Vegetarian and non-vegetarian marks
Vegetarian and non-vegetarian marks | |
|---|---|
 The green dot symbol (left) identifies lacto-vegetarian food, and the brown dot symbol (right) identifies non-lacto-vegetarian food. Warning: Someone who is color blind may get confused. | |
| Effective region | India |
| Effective since | 2006[1] |
| Product category | Packaged food products |
| Legal status | Mandatory |
| Mandatory since | 2011[1] |
Packaged food products sold in India are required to be labelled with a mandatory mark in order to be distinguished between lacto-vegetarian and non-lacto-vegetarian.[1] The symbol is in effect following the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Act of 2006, and got a mandatory status after the framing of the respective regulations (Food Safety and Standards [Packaging and Labelling] Regulation) in 2011.[1] According to the law, vegetarian food should be identified by a green symbol and non-vegetarian food with a brown symbol.[1]
Restaurants use voluntary Vegan Friendly mark to denote availability of vegan options. Packaged food manufacturers also use a variation of Vegan Friendly mark for their vegan offerings.