FSSAI Vegan Foods Second Amendment Regulations 2026: What the New Form-I Means for Importers

Businesses importing vegan food into India will soon have a more clearly defined certificate format to follow.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Second Amendment Regulations, 2026. The change is centred on Regulation 5(3) of the Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022.

Instead of referring generally to a format specified by FSSAI, the amended regulation now points directly to Form-I contained in the regulations. The new requirement comes into force on 1 April 2027. 

Form-I is meant for products applying for Vegan Logo endorsement and has to be issued by a recognised authority in the exporting country. It asks for details that go well beyond the name of the product. Exporter and importer information, country of origin, batch details, composition, packaging, storage conditions, repacking plans and specific vegan-related declarations are all part of the format. 

For Indian importers, the practical issue is simple: the certificate used for the relevant Vegan Logo endorsement process will need to match the prescribed format and the information in it must line up with the actual product and shipment.

Notification at a Glance

The amendment itself is short. Its effect, however, is practical because it places a complete certificate format directly inside the regulations. 

What Exactly Has FSSAI Changed?

The amendment does not replace the Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022.

It makes one focused change.

Regulation 5(3) earlier referred to a certificate in the format specified by the Authority. FSSAI has now replaced that reference with the words “Form-I of these regulations.” Immediately after Regulation 5, the notification inserts the complete Form-I. 

That may look like a drafting change, but it gives businesses something they did not have within the regulation itself: a fixed, visible certificate structure.

Old Position vs New Position

In practical terms, overseas suppliers, certifying bodies and Indian importers now know what information the certificate must contain.

Why Was Form-I Added to the Regulations?

The notification does not separately state a policy explanation for why FSSAI decided to insert Form-I.

What can be said from the text is that the amendment standardises the format by placing it directly inside the regulatory framework.

This reduces uncertainty about what needs to appear in the certificate.

It also means that businesses can check the required information against the regulation itself rather than working only with a separately specified format.

That distinction matters for importers because a missing field, inconsistent product description or incomplete declaration may create a documentation issue during the Vegan Logo endorsement process.

Regulatory Background

Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

FSSAI issued the amendment under Section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the previous approval of the Central Government. 

This makes the amendment part of India's statutory food-regulatory framework.

Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022

The principal Vegan Foods Regulations were originally published on 10 June 2022.

The 2026 notification also records that the regulations had been amended before, with the latest earlier amendment dated 21 May 2026. 

The present notification should therefore be read as another amendment to an existing framework, not as a new standalone vegan food law.

Draft Before Final Notification

FSSAI had published the draft amendment on 28 February 2025.

The Gazette copies were made available to the public on 4 March 2025, and comments and objections were invited. The final notification records that those submissions were considered before the amendment was finalised. 

What Is Form-I?

Form-I is headed:

“Certificate to be issued by the recognised authority of the exporting country.”

The form is for products applying for Vegan Logo endorsement under the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022. 

It performs two jobs at once.

First, it identifies the exact product and shipment.

Second, it records declarations about how the vegan product has been produced and controlled.

This is why Indian importers should not look at Form-I as a routine supplier certificate.

Who Will Be Most Affected?

Indian Importers

Indian importers will need to make sure that the details in Form-I match their product and import documentation.

A certificate that contains the wrong manufacturer, batch, product category or importer details could create avoidable questions.

The importer should therefore review the document before relying on it for the relevant FSSAI process.

Foreign Manufacturers

Foreign manufacturers are likely to hold much of the information required in Form-I.

This includes:

• product composition,
• manufacturing details,
• batch details,
• packaging information,
• ingredient sources,
• storage of raw materials,
• production-line arrangements,
• cleaning controls, and
• traceability.

If the manufacturer gives incomplete information, the exporter or certifying body may not be able to complete the certificate properly.

Overseas Exporters

Exporters will need to coordinate with the recognised authority issuing Form-I.

They should also check whether the product being shipped is the same product described in the certificate.

Recognised Certifying Bodies

Bodies issuing the certificate will need to work with the prescribed format and certify the declarations contained in it.

Who Can Issue Form-I?

This is one of the most important points in the notification.

The footnote to Form-I explains that the recognised authority can be:

• a regulatory authority,
• a recognised accreditation body, or
• a recognised third-party certifying body of vegan foods in the exporting country. 

