The FSSAI has put forward a proposal to mandate a specific logo on all milk and milk products, including composite milk products. This initiative is part of the broader Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Amendment Regulations, 2025, which also includes calls for more prominent labeling of salt, sugar, and saturated fat on food products.
The draft notification, released on February 18, outlines three key amendments. The first requires that all milk products display a logo featuring a white drop enclosed within a blue square box. The size of the logo must adhere to specific dimensions based on the product’s display area. For instance, on packaging with a front-of-pack display area of up to 100 square centimeters, each side of the square logo must be at least 6 millimeters, with the drop measuring a minimum of 4.56 millimeters in height and 3 millimeters in width. Larger display areas will require proportionally larger logos.
This proposal follows recent regulatory actions by the FSSAI, including the directive for online and offline platforms to delist plant-based products that use traditional dairy terms. In response, many plant-based milk brands in India have adjusted their product labels to avoid using conventional dairy terminology, pending further clarification from regulators.
In addition to the milk product logo, the FSSAI is proposing to enhance the visibility of nutritional information on food labels. Specifically, the authority suggests that the per-serve percentage contribution to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium be displayed in bold letters with an increased font size. This move aims to make critical nutritional information more noticeable to consumers. Notably, a similar mandate was issued in July 2024, although no specific font size requirements were detailed in either instance.
The third amendment in the draft notification pertains to “coffee-chicory mixture” products. It requires that every package containing such mixtures must declare the percentages of coffee and chicory content. Furthermore, these declarations must be prominently displayed on the front of the package in capital letters within a rectangular box on the principal display panel.
The FSSAI is inviting public comments on these proposed amendments from February 18 to April 20. Industry experts believe that these regulatory changes could provide greater clarity for food businesses in their compliance planning and help build consumer trust through improved transparency in labeling.