Green Pepper

Fresh or chilled green pepper (vegetable)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0709 99 10 (Green Pepper) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Consignments must enter only through the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). A DGFT policy circular additionally bars import of all spices, including green pepper, under Duty Free Import Authorisation.

What this is

HSN code

0709 99 10

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
Designated-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, along with the Specimen Copy of Label under document code 0110FS, before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer will verify both uploads 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
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point. Compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 is mandatory; arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Confirm that the import is not being routed under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). Green pepper, as a spice, falls under Appendix 4J of the ITC (HS) and is subject to a pre-import condition; DFIA-based import of spices is ineligible under all circumstances regardless of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is assuming that a DFIA or advance-authorisation instrument can substitute for the standard FSSAI Import Licence channel. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 expressly declares all spices — including green pepper — ineligible for DFIA import because they appear in Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition; any consignment presented under DFIA is liable to be treated as an unauthorised restricted import, attracting confiscation and monetary penalty regardless of the importer's intended end use.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0709 99 10 require BIS certification?

No, fresh green pepper is 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 FSSAI Import Licence and labelling compliance as the operative requirements at the bill of entry.

Which document codes 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 customs out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified at the port for imported green pepper consignments?

Yes, limited rectification is permitted at customs bonded warehouses before visual inspection — including per-serve RDA percentage contributions and expiry date additions — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022.

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