Great news! Uttar Pradesh is rolling out fresh regulations to keep vegetarian and non-vegetarian food completely separate in hotels and restaurants. Here’s what’s happening: establishments will need to maintain distinct kitchens for each food type, and all equipment like cutting boards, utensils, and knives will be kept separate too. If inspectors spot any issues, the restaurant or hotel will face serious consequences. The rollout is scheduled for November, with strict oversight to make sure everyone follows the rules.
The FSDA has introduced updated standards for ready-to-eat and prepared foods, with a strong focus on food safety across all dining venues—from upscale hotels to casual eateries and fast-food chains.
Kitchen cleanliness will be closely watched
The Food Safety and Drug Administration will thoroughly examine kitchen and storage spaces in all food establishments. Walls, ceilings, and floors must be in excellent condition to prevent any physical, chemical, or microbial contamination. Drainage systems will get special attention too.
Dedicated spaces for raw meat
Restaurants serving non-vegetarian dishes will be checked to confirm they’re preventing cross-contamination. They’ll need separate zones for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, plus dedicated storage for each category. This approach helps keep different food types from mixing during cooking and prep work.
The Centre has updated the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, keeping the mandatory “vegetarian/non-vegetarian” labelling requirement for soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics and toiletries. According to the notification released on September 21, a green dot should indicate vegetarian origin while a red or brown dot should indicate non-vegetarian origin of a product, with this symbol placed at the top of the principal display panel. The amendment took effect upon publication.
Interestingly, this isn’t actually a brand-new requirement. The same labelling obligation was already in place in 2014 under Rule 6(8). The recent amendment simply relocates it to Rule 6(4A)(d) and removes the previous sub-rule.
That said, this move carries added weight because the Delhi High Court had previously identified a disagreement between two different regulatory systems.
In February, while reviewing a case brought by Reckitt, the court observed that Legal Metrology considered the dots as required, whereas the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), which looked into this matter in 2018 and 2021, determined there was no established system in India to verify whether ingredients in cosmetics are vegetarian or non-vegetarian. As a result, the DTAB did not support making this disclosure mandatory and recommended it remain optional instead.
The court described this situation as a “clear contradiction” and instructed Legal Metrology and the pharmaceutical regulator to work with interested parties and develop a unified approach. The practical impact for shoppers is therefore more significant than just a coloured dot: while the label can communicate what a product claims to be, the regulatory system still must clarify how those claims will be confirmed and validated.