The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced an extension for enforcing the new labelling rules for alcoholic beverages. These rules were earlier part of the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, notified on 20th June 2025. The original enforcement date was January 1, 2026, but now the deadline has been postponed to July 1, 2026.
Why the Deadline Was Extended
FSSAI received a request from industry stakeholders explaining the challenges with the earlier timeline. Since alcoholic beverages are also regulated under State Excise Laws, label approval and registration follow the excise calendar, which usually starts on April 1, and in some states on July 1. Introducing new label rules in the middle of the excise year would cause several issues, including:
- Waste of already printed labels
- Costly re-registration processes
- Disruption in manufacturing and supply
- Impact on business operations
Considering these challenges, FSSAI agreed that more time would support smoother implementation.
Revised Enforcement Date
After reviewing the situation and keeping in mind an earlier order issued on January 3, 2025, regarding timelines for label compliance amendments, FSSAI has officially extended the enforcement date to July 1, 2026. This extension applies only to labelling provisions under the First Amendment Regulations, 2025.
Official Approval
This decision has been issued with approval from the Competent Authority under Section 16(5) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Date : 6 Dec 2025
Time : 10 AM to 5 PM
Mode : Zoom meeting
Medium : English
Fee : ₹1180
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