Food labelling and packaging requirements refer to what information must be provided and how suitable the package is for containing and preserving the food product. For a manufacturer, the labelling and packaging requirements include ingredients, allergen declaration, nutrition, claims, quantity, dates, batch information and packaging suitability. Since this is directly related to food formulation, process, shelf life and target markets, any changes in formulation and packaging require reassessment.
Food Labelling and Packaging: Key Compliance Elements Explained
Dr. Vikram Mehta, PhD, FRSCHead of Regulatory Affairs & Nutrition Science, Food Research Lab
Regulatory compliance, dossier preparation, and scientific documentation
Quick Answer
Food labelling and packaging requirements refer to what information must be provided and how suitable the package is for containing and preserving the food product. For a manufacturer, the labelling and packaging requirements include ingredients, allergen declaration, nutrition, claims, quantity, dates, batch information and packaging suitability. Since this is directly related to food formulation, process, shelf life and target markets, any changes in formulation and packaging require reassessment.
Introduction: What Food Labelling and Packaging Cover
Every product from concept to sale requires two key factors: accurate information and the right packaging that protects it. Labelling informs the consumer about ingredients, allergens, nutritional value, quantity, storage and any claims. Packaging contains and protects the product from production through distribution to storage. [1] They are fundamental to food product development, ensuring that the product is correctly labelled, packed and preserved. In 2026, regulatory control will become even more important in securing market access and should be addressed during product development rather than treated as an afterthought. [2]
Why Food Labelling and Packaging Compliance Matters
Food labelling and packaging requirements for B2B manufacturers, brand owners and exporters must be part of the product development process rather than artwork development, since modifications to ingredients, suppliers, portion size, processing or packaging will result in an entirely new technical and regulatory review cycle. The costs of non-compliance are high: in FY 2025–26, Indian regulators tested 2,23,808 food samples, of which 40,023 were non-conforming, with 31,878 civil cases disposed of with penalties and 1,918 criminal convictions—numbers that figures that span unsafe, substandard and mislabelled products, not labelling alone. Good food packaging regulation, proper claims and nutrition label compliance ensure market access, sales and reputation; failures resulting from these depend upon the specific non-compliance and the market; failures lead to relabelling, shipment rejection, delisting, corrective action or recall. [3]
Managing Current and Future Requirements
B2B groups need to distinguish between current and upcoming rules. FSSAI’s First Amendment of Labelling & Display Regulations, notified on 24 March 2026, will be effective from 1 July 2027, thereby ensuring that the current artwork is approved while preparing the next amendment. Under FSSAI’s Labelling guidelines, a tightly controlled process ensures that there is an interrelation between the food formulation, product specifications, analytical results, packaging, shelf-life testing, claims assessment and artwork for any new food product development and exports; each element maps to the destination market’s rules. [4]
Figure 1. Food label compliance evidence flows from formulation through packaging and final artwork approval.
Mandatory Elements of Food Labelling
The mandatory food label elements may differ based on products as well as markets. However, in general, the contents include product identification, ingredients, allergen information, nutrition information, net quantity, dates, storage conditions, instructions for use, business information and lot/batch identification. These should be compared against the approved product specification and the destination market regulations.
Ingredient and Allergen Declarations
The ingredient list requirements should be in alignment with the approved formula, with ingredients listed in the required order, along with the splitting up of compound ingredients. The allergen declaration should be developed using information from the ingredient level and cross-contact controls and not the artwork since, according to FSSAI, eight allergen categories require the “Contains” declaration with “May Contains” allowed for situations where allergens are present due to cross-contamination. [4] The US FDA has requirements for all nine major allergens, including sesame, under the FASTER Act; and in Great Britain, 14 allergens require emphasis when present. [5] Non-retail master cases and bulk containers carry their own requirements and should be reviewed separately from retail packs.
