Other

Fresh unripened cheese, whey cheese and curd (other)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0406 10 90 (other fresh, unripened or uncured cheese, including whey cheese and curd) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturing-facility registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0406 10 90

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 the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food (milk and milk products) regime before placing the purchase order. 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.
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 AQCS clearance by uploading the Veterinary Health Certificate from the exporting country (document code 853AQ1), Laboratory Report/COA (document code 001AQ1), and the AQCS-issued Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) in e-Sanchit. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC, per the CTI listing in Annex A of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Note that imports of milk and milk-based products originating from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 pending laboratory-capacity upgrades for melamine testing at all ports of entry.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · 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 and foreign-manufacturer registration as the complete pre-shipment checklist, while overlooking that AQCS requires three separate e-Sanchit uploads — the Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1), the Laboratory Report/COA (001AQ1), and the AQCS-issued Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1) — each mapped to a distinct Annex A slot in CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus. A missing or mismatched IRN on any one of these documents causes AQCS NOC refusal and consignment detention at the designated port, with demurrage accruing until all three are in order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0406 10 90 require BIS certification?

No, fresh unripened cheese and curd 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 requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Are imports of fresh cheese from China permitted under this tariff line?

No. Imports of milk and milk-based products from China remain prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 until laboratory capacity at all ports of entry is certified as adequate for melamine testing; this prohibition applies regardless of FSSAI or AQCS clearance status.

Does the rectifiable-labelling regime allow deficient labels to be corrected at the port of entry?

Yes, but only for the specific labelling deficiencies classified as rectifiable under FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-21 dated 17-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022; a missing PGA clearance document is not a labelling defect and cannot be resolved through the rectifiable-labelling route.

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