Milk for babies

Concentrated milk for babies, sweetened or with added sugar

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0402 29 20 (Milk for babies) 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 designated high-risk food category. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit, veterinary health certificate, and laboratory report clearances apply concurrently, and import is permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023. Imports of milk and milk-based products from China remain prohibited pending melamine-testing capacity upgrades under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019.

What this is

HSN code

0402 29 20

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 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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with FSSAI under the high-risk food regime covering milk and infant food categories. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.
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), the veterinary health certificate from the exporting country (document code 853AQ1), and the laboratory report/COA (document code 001AQ1). Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC; non-submission detains the consignment pending out-of-charge.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm the origin is not China — imports of milk and milk-based products from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 pending melamine-testing capacity upgrades. Where the product is sweetened UHT-treated condensed milk, verify conformance with IS 12176; where it is milk powder, verify conformance with IS 1165, per Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) Import Policy.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) Import Policy

A word of counsel

The most prevalent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the three independent AQCS document codes — 853AQ1 (veterinary health certificate), 001AQ1 (laboratory report/COA), and 911DF1 (Sanitary Import Permit) — each of which must be individually uploaded in e-Sanchit and the 911DF1 IRN must be quoted on the bill of entry. Consignments arriving with all FSSAI documentation current but missing any one AQCS document code are detained at the designated port; demurrage and ground rent accrue immediately because port storage for perishable dairy products cannot be deferred while the missing clearance is pursued retrospectively.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0402 29 20 require BIS certification?

No, concentrated milk for babies is 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 concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services clearance and the 79-designated-port restriction applicable to high-risk food categories.

Are imports of milk for babies from China permitted?

No. DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 prohibits import of milk and milk-based products from China until melamine-testing capacity at all ports of entry has been suitably upgraded; consignments originating from China are liable to seizure and re-export.

Which Indian Standard must sweetened UHT-treated condensed milk conform to, and does the same standard apply to milk powder?

Sweetened UHT-treated condensed milk must conform to IS 12176, while milk powder must comply with IS 1165; both requirements are referenced under Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) Import Policy, and non-conformance constitutes a Restricted-import policy breach.

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