It is the right of every consumer to know if the product they are using is ‘vegetarian’ or not.

Identification of food items of animal origin was made easier when the red and green dots were made mandatory. Going a step further in the same direction, it has become mandatory now, to put a brown or green dot on cosmetic or other household products, based on the ingredients used. If any body part or whole of any animal/insect/fish/bird is used in the preparation of any cosmetic or household consumable, a brown dot on the packaged good is mandatory to help buyers make more informed choices.

As per the notification issued by Department of Consumer Affairs on 16^th June 2014, “Every package containing soap, shampoos, tooth pastes and other cosmetics and toiletries shall bear .at the top of its principal display panel a red or as the case may be, brown dot for products of non-vegetarian origin and a green dot products of vegetarian origin”. [This point has been inserted In the Legal Metrology (packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, in rule 6, after sub-rule (7)]

The Notification can be viewed and downloaded by clicking on this link: 16 June 2014 dated MCA Notification_Compulsory Brown and Green Dots

Animal-welfare Organisations across the country have welcomed this initiative of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and hope that it will help the majority population of India, which is vegetarian, to be aware of their choice of products. In the age of ‘Right to Information’, this new notification is appropriate and useful.

(Courtesy: This post is courtesy the information shared by Ms. Gauri Maulekhi, Co-opted Member, Animal Welfare Board of India)