CLN sought clarification from Coffee Board who explained that protracted discussions representing the stakeholders to reduce chicory in coffee chicory mixtures to 30% from the existing 49% currently permitted by FSSAI have been taking place.
Finally Coffee Board proposed to have Front of Package (FOP) labelling which has been partially accepted by fssai and notified in the gazette recently.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified new regulations mandating clear labelling of coffee-chicory mixtures, which will come into effect from July 1, 2026.
As per the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, every package containing a coffee-chicory blend must prominently display the exact percentage of coffee and chicory used in the mixture.
According to the notification, all packages will be required to carry the declaration on the front panel in the following format:
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“Coffee blended with chicory – This mixture contains Coffee … %, Chicory … %”
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For instant mixtures, the label must state: “Instant Coffee-Chicory Mixture – Made from blends of Coffee and Chicory. Coffee … %, Chicory … %”
The regulation aims to bring transparency for consumers by ensuring that buyers are aware of the exact composition of their coffee-chicory blends.
The draft notification was first issued on February 17, 2025, inviting objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 60 days. After considering the feedback, the final rules have now been published in the Gazette of India.
The principal labelling regulations, first introduced in 2020, were last amended in October 2022. With this amendment, coffee brands and manufacturers will have to realign their packaging and labelling practices by mid-2026 to comply with the new standards.
