New Delhi: Consumers buying vegan food products will soon find it easier to identify them on store shelves. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified a standardized vegan logo that will be mandatory on all approved vegan food packages from July 1, 2027.The move aims to create a uniform national identity for vegan products and help consumers distinguish them from conventional foods containing ingredients of animal origin. Under the amended Food Safety and Standards (Vegetarian Foods) Regulations, every approved vegan food package must display a green “vegan” logo in a format prescribed by the regulator. The logo consists of a green square-framed symbol consisting of a stylized “V” with a sprouting leaf, indicating that the product is certified vegan and free of animal-derived ingredients.Under an amendment notified on May 21, 2026, FSSAI has introduced a standard vegan logo and prescribed specifications for its use on packaging. The requirement will become mandatory from July 1, 2027.Monita Gehlot, a dietitian at AIIMS Delhi, said the introduction of a dedicated vegan logo is important as it provides consumers with a clear, government-recognized identification mark for vegan foods and establishes a transparent framework to prevent misleading claims. “Consumers following a vegan diet often have to spend a lot of time examining ingredient lists to determine whether a product is truly free of animal-derived ingredients. The new logo will help them instantly identify products that comply with FSSAI’s vegan standards and make informed choices with more confidence,” she said.Vegan foods are products that do not contain animal-derived ingredients, additives or processing aids. Unlike vegetarian foods, which may include milk, dairy products, ghee, cheese and honey, vegan foods do not contain all animal-derived ingredients and rely solely on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and plant-based milk alternatives. “All vegetarian foods are vegetarian, but not all vegetarian foods are vegetarian,” said Dr.The range is increasingly gaining acceptance among health-conscious consumers, those with ethical concerns about animal welfare and those seeking environmentally sustainable diets.The emphasis on clear vegan food standards comes with another recent FSSAI reform targeted at the plant-based food sector. In a separate notification, the regulator lifted the ban on the use of sal-seed fat, an edible vegetable fat derived from the sal tree, other than in bakery and confectionery products. The move is expected to boost innovation in India’s growing vegan and plant-based food market.