Rule 6 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.
Rule 6(1)(d) requires the month and year in which a commodity is manufactured, and clause (da) adds a best before or use by date for goods that may become unfit for human consumption after a period of time. Both clauses have provisos that send food, seeds and cosmetics to other laws.
Clause (d) requires the month and year of manufacture on the package. The words "or pre-packed or imported" are shown as omitted from 1 October 2022. Clause (da) requires a best before or use by date, month and year where goods may become unfit for human consumption, unless another law already deals with it. Food follows the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; seeds certified under the Seeds Act, 1966 are outside the clause; cosmetics follow the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
Clause (d): month and year
The text of clause (d) in the consolidation reads: "The month and year in which the commodity is manufactured $or pre-packed or imported shall be mentioned in the package". The "$" marks a footnote saying the words "or pre-packed or imported" shall be omitted, vide G.S.R. 779(E) of 2 November 2021, with effect from 1 April 2022, now 1 October 2022 by G.S.R. 226(E) of 28 March 2022. Read with that footnote, the clause after 1 October 2022 asks for the month and year of manufacture. Because the footnote is the only source for that change, and later amendments are not in the text, confirm the wording in the current Rules.
The Rules as amended up to March 2022 do not say that the day must be given. Explanation I adds that the month and year "may be expressed either in words, or by numerals indicating the month and the year, or by both". For food labels, the dating format is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (see below), so check that law for food; our FSSAI label compliance service covers the food side.
The provisos to clause (d)
| Proviso | Effect |
|---|---|
| Food articles | The provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and its rules apply (the text shows the old reference to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 replaced by G.S.R. 427(E) of 5 June 2012) |
| Seeds | Nothing in the sub-clause applies to packages of seeds labelled and certified under the Seeds Act, 1966 and its rules |
| Cosmetics | For cosmetics packages, the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 apply |
| Rubber stamp | A proviso allowing the month and year by rubber stamp without overwriting is marked as omitted by G.S.R. 784(E) of 24 October 2011 |
Clause (da): best before or use by
Clause (da) says: "If a package contains a commodity which may become unfit for human consumption after a period of time, the 'best before or use by the date, month and year' shall also be mentioned on the label". A proviso says that nothing in the clause applies if a provision in this regard is made in any other law. It was substituted by G.S.R. 629(E) of 23 June 2017 with effect from 1 January 2018.
The Explanation defines two expressions.
- "Best before" means the date which signifies the end of the period under any stated storage conditions during which the product remains fully marketable and retains any specific qualities for which tacit or express claims have been made, and beyond the date the commodity may still be safe for consumption.
- "Use by date" means the date which signifies the end of the estimated period under any stated storage conditions after which the product shall not have the quality attributes normally expected by consumers, and after which the commodity should not be regarded as marketable.
The trigger is that the commodity may become unfit for human consumption. The clause speaks of the commodity, not only of food, but the proviso means that where a product is already covered by another law, such as food law, that law decides. The clause does not name storage conditions; the definitions refer to "stated" storage conditions, which suggests the label should state them, but the text does not make a separate declaration of storage conditions mandatory.
Exemptions in the provisos after clause (g)
The provisos at the end of rule 6(1) also touch dates.
- Proviso (A): no declaration of the month and year of manufacture or pre-packing is required on packages of bidi or incense sticks, or on a domestic LPG cylinder of 14.2 kg or 5 kg bottled and marketed by a public sector undertaking.
- Proviso (B): packaging material already printed with the month in which the commodity was expected to be pre-packed, and not used up in that month, may be used for the next succeeding month and not after that. The Central Government may extend the time if the material could not be exhausted for reasons beyond the control of the manufacturer or packer. The sub-proviso says this does not apply to food products where the best before or use before period is ninety days or less from the date of manufacture or packing.
- Explanation II to the provisos says "Liquid milk does not include condensed milk"; the text as printed shows no clause that uses the term, so we do not draw a rule from it.
Where else dates matter
- E-commerce. Rule 6(10) requires an e-commerce entity to display the mandatory declarations online "except the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured or packed". See the e-commerce article.
- Tax revision. Rule 18(3) and (4) use the pre-packing month to decide which stock may carry a revised price after a tax change, and sub-rule (4) says sub-rule (3) does not apply to packages that need not show the month and year. See rule 18.
- Old packing material. Rule 6(6) allowed old packaging material to be used up to 31 March 2012 after corrections by stamping, sticker or online printing. It is a transitional rule that has lapsed by its own terms.
Practical examples
Example 1. A detergent maker prints "Mfd: 08/2026" on each pouch. Clause (d) asks for the month and year, and Explanation I allows numerals.
Example 2. A packaged snack carries its dates under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 rules. The provisos send the date declaration to that Act, so the food label rules decide the format.
Example 3. A cosmetics company checks its cream tube. The proviso sends date requirements for cosmetics to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, not to this clause.
Need help with date declarations?
Dates are the declaration most often governed by a second law, so the right format depends on the product. Our FSSAI label compliance service can review your packs and tell you which law's date line applies to each.
Key takeaways
- Clause (d) requires the month and year of manufacture; "or pre-packed or imported" is shown omitted from 1 October 2022.
- Clause (da) requires a best before or use by date for goods that may become unfit for human consumption, unless another law covers it.
- Food, seeds and cosmetics are routed to other laws by the provisos.
- Bidi, incense sticks and some LPG cylinders need no date declaration.
- Old printed packaging may be used for one further month under proviso (B), except for short-life food.
Read next
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Generic name, net quantity and dimensions
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Maximum retail price and unit sale price
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: E-commerce declarations
- Mandatory declarations on pre-packaged commodities
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (as amended up to March 2022; check later amendments), read with the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010), as on 30 September 2026. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force) and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (in force only from the date the Central Government notifies) amend the Act's penalty sections, not rule 6. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.