Legal Metrology Rules for Packaged Products: MRP, Net Quantity and Declarations
Legal metrology is the rulebook most herbal brands have never read, and the one that causes the most reprints. It governs what must appear on any packaged commodity, how it must appear and where. It applies alongside your food, cosmetic or Ayurvedic rules, not instead of them. Here is what it covers.
Why This Applies to You
This guide is for brand owners and manufacturers selling packaged herbal, Ayurvedic, nutraceutical or cosmetic products in India.
Legal metrology rules for packaged commodities apply to pre-packed goods sold by weight, measure or number. That covers essentially everything you sell: capsule bottles, juice bottles, powder jars, tubes, sachets and cartons.
The common mistake is treating these as a subset of food or cosmetic labelling. They are a separate framework that applies in addition, which means a label can satisfy your category rules and still be non-compliant on metrology grounds, or vice versa. Both have to be satisfied.
The Core Declarations
These are the declarations to verify on every pack. Exact requirements vary with pack type and size.
| Declaration | What It Requires | Common Error |
|---|---|---|
| Name and address | Name and complete address of the manufacturer, packer or importer | Only a marketer address, or an incomplete address |
| Common name of commodity | What the product actually is, in plain terms | Brand name used instead of product identity |
| Net quantity | Weight, measure or number in standard units | Wrong unit, or declaration not in the required form |
| Month and year of packing | Date information as required | Omitted, or only on the carton |
| Retail sale price | Maximum retail price inclusive of all taxes | Price shown without the inclusive-of-taxes wording |
| Consumer care details | Name, address, phone and email for complaints | Incomplete contact details, or no email |
| Country of origin | For imported commodities | Omitted on imported goods |
Verify each of these against your actual artwork, line by line, rather than assuming your designer or printer has handled it.
Placement and Legibility
This is where brands most often fail, because the rules are not only about content.
Certain declarations must appear on the principal display panel, the part of the pack normally visible to a consumer. Net quantity in particular has placement expectations, and tucking it into a crowded back panel can be non-compliant even where the information is technically present.
Legibility also matters. Declarations must be readable on the actual pack, in a size and contrast that a consumer can read. A declaration that is present but printed in a light tint at a small size on a busy background does not meet the intent and may not meet the requirement.
Practical test: print a physical proof at actual size, hand it to someone unfamiliar with the product, and ask them to read out the net quantity, the MRP and the consumer care number. If they struggle, so will a consumer and an inspector.
How This Interacts With Your Category Rules
Think of the two frameworks as overlapping rather than competing.
Metrology Gives You
Name and address, common name, net quantity, packing date, MRP inclusive of taxes, consumer care details, and placement and legibility expectations.
Category Rules Give You
Licence number, ingredient list, nutritional or compositional declarations, allergen and vegetarian markings, directions, cautions and claim limits.
You Must Satisfy Both
A label compliant on one framework and not the other is non-compliant. Build a single checklist covering both and sign it off before printing.
Build that combined checklist once and reuse it across products. It is the cheapest reprint insurance available.
Ecommerce and Display
Selling online brings additional expectations around displaying mandatory information to the buyer before purchase.
In practice this means your listing should carry the key declarations, including net quantity, MRP, manufacturer or packer details, country of origin where applicable and consumer care information. Marketplaces increasingly require these fields, and incomplete entries can hold a listing.
It also means your listing and your physical label must match. A mismatch between declared net quantity online and on pack is both a compliance issue and a reliable source of returns.
Common Errors and Fixes
Each is followed by the preventive step.
- Only the marketer address printed. Include the manufacturer or packer name and complete address as required.
- Net quantity in the wrong form or unit. Check the required unit and declaration form for your product type.
- Declarations only on the outer carton. Primary packs get separated; declare on the pack the consumer holds.
- MRP shown without inclusive-of-taxes wording. Use the required wording, not just the figure.
- Incomplete consumer care details. Provide the full set including a working email and phone.
- Poor legibility. Print a proof at actual size and have someone read the declarations aloud.
- Listing and label mismatch. Reconcile online declarations with the physical pack.
- No combined pre-print checklist. Build one covering metrology and your category rules together.
Pre-Print Checklist
Run this before every print order, including repeats.
- Manufacturer or packer name and complete address present.
- Common name of the commodity stated.
- Net quantity in the correct unit and form, correctly placed.
- Month and year of packing arrangement confirmed.
- MRP stated with the required inclusive-of-taxes wording.
- Consumer care name, address, phone and email present.
- Country of origin stated where applicable.
- Category-specific declarations also verified.
- Physical proof printed and read aloud by someone unfamiliar.
- Online listing declarations reconciled with the pack.
- Artwork version numbered, dated and signed off.
- Current requirements confirmed with a qualified professional.
Need Help Getting Labels Right?
Ask our team for licences, specifications and documentation to support compliant artwork for your products.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are legal metrology rules and do they apply to herbal products?
They are the rules governing pre-packed commodities sold by weight, measure or number, and they apply to essentially every packaged product you sell, including capsule bottles, juices, powders and tubes. They apply in addition to your food, cosmetic or Ayurvedic category rules, not instead of them.
What must appear under these rules?
Typically the name and complete address of the manufacturer, packer or importer, the common name of the commodity, net quantity in standard units, packing date information, retail sale price inclusive of all taxes, consumer care details, and country of origin for imported goods. Requirements vary with pack type and are updated over time.
Does placement really matter?
Yes. Certain declarations, net quantity in particular, carry placement expectations on the principal display panel. A declaration present but buried on a crowded back panel, or printed too small or in low contrast, may not meet the requirement even though the information technically appears.
Do these rules apply to online listings?
Selling online brings additional expectations around displaying mandatory information before purchase, and marketplaces increasingly require these fields. Your listing declarations should also match your physical label exactly, since a mismatch is both a compliance issue and a common cause of returns.
How do I avoid reprints?
Build one combined pre-print checklist covering both metrology and your category rules, print a physical proof at actual size and have someone unfamiliar read the key declarations aloud, and get written manufacturer sign-off before artwork goes to print.