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Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0309 90 50

Of molluscs, fresh or chilled

Flours, meals and pellets of molluscs for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 90 50 (flours, meals and pellets of molluscs, fresh or chilled, 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 General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is
HSN code
0309 90 50
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. 1
    Confirm that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food facility registration programme. Consignments originating from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry, and the FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed.
    CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
  2. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) prior to consignment dispatch and quote the corresponding e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The tariff line falls under Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus, making this step a mandatory pre-clearance requirement.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 3
    Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports as required by General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, effective 1 March 2023. Ensure all label information complies with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling framework; rectifiable defects may be corrected at port, but missing PGA clearances will result in detention.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the FSSAI Import Licence with the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit — both are independent clearances and neither substitutes for the other. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC (backed by the e-Sanchit IRN for document code 911DF1) will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the permit is regularised. The rectifiable-labelling regime covers label defects only; it offers no relief for a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0309 90 50 require BIS certification?
No, flours, meals and pellets of molluscs 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 and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Is the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit document code 911DF1 mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and Circular 24/2022-Cus, the importer must quote the e-Sanchit IRN for the Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) issued by AQCS to obtain the NOC for CTIs listed under Annexure A (Sl. No. 3), which covers fish and mollusc products.
Does the mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration apply to all exporting facilities for mollusc-derived food products?
Yes. CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022 require all foreign manufacturing facilities exporting fish and their products — which includes mollusc flours and meals — to be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNFLOURS, MEALS AND PELLETS OF FISH, CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIONHSNOther: