Of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 6% but not exceeding 10%

Fresh milk and cream, medium fat content (6% to 10%)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0401 40 00 (milk and cream with fat content exceeding 6% but not exceeding 10%) 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, as a high-risk dairy product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit and veterinary health certificate clearances apply concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023. Imports of milk and milk products from China are prohibited pending melamine-testing infrastructure upgrades at ports of entry per DGFT Notification 01/2015-20.

What this is

HSN code

0401 40 00

Chapter

04 · Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
Veterinary 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 mandatory high-risk-food regime for milk and milk products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) 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
Obtain and upload in e-Sanchit the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1), the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1), and the laboratory report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1). Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A of Circular 24/2022-Cus and the Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ).
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and verify that the origin country is not China — imports of milk and milk products from China remain prohibited until melamine-testing capacity at ports of entry is certified as adequate. Ensure compliance with CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023 and the O.M. dated 17-07-2023 issued by the Ministry of Fisheries.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is uploading the FSSAI Import Licence while overlooking the three separate AQCS document codes — 853AQ1 (Veterinary Health Certificate), 001AQ1 (laboratory report/COA), and 911DF1 (Sanitary Import Permit) — each of which is independently verified at out-of-charge. A consignment that carries a current FSSAI licence but is missing any one AQCS document code in e-Sanchit will be detained at the designated port until the gap is remedied, with full demurrage and ground rent accruing during the hold. The China-origin prohibition is unconditional and does not yield to any individual clearance, licence, or NOC.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0401 40 00 require BIS certification?

No; no BIS Quality Control Order covers milk and cream. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services clearances and the 79-designated-port restriction effective 1 March 2023.

Are imports of milk and cream from China permitted under this tariff line?

No. DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23 April 2019 prohibits import of milk and milk products from China until melamine-testing capacity at all ports of entry has been suitably upgraded; this prohibition applies regardless of other clearances obtained.

Does the UHT whipping cream commercial-sterility test exemption apply to this tariff line?

Yes, per FSSAI Instruction 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-21 dated 01-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 08/2022 dated 03-06-2022, imported UHT whipping cream within this tariff line is not subject to commercial sterility testing, though all other FSSAI and AQCS clearance requirements continue to apply.

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