This wording should be checked carefully by importers.

A certificate from an overseas supplier or private agency should not automatically be treated as acceptable simply because it uses the word “vegan”.

The business should first confirm whether the organisation issuing Form-I falls within the category described in the regulation.

The amendment itself does not provide a separate list of recognised bodies, nor does it set out a fresh recognition procedure in this notification.

What Information Must Be Filled in Form-I?

Form-I asks for a detailed set of information.

The certificate starts with the country of dispatch and then moves through exporter, importer and product details.

Form-I Information Checklist

These fields appear directly in Form-I. 

Form-I Is Not Just About Product Details

A large part of Form-I is devoted to declarations.

This is where the amendment becomes more than a paperwork exercise.

The authorised official signing the certificate has to certify that the product meets a number of vegan-related conditions. 

1. Animal Testing Declaration

The certificate states that the food product must not have involved animal testing for any purpose, including safety evaluation, unless such testing is provided for by a regulatory authority. 

This means that the vegan declaration is not limited only to ingredient composition.

The manufacturer and certifying body should be in a position to support the statement being made in Form-I.

2. Control of Unintended Non-Vegan Substances

Form-I also requires a declaration that production, processing and distribution stages have been designed with appropriate precautions in line with Good Manufacturing Practices to avoid the unintended presence of non-vegan substances. 

For a business, this may require a closer look at how the product moves through the facility.

Practical areas that may need attention include:

• ingredient handling,
• processing areas,
• shared equipment,
• storage,
• cleaning,
• movement of finished products, and
• distribution practices.

These are practical review areas. The notification does not separately prescribe a new audit checklist for them.

3. Separate Storage of Vegan and Non-Vegan Raw Materials

The form states that vegan and non-vegan raw materials are to be stored separately. 

This point can become important for manufacturers producing both categories of products at the same facility.

The business should be able to show that the two sets of raw materials are not casually mixed.

Depending on the facility, sensible controls may include:

• separate storage areas,
• clear identification,
• controlled inventory,
• marked containers, and
• traceable material movement.

These are operational practices rather than additional legal conditions introduced by this notification.

4. Separate Production or Proper Cleaning

The declaration also deals with production lines.

Where a company uses a separate vegan production line, the form records that separation.

Where a separate line is not available, thorough cleaning or comparable measures following Good Manufacturing Practices must be carried out before vegan production starts.

The declaration specifically refers to:

• machinery,
• equipment,
• utensils, and
• surfaces. 

This point deserves attention from manufacturers using shared facilities.

Simply calling a product vegan will not be enough if the operational controls behind the declaration cannot be supported.

5. Backward Traceability of Ingredients

Form-I requires backward traceability of ingredients and their sources to be established. 

In simple words, a manufacturer should be able to answer:

Where did this ingredient come from?

The business should be able to connect ingredients used in a product with their supplier or source records.

For vegan products, this can help support the origin and status of ingredients used in production.

What Does Form-I Say About Repacking and Relabelling?

The certificate includes a specific question:

Is the product meant for repacking or relabelling in the destination country?

If the answer is yes, details of the premises for inspection clearance must be provided. 

This point is especially relevant for importers who receive goods in bulk and later repack or relabel them in India.

Businesses in this situation should check:

• whether repacking is planned,
• where it will take place,
• whether the premises details are correct,
• whether traceability will continue after repacking, and
• whether the information in the certificate matches the actual arrangement.

The amendment itself does not create a separate new repacking licence. It only requires the relevant information in Form-I where applicable.

Does Every Vegan Food Import Need Form-I?

This should not be stated too broadly.

The prescribed Form-I is specifically described as being for products applied for Vegan Logo endorsement under the Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022. 

For that reason, it would be incorrect to write that every vegan food shipment entering India automatically needs Form-I in every situation.

Applicability should be considered in the context of Regulation 5 and the Vegan Logo endorsement framework.

Businesses unsure about their product can take help from an FSSAI compliance consultant to assess whether and how the requirement applies to their case.

Does Form-I Apply to Indian Domestic Manufacturers?

Form-I itself is structured around an exporting country.

It asks for:

• country of dispatch,
• exporter,
• importer,
• country of origin,
• country of destination, and
• recognised authority in the exporting country. 

So this particular Form-I is directly relevant to imported products in the context covered by Regulation 5(3).

