Buying everyday personal-care products such as soap, shampoo or toothpaste could soon become easier for consumers who want to know whether they contain ingredients of vegetarian or non-vegetarian origin.
The Centre has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, making colour-coded vegetarian and non-vegetarian symbols mandatory on the packaging of soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics and other toiletries.
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026 were notified on September 21 and came into force from the date of publication in the Official Gazette. Under the amended rules, products of vegetarian origin must carry a green dot, while products of non-vegetarian origin must display a red or brown dot.
The symbol has to be placed at the top of the principal display panel of the package. This means consumers should be able to identify the product’s classification without having to search through the entire label.
The new requirement covers a wide range of personal-care products. Besides soap, shampoo and toothpaste, it applies to other cosmetics and toiletries sold in packaged form.
The colour-coded symbols are intended to give consumers a quick visual indication of a product’s origin. A green dot will indicate vegetarian origin, while a red or brown dot will indicate non-vegetarian origin.
The change is particularly relevant to products where consumers may not immediately know the source of certain ingredients by looking at the product name alone.
The government has placed the requirement within the Legal Metrology framework, which already governs several declarations that manufacturers must provide on packaged goods.
Apart from the new vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol, cosmetic and toiletry packaging is required to carry information such as the product name, manufacturer’s name and address, net quantity, batch number, manufacturing details and maximum retail price. Imported products must also provide relevant importer or authorised-agent details.
Manufacturers are also required to provide applicable directions for safe use and warnings or precautions.
While the latest notification changes the legal structure of the requirement, the idea of using green and red or brown symbols on personal-care products is not new.
A similar provision had been introduced into the Legal Metrology rules in 2014. The September 2026 amendment shifts the requirement into a different provision, Rule 6(4A)(d), while omitting the earlier Rule 6(8).
The labelling issue had also been under judicial consideration.
In February 2026, the Delhi High Court examined a challenge involving the requirement for vegetarian and non-vegetarian symbols on cosmetics and toiletries. The proceedings highlighted differences between the positions of authorities dealing with legal metrology and those overseeing cosmetics regulation.
The court had asked the Director of Legal Metrology and the Drug Controller General of India to consult and arrive at a comprehensive position on whether the symbols should be mandatory or voluntary.
The latest government notification now expressly places the labelling requirement under the amended Legal Metrology rules.
The change means shoppers will have another piece of information to check while buying personal-care products.
A green dot on the main display panel will indicate vegetarian origin. A red or brown dot will indicate non-vegetarian origin.
The requirement does not replace the ingredient list or other mandatory declarations on cosmetic and toiletry packaging. Consumers can still check the ingredient information and usage instructions provided by manufacturers.
For companies, the change means packaging for covered products needs to comply with the revised labelling framework. Manufacturers and sellers will have to ensure that the prescribed symbol is displayed in the required position.
The move comes as consumers increasingly pay attention not only to what they eat but also to the ingredients used in products applied to the body.
For everyday products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste and cosmetics, the new colour-coded labelling system is designed to make that information more visible at the point of purchase.
The amendment therefore adds another layer of disclosure to India’s packaged consumer goods market. For shoppers, the most noticeable change will be simple: a green, red or brown dot at the top of the package could now provide an immediate indication of whether a personal-care product is of vegetarian or non-vegetarian origin.