Business EconomyPosted at: Sep 22 2026 1:37PM


Centre brings new veg, non-veg labelling rules for soaps, shampoos

New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The Centre has revised packaging rules for soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics and other personal-care products, making it mandatory for manufacturers to indicate whether a product is of vegetarian or non-vegetarian origin.
The change comes under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026, notified on September 21. Under the amended provision, products made from ingredients of vegetarian origin will have to carry a green dot, while products of non-vegetarian origin will need to carry a red or brown dot. The prescribed symbol has to be displayed at the top of the package's principal display panel.
The amendment took effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
While the latest notification has brought the requirement back into focus, the labelling requirement itself is not new. A similar provision was introduced in 2014 through Rule 6(8) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
The September 2026 amendment, however, changes the legal framework under which the requirement operates. It inserts the provision under Rule 6(4A)(d) and removes the earlier Rule 6(8).
The issue has also been examined by the courts. In February 2026, the Delhi High Court considered a challenge concerning the applicability of the labelling requirement to cosmetics and toiletries and directed the concerned authorities to establish a clear regulatory position.
The vegetarian/non-vegetarian symbol is only one part of the information that consumers may find on the packaging of cosmetics and toiletries.
India's Cosmetics Rules, 2020 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules prescribe several declarations for packaged products. Among other details, the inner and outer packaging of cosmetics is required to carry the name of the cosmetic and the name and complete address of the manufacturing premises.
For imported products, the packaging must additionally provide the name and address of the importer or authorised agent.
Packages are also required to provide the product's quantity in metric units, along with details such as the batch number, manufacturing licence number, manufacturing date and use-before or expiry information. The licence number is required to be preceded by the letter “M”.
The maximum retail price (MRP), inclusive of taxes, must also be declared. Depending on the product, packaging must provide directions for safe use as well as relevant warnings or precautions.
Ingredient disclosure is another important packaging requirement for cosmetics and toiletries.
Ingredients present in quantities above 1% generally have to be listed in descending order based on weight or volume. Ingredients present at 1% or below can be listed in any order after the heading “INGREDIENTS”.
There are, however, exemptions for very small packages. Products packed in quantities below 30 grams for solids or semi-solids and below 60 ml for liquids are exempt from providing the complete ingredient list.
For shoppers, the most visible change will be the requirement to place the vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol prominently on the principal display panel. This is intended to give consumers information about the origin of the ingredients used in products that are not normally associated with food labelling.
The September 2026 notification therefore changes the statutory placement of the requirement while retaining the broader objective of providing consumers with information about the nature of ingredients used in personal-care products.UNI VK AAB
Please log in to get detailed story.
Tags: #Centre brings new veg# non-veg labelling rules for soaps# shampoos
More News

TRAI tightens anti-spam rules; repeat offenders face one-year disconnection, AI-based detection to aid enforcement

28 Sep 2026 | 9:57 PM

Panchkula, Sept 28 (UNI) Telecom regulator TRAI has tightened its anti-spam framework, providing for suspension of outgoing services, one-year disconnection of telecom resources and blacklisting of repeat offenders, while bringing artificial intelligence-based detection into the enforcement mechanism against unsolicited commercial communications.

see more..

Amazon India Opens Ashray Centre in Hyderabad in Partnership with Telangana Govt

28 Sep 2026 | 8:56 PM

Hyderabad, Sept 28 (UNI) Amazon India on Monday inaugurated an Ashray rest centre for delivery drivers in Kondapur, Hyderabad, in partnership with the Telangana government, marking the first operational facility under an agreement to establish five such centres across the city.

see more..

HUL, Telangana Govt Partner to Expand Suvidha Sanitation Model Across State

28 Sep 2026 | 8:55 PM

Hyderabad, Sept 28 (UNI): The Telangana government and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) have partnered to expand the Suvidha social innovation model across urban local bodies in the state to improve access to hygiene and sanitation facilities.

see more..

Telangana: Paper Merchants seek GST cut to 5 pc, dedicated warehouse cluster in Hyderabad

28 Sep 2026 | 8:50 PM

Hyderabad, Sep 28 (UNI) The Telangana Paper Merchants Association (TPMA) on Monday urged the central government to reduce GST on paper from 18 per cent to 5 per cent and establish a dedicated warehouse cluster in Hyderabad, citing rising input costs, competition from imports and increasing logistics expenses.

see more..

Billtrust Inaugurates Hyderabad GCC, Announces Rs 450-Cr Investment

28 Sep 2026 | 8:36 PM

Hyderabad, Sept 28 (UNI) B2B financial technology company Billtrust on Monday inaugurated its Global Capability Centre (GCC) at Raheja Mindspace , Madhapur, with a commitment to invest Rs 450 crore over three years and expand its workforce in Hyderabad to 1,000 employees.

see more..