Nutritional Information Panel
The nutritional information panel must be based on formulation data or analysis or by using the applicable calculation. The required nutrients for FSSAI include energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugars, added sugars, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium [4]. The US Nutrition Facts panel indicates serving size, calories and specified nutrients, and the EU values are per 100 g/ml with optional portion information. [6] Failure to comply with nutrition label compliance usually occurs due to reformulations in serving size and contribution of nutrients without change in artwork. Nutrient value by itself does not justify a nutrition or health claim, and any front-of-pack system must first be identified as whether legally mandatory, voluntary, proposed or under consultation before artwork modification – these are mandatory food label elements that are most often audited. [7]
Net Weight, Batch Coding and Shelf-Life Marking
Product net quantity, date marking and lot/batch code must match the product specification and traceability policy. The Shelf-life labelling must be based on validated product and storage information, such as moisture, water activity, oxidation, pH, microbial stability, light, temperature and packaging barriers, all of which affect it. Barcode and batch coding must be consistent with manufacturing and ERP systems to ensure that identifiers of finished products remain readable and trackable during distribution and recall investigation processes. [4] [8]
Table 1 — Mandatory label elements briefly (2026)
The following comparison summarises selected mandatory labelling and packaging controls using current official requirements for the respective markets.
Requirement | India — FSSAI | US — FDA | EU / Great Britain | |
Allergens | 8 groups; Contains / May Contain* | 9 major allergens | 14 regulated, emphasised | |
Nutrition | Energy + key nutrients | Nutrition Facts | Per 100 g/ml | |
Date/lot | Batch/lot ID + date marking | Product-specific | Best Before / Use By + lot | |
Net quantity | Required | Required | Required | |
Packaging | Migration limits + food-contact safety | FDA food-contact rules | EU food-contact rules + PPWR | |
Front-of-pack | FoP warning proposal under consideration | Market-specific | Voluntary schemes |
Note: Requirements vary by product category, packaging type and destination market. Detailed allergen, nutrition, migration and front-of-pack requirements should be verified against the applicable regulations before artwork approval.
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Food Packaging Regulations and Design in 2026
Packaging compliance goes beyond label copy to food-contact safety, migration, material compatibility, barrier performance, shelf life and sustainability. In 2026, EU-facing businesses must also meet the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) alongside existing food-contact rules.
Material Safety and Compatibility
The packaging material must be appropriate for food contact. The FSS (Packaging) Regulations in India provide for an aggregate migration limit of 60 mg/kg (or 10 mg/dm²) for relevant plastics, along with specific migration limits. Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Union obliges packaging materials to be chemically inert so that they do not migrate dangerous substances or spoil food products. With effect from 12 August 2026, the EU PPWR restricts PFAS in food-contact packaging — 25 ppb for any single PFAS, 250 ppb for the targeted sum and 50 ppm including polymeric PFAS — and caps combined lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium at 100 mg/kg. [9] [10] A technical packaging assessment should weigh:
- Oxygen and moisture barrier
- Light protection
- Seal integrity and mechanical strength
- Filling and processing conditions
- Storage temperature and expected shelf life
- Food-contact suitability
- Migration and supplier documentation
This list of requirements depends on product chemistry – a laminate that is good for a dry product might be inappropriate for a fatty or acidic one – so food packaging design guidelines start with product–package compatibility and evidence before artwork.
Sustainable and Regulatory-Compliant Packaging
Recyclability, recycled content and material reduction of sustainable packaging materials need to be considered along with barrier properties, shelf life, and rules of destination markets since they should still offer sufficient protection and food contact compliance. The PPWR introduces design-for-recycling criteria from 2030 onwards, recycled-at-scale criteria from 2035 onwards and recyclability performance scores that are needed to achieve compliance for being allowed in the market; the digital information criteria of the PPWR are applicable to certain types of packaging rather than a QR code mandate for all packaging by 2026. Food packaging design guidelines involve consideration of safety, barrier properties, recyclability, documentation and cost while keeping the pack aligned to the destination market’s food packaging regulations. [9] [2]
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Common Labelling Mistakes That Trigger Recalls
Many issues tend to arise in interfaces – between formulations, supplier specifications, laboratory results, packaging and labelling. Some common issues are unlisted allergens, incorrect sequence or amounts of ingredients used, outdated nutrient values, wrong net quantity, missing date or lot data, invalid or deceptive claims, unclear mandatory labelling, and mismatch of packaging with approved product. Under the FSSAI labelling norms, prepackaged labelling cannot be deceptive and must carry mandatory information which is visible, conspicuous, indelible and legible, and the claims made must be valid and unambiguous. A food label compliance checklist – formulation freeze, ingredient and allergen verification, nutritional analysis, claim validation, packaging approval, artwork approval, barcode & batch code checks and sign-off- should be performed every time there is a change in formulation, supplier, process, packaging, claim or market. [11]
Figure 2 — A structured pre-print audit surfaces gaps between specification, evidence and artwork before production.
