Regulations explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022 define vegan food, bar the sale of any food as vegan unless it complies, set production and traceability duties, require the vegan logo after approval, and provide for an application to the licensing authority and for certificates on imports. Five regulations, no schedules.
The text is read as amended up to 21 May 2026 (the Amendment Regulations, 2026 apply from 1 July 2027). FSSAI publications are reference copies and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. Brands that want a vegan range planned and labelled can use our FSSAI label compliance service.
"Vegan food" has no ingredient, additive, flavouring, enzyme, carrier or processing aid of animal origin used at any stage of production and processing. No one may manufacture, pack, sell, offer for sale, market or distribute or import any food as vegan unless it complies. Vegan products shall not have involved animal testing, unless provided by a Regulatory Authority, and every package, after approval, carries the vegan logo.
Regulation 1: title and commencement
Regulation 1(1) gives the title. Regulation 1(2): the Regulations come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette (10 June 2022). No separate compliance date is printed.
Regulation 2: the definition
"Vegan food" means the food or food ingredient, including additives, flavourings, enzymes and carriers, or processing aids that are not products of animal origin and in which, at no stage of production and processing, ingredients, including additives, flavourings, enzymes and carriers, or processing aids that are of animal origin have been used. Regulation 2(2) borrows meanings from the Act, rules and regulations. The test is therefore twofold: the item must not be of animal origin, and nothing of animal origin may have been used at any stage.
Regulation 3: general requirements
| Sub-regulation | Rule |
|---|---|
| 3(1) | No person shall manufacture, pack, sell, offer for sale, market or otherwise distribute or import any food as vegan food unless they comply with the requirements laid down under these regulations |
| 3(2) | The food products to be called vegan shall not have involved animal testing for any purpose including safety evaluation, unless provided by any Regulatory Authority |
| 3(3) | Every packaging material used for vegan foods shall comply with the packaging regulations |
| 3(4) | All stages of production, processing and distribution shall be designed to take appropriate precautions in conformity with Good Manufacturing Practices so as to avoid the unintended presence of non-vegan substances |
| 3(5) | If the same production line is shared with non-vegan products or ingredients, thorough cleaning or comparable measures in conformity with Good Manufacturing Practices shall be carried out before production of vegan products commences, extending to all associated machinery, equipment, utensils and surfaces |
| 3(6) | Appropriate precautions in conformity with Good Manufacturing Practices before vegan products are prepared, produced or packaged |
| 3(7) | Traceability shall be established up to the manufacturer level, and the operator shall comply with any other requirements specified by the Food Authority to maintain the vegan integrity of the foods or food ingredients from time to time |
| 3(8) | Every vegan food or ingredient shall comply with the relevant provisions, as applicable, under the Act, rules and regulations |
The packaging rules are in the Packaging Regulations, 2018. Regulation 3(1) also reaches imports: the importer of a food sold as vegan must meet these Regulations.
Regulation 4: labelling and display
- 4(1) The seller of vegan food, either exclusively or as part of retail merchandise, shall store and display such food in a manner distinguishable from non-vegan food.
- 4(2) Every package of vegan foods, after the approval, shall carry the logo "as specified below" (a graphic in the text, which carries no words of its own).
- 4(3) In addition to the specified requirements, all vegan foods shall comply with the packaging and labelling requirements in the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020, except clause (b) of sub-regulation (4) of regulation 5. Clause 5(4)(b) of those Regulations is the clause on the vegetarian symbol (a green colour filled circle inside a square); see regulation 5(4) and (5). The general label rules are explained in regulations 1 to 4 of the Labelling and Display Regulations, and the Schedule I logos in the article on fortified and organic logos.
Regulation 5: vegan food compliance
- 5(1) The Food Business Operator shall submit an application to the concerned licensing authority with all necessary details in a format as may be specified by the Food Authority.
- 5(2) The Food Authority may specify guidelines for approval of the vegan logo.
- 5(3) No vegan food products shall be imported except with a certificate issued by the recognised authorities of the exporting countries, in the format specified by the Authority, being accepted.
The Regulations print no fee and no timeline, and this article states none. The practical steps are discussed in our post on how to get vegan logo certification and in the overview of vegan food regulations.
Notified change, in force from 1 July 2027
The Vegan Foods Amendment Regulations, 2026 (21 May 2026), in force on 1 July 2027, substitute regulation 4(2): "(2) Every package of vegan foods, after the approval, shall carry the logo as specified below:" followed by a logo graphic and "Specifications of Logo", a table of letters A to I with dimensions in millimetres (mm). The values as printed:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3.25 | 3.3 | 1 | 15 | 15 |
The graphic that the letters label is part of the notification and cannot be described from the text. Until 1 July 2027 the existing regulation 4(2) applies.
A route map
| Step | Provision |
|---|---|
| Check the product meets the definition (no animal-origin item at any stage) | Regulation 2 |
| No animal testing; GMP; line cleaning; traceability | Regulation 3 |
| Apply to the licensing authority; approval of logo | Regulation 5(1) and (2) |
| Show the logo on each package after approval; separate display in retail | Regulation 4 |
| Importers: certificate from recognised authority of exporting country | Regulation 5(3) |
An invented example
Green Leaf Snacks makes a baked chickpea snack on a line that also makes a cheese-flavoured variant. Before the vegan batch, it carries out thorough cleaning of machinery, equipment, utensils and surfaces (regulation 3(5)), keeps the traceability record up to manufacturer level, and confirms that no additive, flavouring or enzyme used at any stage is of animal origin. It applies to the licensing authority and, once approved, prints the vegan logo on each pack. A retailer displays the snack on a separate shelf from non-vegan items. An importer who brings in a vegan chocolate must obtain the certificate in the format specified by FSSAI.
Need help with vegan labelling?
Vegan claims touch the recipe, the plant, the supply chain and the label. Our FSSAI label compliance team can check the ingredient list, the label and the logo placement, and plan for the 2027 logo specification.
Key takeaways
- Vegan food means nothing of animal origin at any stage, including additives, flavourings, enzymes, carriers and processing aids.
- No food may be sold or imported as vegan unless it complies; no animal testing, unless provided by a Regulatory Authority.
- Shared lines need thorough cleaning; traceability runs up to the manufacturer.
- The logo is carried after approval; the application goes to the licensing authority.
- From 1 July 2027 regulation 4(2) is substituted with a new logo and a nine-dimension table.
Read next
- Regulations 1–4: Labelling and Display definitions and general requirements
- Schedule I: fortified and organic logos
- How to get vegan logo certification from FSSAI
- Vegan food regulations: an overview
Disclaimer: Based on the FSSAI regulations named above as consolidated in FSSAI's compendium versions or as published in the Gazette, with the later notifications the article names (consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026). Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.