That does not mean domestic manufacturers are outside the Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022.

The distinction is important:

The wider Vegan Foods Regulations may apply to domestic businesses, but this specific Form-I is framed for the exporting-country certificate.

Effective Date: When Do Businesses Need to Be Ready?

The amendment comes into force on 1 April 2027. 

Timeline

Importers should not confuse the notification date with the effective date.

The final notification is dated September 2026, but the amended requirement becomes operative from April 2027.

What Should Importers Do Before 1 April 2027?

There is enough time for businesses to prepare, especially if they import vegan-labelled products regularly.

Step 1: Identify Relevant Products

Make a list of imported products for which Vegan Logo endorsement is being sought or may be required under the applicable framework.

Do not apply the requirement automatically to unrelated products.

Step 2: Ask Suppliers About Their Current Certificate

Check what type of vegan certificate overseas suppliers currently provide.

Compare it with the prescribed Form-I.

Step 3: Check the Issuing Body

Find out who will issue the certificate.

Confirm whether the body fits one of the recognised categories stated in Form-I.

Step 4: Match Product Details

Cross-check:

• product name,
• manufacturer,
• batch,
• packaging,
• weight,
• country of origin,
• composition, and
• dates.

Step 5: Discuss Production Controls With the Manufacturer

The overseas supplier should understand the declarations relating to:

• animal testing,
• non-vegan substances,
• separate storage,
• production-line separation,
• cleaning, and
• traceability.

Step 6: Check Repacking Plans

If the imported product will be repacked or relabelled in India, prepare the premises information that will be relevant to Form-I.

Step 7: Review the Certificate Before Submission

Do not wait until the regulatory filing stage to find obvious errors.

A short document review before submission can save time later.

This is one area where professional FSSAI compliance services can be useful for importers dealing with multiple products or overseas suppliers.

Form-I Verification Checklist for Indian Importers

This is a practical importer checklist derived from Form-I, not a separate checklist issued by FSSAI.

What Could Go Wrong With Form-I Documentation?

Importers should watch for small mistakes because certificate issues often begin with simple inconsistencies.

Wrong Importer or Exporter Details

The legal names and addresses should match the supporting records.

Product Name Does Not Match

A product described differently on the certificate and other documents can create unnecessary clarification.

Batch Details Are Missing

Batch or lot information is directly included in Form-I and also supports traceability.

Issuing Body Is Unclear

If it is not clear how the issuer qualifies as a recognised authority or body, the importer may need additional confirmation.

Declaration Section Is Incomplete

Form-I contains several specific vegan-related declarations. Leaving them incomplete defeats an important part of the certificate.

Repacking Information Is Wrong

Businesses planning to repack or relabel the imported product should ensure that this is properly stated.

Signature or Official Stamp Is Missing

The form specifically provides for the authorised official's name, designation, date, signature and official stamp. 

The notification does not say that each of these mistakes automatically leads to rejection or penalty. It is safer to describe them as documentation risks rather than guaranteed enforcement outcomes.

Impact on Indian Importers

For importers, the biggest change is likely to be the need for better coordination before the product reaches the filing stage.

A company importing from several countries may have to deal with different overseas certification systems.

That makes early verification important.

Importers may need to spend more time checking:

• whether the certificate issuer is appropriate,
• whether the certificate follows Form-I,
• whether the manufacturer's information is complete,
• whether batch records are consistent, and
• whether the vegan declarations can be supported.

This is less about creating a completely new compliance system and more about making existing documentation more disciplined.

Impact on Overseas Manufacturers

Foreign manufacturers supplying the Indian market will need to understand what Indian importers are asking for.

Some of the information in Form-I may already exist in normal manufacturing records.

The challenge is bringing it together in the required format.

Manufacturers using both vegan and non-vegan ingredients should pay particular attention to:

• storage arrangements,
• shared equipment,
• cleaning practices,
• ingredient sourcing, and
• traceability.

Where these controls are already documented properly, adapting to Form-I may be easier.

Impact on Exporters

Exporters may become the coordination point between:

• the manufacturer,
• recognised certifying authority, and
• Indian importer.

They should avoid forwarding certificates without checking whether product and shipment details are correct.

A mismatch found after documentation has been submitted can create unnecessary back-and-forth.

