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HomeHSNChapter 04HSN 0402 21 00

Not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter

Concentrated milk and cream, unsweetened (milk powder, UHT cream)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0402 21 00 (concentrated milk and cream, not containing added sugar) 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 food product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance, veterinary health certificate, and laboratory report are concurrent requirements. Consignments are admitted only through 79 designated food-import ports, and imports of milk and milk-based products from China remain prohibited pending melamine-testing capacity upgrades at ports of entry.

What this is
HSN code
0402 21 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 food, foreign-manufacturer registration)
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 high-risk dairy category before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and specimen copy of label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry before out-of-charge is granted.
    CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  2. 2
    Upload the AQCS-issued Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. Also upload the veterinary health certificate from the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) and the laboratory report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1), as listed in the Annexure to CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus. The Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) must similarly be uploaded before out-of-charge.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 3
    Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Verify IS 14542 compliance for partly skimmed milk powder and IS 1165 compliance for whole or skimmed milk powder per Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of the Import Policy. Do not ship milk or milk-based products of Chinese origin — the prohibition under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 remains in force pending melamine-lab upgrades at ports.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · Appendix III and General Note 2(a), Schedule I, ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as a standalone clearance and overlooking the three distinct AQCS document obligations — the Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), the veterinary health certificate (853AQ1), and the laboratory report (001AQ1) — each of which must be uploaded in e-Sanchit under its own document code before out-of-charge. A consignment with a current FSSAI licence but any one of these AQCS documents absent will be detained at the designated port; the rectifiable-labelling regime addresses label defects only, not missing PGA clearances, and demurrage accrues from the date of vessel arrival.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0402 21 00 require BIS certification?
No, concentrated milk and cream without added sugar is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. 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 clearance regime and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Which document codes are mandatory in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?
The mandatory uploads are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), specimen copy of label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), veterinary health certificate (853AQ1), and laboratory report or Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1), all per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
Is there a country-specific prohibition on imports under this tariff line?
Yes. Import of milk and milk-based products from China is prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 until melamine-testing capacity at all ports of entry is certified as adequate; no partial or case-by-case exemption is available under this prohibition.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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