Importance Of LMPC Certificate For Packed Goods


The Legal Metrology Department is a regulatory authority, which is a part of the Department of Consumer Affairs. These two bodies protect consumer rights by imposing strict rules & regulations related to labelling, packaging, and the weight of all the products in the Indian Market. In order to successfully excel in the market, Importers, Manufacturers & Producers are obligated to acquire an LMPC Certificate, which has certain legal requirements to be fulfilled. If you want to know more about the rules and regulations related to this certification, you’re at the right place.

What do you understand by Legal Metrology Standards? 

Legal Metrology Certificate standards, in short, were developed to regulate the legal quantity and reliability of measures for use in industrial processes, import and export activities, and virtually all kinds of commercial and industrial transactions.

According to the Legal Metrology (packaged commodities) Rules, 2011, the primary guidelines to be followed are: 

  • In the case of manufacturing, no packaging shall be made on the manufacturer’s property without providing the retail sale price.
  • Any company name and address placed on the packaging label and not preceded by words such as “manufactured by” or “packed by”, then that company should be deemed to be the manufacturer.
  • Either in terms of words or in numerals the packaging should show the month and year that the product is packaged.

In pursuance of the said rules, the Meghalaya Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules, 2011 was framed by the Meghalayan government with the involvement of the Central government relating to section 53 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. The following are some key guidelines to examine under Meghalayan law:

  • No business of buying or selling any sort of precious metals, pearls or ornaments, or any other gold and silver articles should be done without the bullion weight.
  • Carat weight is the only parameter that is used in any type of transaction involving precious stones.
  • Every Legal Metrology Officer shall be provided with necessary and adequate weighing and measuring instruments as may be permitted in turn by the Controller.
Amendments (2024) in the Legal Metrology Act, 2011: 

Recently, in the month of July (2024), the Department of Consumer Affairs proposed certain amendments for the manufacturers, importers, and packers of pre-packaged goods in retail, all of which form the requirements for the LMPC Certification. According to these amendments, they need to mention whether the products are to be sold to a retailer or to an Industrial Consumer and Institutional Consumer. These amendments aim to bring uniformity between the packaged goods to facilitate proper trade and to help the consumers in making informed decisions.

The New Amendments Obligate The Mention Of: 

  • Net quantity
  • Country of origin
  • Consumer care details 
  • Common & generic name of the commodity 
  • Use by/ Use before dates 
  • Per Unit Sale Price 
  • Month & Year of Manufacture
  • MRP (Maximum Retail Price), which is the maximum retail price at which the commodity can be sold.
  • Personal details like the name & address of the Manufacturers, Importers & the Packers.
Commodities Exempted from Legal Metrology Act, 2011:

The Amended Rules apply to all the pre-packaged commodities except the following: 
  • The packaged commodities are sold to industrial or institutional consumers.
  • The packages of commodities weighing more than 25 kgs or 25 litres.
  • Agricultural farm produce, cement or fertilizers, etc i.e all of those commodities packed in bags weighing more than 50 kgs.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has passed a proposal to change the rule that states that the amendments of, the Legal Metrology Act, 2011 wouldn't be applied to packaged commodities weighing more than 25kgs. Previously, they assumed that the commodities for retail sale could not weigh more than 25kgs, but due to the increasing market operations both offline & online, certain amendments were made to this rule. 

How to Verify if you’ve covered all these requirements? 

If you want to know how to apply for an LMPC Registration, or for verification of your packaged goods, reach out to our LegalRaasta’s LMPC Professionals. Our LMPC Consultants will make sure, you adhere to all the legal requirements.

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