer care details, among other requirements, as applicable.

• Both sets of declarations must appear on the package; verifying one does not satisfy the other.

• A documented Food Safety Management System strengthens ongoing food safety practices.

• Regular monitoring of updates to both FSSAI regulations and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules helps businesses stay compliant as requirements evolve.