Before sign-off, confirm the final formula, ingredient specifications, nutrition data, claims and shelf-life results — a late food formulation or supplier change can move the label and the pack. Freeze the technical specification first, then complete the label and packaging review.
Building Compliance into Food Product Development
The best way to do this is to integrate compliance during new food product development, not when the product is launched — by evaluating packaging, formulation, nutrition data, claims and declarations all in one package before manufacturing scale-up. This ensures that formula, technical information, packaging requirements and graphics are integrated into one controlled product record and reduces late changes and relabelling. [2]
Table 2 — Compliance integration across product development
Product-development element | Compliance focus |
Formulation | Ingredient selection, allergen status and formulation data |
Technical evidence | Nutrition data, claims evidence and supporting documentation |
Packaging | Material suitability, food-contact safety and product compatibility |
Shelf life | Stability evidence, storage conditions and packaging performance |
Label & artwork | Declarations, claims, dates, quantity and traceability |
Pre-launch review | Final alignment of formulation, evidence, packaging and artwork |
Food Label & Packaging Compliance Checklist
Before approving artwork, check that the formulation, technical data, packaging requirements and label are aligned. This pre-print food label compliance checklist can highlight missing information, invalid claims, packaging issues and traceability problems before printing, and should be used for a specific product category and destination market.
Conclusion
When dealing with 2026 food labeling and packaging requirements, they need to be considered in connection with formulation, packaging, claims and technical data, not as an artwork process at the very end of the process. Controlled review will assist B2B teams in ensuring nutrition label compliance, traceability and market readiness while avoiding extra work.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For any product and market, the label may require the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, date, storage and usage information, business information and nutrition information. Always ensure that your final label complies with destination-market regulations.
Food packaging should fit the food and the circumstances of its usage, while labels should comply with the destination-market regulations. Non-compliance will lead to relabelling, delay of the shipment or even entry into the destination market due to the EU PPWR restriction of PFAS and heavy metals from 12 August 2026.
When there are changes in formula, ingredient supplier, processing method, serving size, packaging type, claim and target market, as well as periodically, to monitor changes in regulations; for example, India FSSAI regulations amended 24 March 2026 and effective 1 July 2027 shows why current and future-effective rules must be tracked separately.
Ingredient and allergen verification, nutrition, claims, net quantity, date and batch controls, packaging suitability, barcode, artwork proofing and final regulatory sign-off — plus a destination-market gap review for exports.
References
- Codex Alimentarius Commission. (1985). General standard for the labelling of prepackaged foods (CXS 1-1985). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations & World Health Organization. Codex – General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods
- Etxabide, A., Young, B., Bremer, P. J., & Kilmartin, P. A. (2022). Non-permanent primary food packaging materials assessment: Identification, migration, toxicity, and consumption of substances. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 21(5), 4130–4145. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.13001
- Pahlani, M., Narendra Talati, K., Lopez-Arana, S., & Narayanan, P. (2025). Food labelling in India: A scoping review of consumer engagement, comprehension, and purchase behaviour. Global Health Action, 18(1), 2574132. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2025.2574132
- Codex Alimentarius Commission. (n.d.). Nutrition labelling. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations & World Health Organization. Codex – Nutrition Labelling
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. (2025). Compendium of Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations. FSSAI – Labelling and Display Regulations
- S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025). Guidance for industry: Questions and answers regarding food allergen labeling (Edition 5). FDA – Food Allergen Labeling Guidance
- European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2011). Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. Official Journal of the European Union. EUR-Lex – Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
- Bica, M., Renzella, J., Kaur, A., et al. (2026). Systematic review of nutrient profile models for front-of-pack nutrition labelling. Nature Food. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01414-0
- European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2002). Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002. Official Journal of the European Union. EUR-Lex – Regulation (EC) No 178/2002
- European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2025). Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste. Official Journal of the European Union. EUR-Lex – Regulation (EU) 2025/40
- European Commission. (2026). Commission notice on the interpretation and implementation of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste. European Commission – 2026 guidance on Regulation (EU) 2025/40
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. (n.d.). Labelling and display: Amendments. FSSAI – Labelling and Display Amendments
📑 Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why Food Labelling and Packaging Compliance Matters
- Managing Current and Future Requirements
- Mandatory Elements of Food Labelling
- Net Weight, Batch Coding and Shelf-Life Marking
- Food Packaging Regulations and Design in 2026
- Common Labelling Mistakes That Trigger Recalls
- Building Compliance into Food Product Development
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Question
- Reference
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