---
title: "Food and food contact symbols explained"
description: "Every food and food contact symbol and what it means — 8 of them, with what each looks like and what happens if you ignore it."
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Food and food contact symbols

8 food and food contact symbols, each with what it looks like and what it actually requires.

| Symbol | Looks like | Means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food safe (glass and fork) | A wine glass beside a fork, drawn as simple outlines. | The article is intended to come into contact with food. |
| Not for food contact | The wine glass and fork with a cross through them. | This material must not be used with food. |
| One star freezer compartment | A single star on the door or inside the ice-box compartment of a fridge. | Reaches −6 °C. Store already-frozen food for about a week. |
| Two star freezer compartment | Two stars marked on the compartment. | Reaches −12 °C. Store already-frozen food for about a month. |
| Three star freezer compartment | Three stars marked on the compartment or door. | Reaches −18 °C. Store already-frozen food up to the date on the packaging. |
| Four star freezer — freezes fresh food | Four stars, often drawn as one larger star followed by three smaller ones. | Reaches −18 °C or colder and can freeze fresh food from room temperature. |
| Vegetarian mark (India) | A filled green circle inside a green square outline. | In India, the product contains no animal-derived ingredient. |
| Non-vegetarian mark (India) | A filled brown or dark red triangle inside a brown square outline. Packs printed before the 2011 amendment show a filled circle instead of a triangle. | In India, the product contains an animal-derived ingredient, including egg. |

- [Food safe (glass and fork)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-glass-and-fork/) — The article is intended to come into contact with food.
- [Not for food contact](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-not-food-safe/) — This material must not be used with food.
- [One star freezer compartment](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-1/) — Reaches −6 °C. Store already-frozen food for about a week.
- [Two star freezer compartment](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-2/) — Reaches −12 °C. Store already-frozen food for about a month.
- [Three star freezer compartment](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-3/) — Reaches −18 °C. Store already-frozen food up to the date on the packaging.
- [Four star freezer — freezes fresh food](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-freezer-star-4/) — Reaches −18 °C or colder and can freeze fresh food from room temperature.
- [Vegetarian mark (India)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-veg-india/) — In India, the product contains no animal-derived ingredient.
- [Non-vegetarian mark (India)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/food-nonveg-india/) — In India, the product contains an animal-derived ingredient, including egg.