Bitter gourd

Fresh or chilled bitter gourd (Cucurbita spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0709 93 30 (Bitter gourd) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with mandatory e-Sanchit document upload before customs out-of-charge. Import is additionally governed by General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 designating permitted food-import entry points, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

What this is

HSN code

0709 93 30

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
Rectifiable labelling 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 ensure the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) are uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. The proper officer will verify these uploads prior to granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022; CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Non-designated ports of entry will result in consignment detention pending redirection or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022
3
Where labelling deficiencies are identified at the port, rectification is permissible only within the scope of FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, without altering original label information, under supervision of the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/APEX/2022-FSSAI · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the rectifiable-labelling dispensation as a general licence to arrive with incomplete labels. The rectification window under FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 and Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 is narrow and supervised — it covers specified deficiencies only, and a consignment with substantive non-compliant labelling beyond that scope is liable to detention, re-inspection, or re-export, not routine clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0709 93 30 require BIS certification?

No, fresh vegetables including bitter gourd fall outside 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 designated food-import entry point controls under General Note 4(D) of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

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

What labelling deficiencies can be rectified at the port for imported bitter gourd?

Rectifiable deficiencies are limited to those specified under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018, 14-01-2019 and 18-11-2022 — including per-serve dietary allowance contributions and expiry date additions — applied by non-detachable sticker without altering the original label.

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