On September 21, 2026, the Department of Consumer Affairs under India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution issued notification G.S.R. 826(E) in the Gazette of India, formally promulgating the “Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026”. The amendment came into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette. CIRS hereby summarizes the main content of this amendment and its comparison with previous rules as follows, for your reference.
Key Actions of This Amendment
G.S.R. 826(E) makes two changes to Rule 6 of the “Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011”:
1. Deletion of the original Rule 6(8): i.e., the provision that, since 2014, mandatorily required every package of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, other cosmetics and toiletries to bear a vegetarian/non-vegetarian mark at the top of the principal display panel. After deletion, the original provision no longer has mandatory force.
2. Addition of Rule 6(4A)(d): a new clause (d) is added under sub-rule (4A), retaining the substance of the original (8) at the same position and with the same colour rules — “in the case of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, other cosmetics and toiletries, a red or, as the case may be, a brown dot for products of non-vegetarian origin and a green dot for products of vegetarian origin, at the top of the principal display panel”.
This amendment formally moves the previous “mandatory marking on every package” requirement into the (4A) category of “voluntary additional declarations that enterprises are allowed to make”, completing the switch of its attribute from mandatory to voluntary.
Specific Requirements of the New Rule 6(4A)(d)
According to the text of G.S.R. 826(E), clause (4A)(d) contains the following elements:
1. Products covered: soap, shampoo, tooth paste, other cosmetics and toiletries.
2. Dot colours:
- Green dot: products of vegetarian origin;
- Red or brown dot: products of non-vegetarian origin.
3. Placement: must be at the top of the principal display panel.
Impact on and Recommendations for Cosmetics-Related Enterprises
This amendment adjusts the vegetarian/non-vegetarian marking from a mandatory requirement to a voluntary additional declaration that enterprises are allowed to make, i.e., relevant products may be marked voluntarily as needed, provided that this “voluntariness” is premised on simultaneously satisfying other applicable mandatory labelling requirements. Enterprises are advised to:
- Mark voluntarily as needed: decide whether to affix a green dot (vegan) or red/brown dot (non-vegan) at the top of the principal display panel, considering product export arrangements and other relevant factors; where such marking is adopted, the other applicable mandatory labelling requirements under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 shall still be met;
- Retain the basis for classification: if an enterprise chooses to mark, it is advisable to retain the basis for determining “vegetarian/non-vegetarian origin” (such as raw material supplier declarations, ingredient origin statements, etc.), so as to explain the classification basis externally.
If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.
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