Condensed milk

Condensed milk, concentrated and sweetened milk products

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0402 99 20 (Condensed milk) 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, with import restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments must meet IS 1166 or IS 12176 standards depending on product sub-type. Imports of milk and milk-based products from China remain prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 pending melamine-testing-lab upgrades at ports of entry.

What this is

HSN code

0402 99 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, foreign-manufacturer registration 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 regime before shipment. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry; customs out-of-charge will not be granted without these uploads.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
2
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and upload the Veterinary Health Certificate (document code 853AQ1) and the Laboratory Report/Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC per Circular 24/2022-Cus Annexure A.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Verify IS-standard compliance before dispatch: condensed milk, partly skimmed and skimmed condensed milk must comply with IS 1166; sweetened UHT-treated condensed milk must comply with IS 12176 per Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) Import Policy. 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 confirm the origin is not China, where imports of milk and milk-based products remain prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019.
IS 1166 · IS 12176 · Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating IS-standard compliance as a post-arrival laboratory matter rather than a pre-shipment documentary obligation. IS 1166 and IS 12176 are referenced in Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of the ITC (HS) Import Policy, meaning non-conformance triggers a policy violation — not merely a quality rejection — and the consignment may be detained or refused out-of-charge at the designated port. Where the product is sweetened and UHT-treated, the IS 12176 track applies exclusively; conflating it with the IS 1166 track results in the wrong conformance certificate being uploaded in e-Sanchit.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0402 99 20 require BIS certification?

No, condensed milk is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with IS 1166 and IS 12176 standards referenced through the ITC (HS) Import Policy and a concurrent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement.

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/Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1), per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Are condensed milk imports from China permitted?

No. Imports of milk and milk-based products from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 until melamine-testing laboratory capacity at all ports of entry has been suitably upgraded; consignments of Chinese origin are liable to refusal of out-of-charge and re-export.

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