Other

Fish flour, meal and pellets fit for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 10 90 (fish flours, meals and pellets fit for human consumption) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports under the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

What this is

HSN code

0309 10 90

Chapter

03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
Health Certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food foreign-manufacturer registration scheme. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be permitted out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) prior to consignment dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Sanitary Import Permit must be uploaded by AQCS for the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure, operative from 01-03-2023. Confirm compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime under FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating compliance as complete once the FSSAI Import Licence is secured, without obtaining the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. Because fish flour is categorised as a high-risk fish product, both clearances are mandatory and neither substitutes for the other; a consignment arriving at a designated port with a valid FSSAI licence but no AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN will be detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the AQCS NOC is produced.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0309 10 90 require BIS certification?

No, fish flours, meals and pellets fit for human consumption are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 01-03-2023.

Which ports are designated for import of this tariff line and what document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit?

Import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure; the mandatory e-Sanchit documents include the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit under document code 911DF1 and the FSSAI Import Licence, per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for processed fish flour products?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022, fish and fish products — including flours, meals and pellets fit for human consumption — are a designated high-risk food category, and the exporting facility must be registered with FSSAI before any import is permitted.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.