Impact on Compliance and Quality Teams

The amendment is also relevant internally.

Compliance and quality teams may need to work more closely than before because Form-I combines regulatory information with manufacturing declarations.

Compliance teams may focus on:

• regulatory applicability,
• certificate issuer,
• importer/exporter details,
• document consistency, and
• filing requirements.

Quality teams may focus on:

• product composition,
• segregation,
• cleaning,
• GMP controls,
• ingredient source records, and
• traceability.

Treating Form-I as the responsibility of only one department may make document verification harder.

Does the New Form-I Increase Compliance Burden?

For businesses that already maintain strong vegan-product documentation, the additional burden may be limited.

They may need to map their existing records to the prescribed form.

Businesses with weaker supplier documentation may have more work to do.

The areas most likely to require attention are:

• supplier coordination,
• identifying an appropriate certifying body,
• tracing ingredient sources,
• confirming manufacturing controls, and
• matching batch and product information.

The notification does not prescribe a cost for meeting these requirements, so any claim about additional compliance expense would be speculative.

What Are the Practical Benefits of Form-I?

A prescribed certificate can make document review more consistent.

It gives all parties the same list of information to work with.

Potential practical benefits include:

• clearer product identification,
• uniform certificate fields,
• better visibility of importer and exporter details,
• Inclusion of traceability statements,
• More clarity on shared production line facilities,
• Visibility regarding repacking/relabeling activities,
• and more clarity on what should be included in the certificate.

These benefits should not be confused with guaranteed faster approval.

FSSAI has not promised automatic approval or reduced processing time through this amendment.

Form-I Requirements at a Glance

What Businesses Should Do Next

Businesses do not need to overhaul their entire vegan-food compliance system simply because Form-I has been inserted.

A more sensible approach is to check whether the existing system can support the information now required.

First, check applicability.

Find out whether the product falls within the Form-I context connected with Vegan Logo endorsement.

Second, review suppliers.

Ask overseas manufacturers whether they can support the declarations included in the form.

Third, review certification.

Check whether the proposed overseas issuing body fits the category stated in the regulation.

Fourth, compare documents.

The certificate, invoice, shipment records, product label and manufacturing information should not contradict one another.

Fifth, prepare before April 2027.

Businesses that wait until the new requirement is already effective may have to resolve supplier documentation issues at the last moment.

How Corpseed Can Help With FSSAI Vegan Food Compliance

Vegan food imports often involve more than one party. The manufacturer may hold the technical information, the exporter handles shipment documentation, a recognised body issues the certificate and the Indian importer has to deal with the domestic regulatory process.

Corpseed's FSSAI compliance services can support businesses in reviewing these requirements before documents are submitted.

Support can include:

• assessment of Form-I applicability,
• review of FSSAI Vegan Foods Regulations,
• Form-I document checking,
• importer and supplier documentation review,
• identification of missing information,
• Vegan Logo endorsement-related regulatory support,
• FSSAI product compliance services,
• food import compliance services,
• regulatory document review,
• FSSAI advisory support, and
• ongoing food regulatory compliance assistance.

For businesses importing vegan food from multiple suppliers, an FSSAI compliance consultant can also help create a consistent document-review process so that obvious mismatches are identified before submission.

Corpseed does not control FSSAI's decision, and regulatory approval should never be presented as guaranteed. The value of professional support is in improving document readiness, identifying gaps and helping businesses understand what the regulation actually requires.

Key Takeaways

The FSSAI Vegan Foods Second Amendment Regulations 2026 make a focused change to Regulation 5(3).

From 1 April 2027, the regulation will expressly refer to Form-I, a prescribed certificate for products applying for Vegan Logo endorsement. 

The main points businesses should remember are:

• Form-I is now written directly into the regulations.
• It is issued by a recognised authority in the exporting country.
• It asks for detailed exporter, importer and product information.
• Product composition and batch details are part of the format.
• Vegan-related manufacturing declarations are included.
• Separate storage, production-line controls and cleaning are addressed.
• Backward ingredient traceability must be established.
• Repacking or relabelling in the destination country must be disclosed where applicable.
• The amendment takes effect on 1 April 2027.

For Indian importers, the best preparation is not to wait for the effective date. Reviewing suppliers, certificate issuers and product documentation in advance can help identify gaps while there is still time to correct them.