Squash

Fresh or chilled squash (Cucurbita spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0709 93 20 (Squash) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and non-GM origin cum GM-free certification requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and consignments are permitted only through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0709 93 20

Chapter

07 · Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from PPQS
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

PPQSPPQS·Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary regime

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

Compliance steps

1
Obtain and upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The customs out-of-charge officer will verify both documents are uploaded before granting out-of-charge.
FSSAI Import Licence 911001 · document code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
2
Ensure the consignment is accompanied by a non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate for all shipments dispatched from the exporting country on or after 1 March 2021. A GM-free attestation on the phytosanitary or health certificate is accepted provided it contains all information and declarations in the format issued vide FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021.
FSSAI order F.No.1-1764/FSSAI/Imports/2018(Part1) dated 03-12-2020 · FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021
3
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. At port, any rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — may be corrected by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs-bonded warehouse before inspection, per the rectifiable-labelling dispensation.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the phytosanitary certificate as a substitute for the non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate. They are separate instruments: a phytosanitary certificate satisfies PPQS quarantine requirements, while the GM-free attestation — whether freestanding or endorsed on the phytosanitary certificate — must independently satisfy the FSSAI format requirements issued under the order dated 21-08-2021. A consignment dispatched on or after 1 March 2021 that arrives without a compliant GM-free declaration is detained pending re-inspection, and the FSSAI Import Licence alone will not secure out-of-charge.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0709 93 20 require BIS certification?

No, fresh or chilled squash 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 Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage phytosanitary clearance and designated-port entry restrictions.

Can the non-GM cum GM-free attestation appear on the phytosanitary certificate rather than as a separate document?

Yes, per FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021, a GM-free attestation endorsed on the phytosanitary or health certificate is accepted, provided it contains all information and declarations specified in the FSSAI format; a certificate that omits any required declaration is treated as non-compliant.

Which labelling deficiencies may be rectified at the port, and by what method?

Per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022, per-serve RDA percentage contribution and expiry date information may be rectified at a customs-bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, without altering the original label, before the authorised officer's inspection.

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