Extension of time to comply with the new labelling norms under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2022
The Ministry of Corporation Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (the “Ministry”) has issued the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2022 to further amend the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. The Ministry, after getting representations from various stakeholders, has brought in the following key changes vide notification dated 28.03.2022:-
- The date of implementation of the new labelling norms has been extended to October 1, 2022 from the earlier proposed date of April 1 ,2022.
- The unit sale price has to be mentioned in Rupees rounded off to the nearest two decimal places.
- The unit sale price has to be mentioned in the following manner:-
(i) per gram where net quantity is less than one kilogram and per kilogram where net quantity is more than one kilogram;
(ii) per centimeter where net length is less than one metre and per metre where net length is more than one metre;
(iii) per mililitre where net volume is less than one litre and per litre where net volume is more than one litre;
(iv) per number or unit if any item is sold by number or unit:
- The Government has also clarified that declaration of unit sale price is not required for pre-packaged commodities in which retail sale price is equal to the unit sale price.
- Rule 33 which read as follows:-
(2) The Central Government may, after ascertaining the genuineness of a case stated in the application permit a manufacturer or packer or importer to pack or sell of the packages other than specified in the Second Schedule for a maximum period of one year by relaxing the rules.
has been omitted along with Second Schedule of the Rules. This would give the entities to package commodities in the method and manner they wish to pack and sell them.
- It has further been clarified that no prosecution would be initiated against the manufacturer or packer or importer of pre-packaged commodities in case they have started making declarations on the labels in terms of the Amendment Rules of 2021 published vide number G.S.R. 779(E) dated November 2, 2021.