When food safety officers inspect a packaged drinking water (PDW) plant, the label is one of the first things they check. It is a legal declaration, and mistakes are easy to spot.
Two recent drives show why. On 14 October 2026, the Food Safety Department in Patna acted against five packaged water units and seized 15,340 litres of water, valued at about Rs 3.07 lakh. At one unit, officials reported that water was being packed using wrappers and labels of different brands. In Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, a drive reported on 31 May 2026 found that most bottles at a plant carried no packing date or use-by date. The licence was cancelled on the spot and the premises were sealed.
This guide sets out what the label on a bottle, pouch or jar of PDW has to carry, what it does not need, and what is changing.
Two sets of rules apply to one label
The Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, made by FSSAI, cover food-related declarations: name, licence number, batch, dates and specific statements for drinking water.
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 cover trade declarations: net quantity, retail sale price and consumer care details. The FSSAI regulations themselves say these three items follow the Legal Metrology law. A water plant therefore has to satisfy both.
The label checklist
| What must appear | Rule | Points to note |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the food | FSSAI Reg. 5(1) | Must show the true nature of the product, on the front of the pack. |
| Name and complete address of the brand owner | FSSAI Reg. 5(6) | Preceded by words such as "Manufactured by" or "Marketed by". |
| FSSAI logo and licence number | FSSAI Reg. 5(7) | In a colour that contrasts with the background. The number must belong to a licence that covers PDW manufacturing. |
| Batch, lot or code number | FSSAI Reg. 5(9) | Needed to trace a pack back to a production run. |
| Date of manufacture or packing, and "Expiry/Use by" | FSSAI Reg. 5(10) | Both are mandatory. "Best before" may be added as optional information. |
| "CRUSH THE BOTTLE AFTER USE" or "DISPOSE THE BOTTLE RESPONSIBLY" | FSSAI Schedule II | Applies to one-time usable plastic bottles of packaged drinking water and mineral water. |
| Net quantity | Legal Metrology Rules | Declared in the units the rules prescribe. |
| Retail sale price (MRP) | Legal Metrology Rules | In Indian rupees, inclusive of all taxes. |
| Unit sale price | Legal Metrology Rules | Added by the amendments notified on 28 March 2022. |
| Consumer care details | Legal Metrology Rules | Contact details for complaints. |
What a PDW label does not need
The FSSAI regulations give drinking water some specific exemptions:
- Veg/non-veg logo: Regulation 5(4) says the green and brown symbols do not apply to mineral water and packaged drinking water.
- Nutritional information: Regulation 5(3) exempts waters intended for human consumption.
- List of ingredients: not required for single-ingredient foods.
There is also a clear prohibition. Schedule II states that no claims about medicinal (preventive, alleviative or curative) effects may be made for drinking water, packaged or mineral.
Small packs and pouches
Under Regulation 8, packs with a surface area of not more than 100 sq cm get relief from some declarations, such as the batch number and the licence number and logo. That information must then appear on the multi-unit package. The date of manufacture can be omitted only on packs smaller than 30 sq cm; the expiry or use-by date is still required. Small bottles and pouches should be measured, not assumed to qualify.
What is changing
FSSAI notified the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) First Amendment Regulations, 2026 on 24 March 2026, with a compliance date of 1 July 2027, as reported by Legal 500 and Food Safety Standard. Points relevant to water plants include:
- Non-retail containers must carry the food name, licence number, batch details and manufacturer details, and must be marked "NON-RETAIL CONTAINER" or "NOT FOR DIRECT SALE TO CONSUMER".
- All mandatory information must be clear, legible, durable and tamper-evident.
- Packs of up to 100 sq cm may omit certain FSSAI logos if the information is on the multi-unit pack.
Plant owners should read the gazette text before redesigning labels, since these summaries are secondary sources. Separately, Legal Metrology packer registration rules changed in 2026; see our guide on Legal Metrology packer registration.
What this means for water plant owners
- Check the licence number on the label. It must match a valid FSSAI licence that covers packaged drinking water at that premises. See our FSSAI licence page.
- Print dates on every pack. Date of manufacture or packing and the use-by date should come off the line with each batch, not be added later.
- Use only your own artwork. Packing water in another brand's wrappers or in look-alike labels is the kind of finding that led to seizures in Patna.
- Keep a label file. Keep approved artwork, printer proofs and batch coding records together. PDW is a high-risk food category with annual inspections, and inspectors may ask for them.
- Plan for July 2027. Check new label artwork against the 2026 amendment before placing large print orders.
How ClearPath Compliance India can help
We review PDW labels against the FSSAI labelling regulations and Legal Metrology rules, check that the licence number and address on the pack match your licence, and help with FSSAI licensing, Legal Metrology packer registration and the full packaged drinking water plant licence set, including CGWA NOC and pollution control consent. Call +91 92521 92607 or message us on WhatsApp.
General information only, not legal advice. Rules and enforcement actions are as reported on the dates stated; check the current gazette text before changing labels. Brand names, where mentioned, are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by any brand named.
Sources: Amar Ujala, 14 October 2026; Patna Press; Haribhoomi, 31 May 2026; FSSAI compendium, FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020; Legal 500 on the 2026 First Amendment; Food Safety Standard; King Stubb & Kasiva on the Legal Metrology amendments, 2022.