Label rules › Iran
Iran food label requirements for packaging
Packaged food sold in Iran is registered with the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA, سازمان غذا و دارو) of the Ministry of Health. Its labels follow the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) food labelling guideline Sp-Pr-1393-0015 (revised 2014), the national standard INSO 4470 on the labelling of prepackaged food, and the IFDA order on colour-coded nutrition labels (Sp-Pr-1393-0016, 2014). Here is what goes on the pack, and how to lay it out.
Checked: 26 October 2026
Mandatory items
| On the label | Means |
|---|---|
| نام محصول | The product name — the one on the Iran FDA production licence, on the main panel, in the largest bold type |
| نام تجاری | The brand name, in Persian on the main panel, in type in proportion to the product name |
| وزن خالص / حجم خالص | Net quantity in metric units without the pack: g or kg for solids, ml or l for liquids; drained weight for foods packed in a liquid |
| ترکیبات | Ingredients, in descending order of weight, with the additives |
| تاریخ تولید · تاریخ انقضا | Production and expiry dates, day, month and year — the solar (Shamsi) calendar on goods sold in Iran; “best before” does not replace the expiry date |
| سری ساخت | The batch (lot) number on every pack |
| شرایط نگهداری | Storage conditions, and how to keep the food once opened |
| نام و نشانی تولیدکننده | Name, address and telephone of the maker or packer; “ساخت ایران” (Made in Iran) on goods made in Iran |
| شمارهٔ پروانهٔ ساخت | The Iran FDA licence number — production licence (پروانهٔ ساخت), workshop supervision ID (شناسهٔ نظارت کارگاهی) or import health licence (پروانهٔ بهداشتی ورود) — beside the FDA logo |
| نشانگر رنگی تغذیه‌ای | The front-of-pack “traffic light”: energy, sugar, fat, salt and trans fatty acids per portion, each in green, orange or red |
| طرز مصرف | Preparation or directions for use, when the food needs them, and any target group (age, special diets) |
| هشدارها | The warnings the Ministry of Health requires for the product group (for example on canned food) |
Persian, and where things go
The label is in Persian. The product name — the name on the IFDA production licence — sits on the main panel in the largest bold type, away from seals and folds; the brand name sits on the main panel too, in type in proportion to it. The net quantity also belongs on the main panel.
The information panel carries the ingredients, the production and expiry dates, storage conditions, the maker’s name, address and telephone, the licence number with the IFDA logo and any warnings the Ministry of Health requires. Small packs (chewing gum, sweets) that have no room carry the details on the outer pack.
Dates and batch
Production and expiry dates give day, month and year in numbers (the month may be written in words), in the solar Shamsi calendar on goods sold in Iran and the Gregorian calendar on exports. “Best before” does not replace the expiry date.
Every pack carries a batch number (سری ساخت); a barcode may be added beside it.
The licence number and logo
One of three numbers, with the IFDA logo: the production licence (پروانهٔ ساخت), the workshop supervision ID (شناسهٔ نظارت کارگاهی) for small producers, or the import health licence (پروانهٔ بهداشتی ورود) for imports. Use the official logo file and the exact number on the client’s licence; never redraw the logo.
The colour-coded nutrition label
Iran was among the first countries to put a “traffic light” on the front of packs: introduced in 2014 and mandatory for industrially made food since 2016. A rounded panel with the IFDA logo lists, from top to bottom, energy (kcal), sugar, fat, salt and trans fatty acids for one stated portion (in g or ml), each bar coloured green (low), orange (medium) or red (high) against IFDA’s thresholds, with a legend of the three colours below.
The thresholds differ for solids and liquids; take them, and the exact wording and order, from the current IFDA order and the product’s licence file. Unprocessed products (vegetables, spices, vinegar, tea and infusions, coffee, honey, dates, flour…) and traditional foods are exempt. A full nutrition facts table on the back is optional, but exporters print one too.
Imported food
Imported food is sold with an IFDA import health licence and a Persian label or sticker: the product and maker’s name and country in Persian, the importer’s name, address and telephone, the licence number, and the batch and dates under the same rules as local goods. Net weight and storage may stay in English beside the Persian.
Laying it out in Drint
Drint has no Iran preset in the studio and does not check these rules — the label block presets cover other countries. Type the client’s Persian text word for word on the back panel; Persian joins and shapes correctly on the dieline in Vazirmatn and the other Arabic-script faces.
- Put the product name and net weight on the front panel, in the largest bold type.
- Set the information panel: ingredients, dates, storage, maker, licence number beside the IFDA logo file.
- Place the official traffic-light panel from the IFDA template on the front, with the client’s figures and colours.
- Leave room on the information panel for the batch number and dates — they are usually printed on the line.
- Run Preflight in Export to catch text that is too small or too close to the cut.
Questions
Must the label be in Persian?
Yes. Food sold in Iran is labelled in Persian; imported food carries a Persian label or sticker over the original, with the importer’s details and the IFDA import licence number.
Is the traffic-light label mandatory?
For industrially made packaged food, yes — since 2016, on the front of the pack. Unprocessed products such as vegetables, spices, tea, coffee, honey, dates and flour, and traditional foods, are exempt.
Which calendar for the dates?
The solar Shamsi calendar (for example 1405/08/04) on goods sold in Iran; exports may use the Gregorian calendar.
Does Drint check Iranian labels?
No. This page is a summary to design from; check the label against the client’s IFDA licence file before printing.
A summary written to design packs, not legal advice. Sources read on 26 October 2026: the IFDA labelling guideline and colour-label order as catalogued by FoodChain ID, the IFDA traffic-light guide republished by Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, the WHO EMRO paper on Iran’s food policies (EMHJ 2020) and elmfood.com’s summary of the labelling rules. Check the current text on fda.gov.ir and the product’s licence with your client before printing.