NATURAL HONEY

Natural honey, imported food of animal origin

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0409 00 00 (Natural honey) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Consignments must enter only through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) applying concurrent policy overlays.

What this is

HSN code

0409 00 00

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Food-import port declaration to CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain the FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Also upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS); the proper officer verifies both documents in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point and confirm labelling compliance with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to RDA and expiry-date presentation — may be corrected at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label, subject to manufacturer confirmation and authorised-officer verification.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022, Para 2(i) · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Ensure compliance with CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023 and the Office Memorandum dated 17-07-2023 issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, which apply as additional oversight instruments to food consignments of animal origin including natural honey.
CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023 · Ministry of Fisheries OM dated 17-07-2023

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry with the FSSAI Import Licence uploaded but the Specimen Copy of Label absent from e-Sanchit. Both document codes — 911001 and 0110FS — are mandatory at the bill-of-entry stage; a missing label upload triggers detention pending FSSAI re-inspection, and the rectifiable-labelling dispensation does not cure the absence of the document upload itself. Confirm that the label already meets FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 requirements before the vessel departs the origin port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0409 00 00 require BIS certification?

No, natural honey 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, and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, with a designated-port restriction under General Note 4(D) of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for natural honey at the bill of entry?

Document code 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence) and document code 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label) are both mandatory and must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the proper officer grants out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported natural honey be corrected at the port?

Yes, but only for the categories of rectifiable labelling information specified in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — such as per-serve RDA percentages and expiry-date presentation — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection; the original label must not be altered, and manufacturer confirmation is required.

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