Other

Fresh or chilled Capsicum and Pimenta fruits, other

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0709 60 90 (other fresh or chilled fruits of the genus Capsicum or Pimenta) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and label-compliance requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Import is restricted to designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, with Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy controls additionally prohibiting import of spices under DFIA as all spices fall under Appendix 4J and carry a pre-import condition.

What this is

HSN code

0709 60 90

Chapter

07 · Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
ITC (HS) entry-point 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 a valid FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Additionally, upload a specimen copy of the product label (document code 0110FS) to satisfy the mandatory pre-clearance document check; the proper officer will verify both documents before granting out-of-charge.
FSSAI Import Licence · document codes 911001 and 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention; label deficiencies permissible for port rectification must be corrected at the customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label, per the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Do not import this tariff line under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices — including Capsicum and Pimenta fruits — fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering DFIA-based import impermissible irrespective of the intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · ITC (HS) Appendix 4J

A word of counsel

The DFIA prohibition is the single most overlooked compliance trap on this tariff line: importers with manufacturing operations routinely assume that spices used as raw materials qualify for DFIA benefit, but DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 expressly forecloses that route for all spices in Appendix 4J, regardless of end use. A DFIA-based import of Capsicum or Pimenta fruits will attract invalidation of the authorisation and retrospective recovery of the full applicable duty, with no rectification option at the bill-of-entry stage.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 0709 60 90 require BIS certification?

No, fresh or chilled Capsicum and Pimenta fruits fall outside 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 DGFT policy controls on DFIA eligibility and designated food-import entry-point restrictions.

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

Two documents are mandatory: the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a specimen copy of the product label (document code 0110FS); the proper officer verifies both before granting out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can label deficiencies be rectified at the port for this product?

Yes, limited labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry alongside best-before date — may be rectified at the customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker, provided the information is supplied by the manufacturer and verified by the authorised officer, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.

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