Cow peas (Vigna unguiculata)

Dried shelled cow peas (Vigna unguiculata)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0713 35 00 (Cow peas, Vigna unguiculata) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including a mandatory non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate for consignments dispatched on or after 1 March 2021. Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and imports must enter through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0713 35 00

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 importer

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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) is uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer must verify both uploads before granting out-of-charge.
FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · Specimen Copy of Label document code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Obtain a non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate for each consignment dispatched from the exporting country on or after 1 March 2021. A non-GM origin cum GM-free attestation endorsed on the phytosanitary or health certificate is acceptable, provided it contains all information specified in the 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 one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Any labelling deficiencies permitted to be rectified under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 must be corrected at a customs-bonded warehouse by a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is presenting a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's authority without the GM-free attestation endorsed on it, and assuming PPQS clearance alone satisfies the FSSAI non-GM requirement. The GM-free attestation is a distinct FSSAI obligation applicable to every consignment dispatched on or after 1 March 2021; absence of the attestation — even when the FSSAI Import Licence itself is current — results in consignment detention at the designated port pending a compliant certificate from the exporting country's competent authority.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0713 35 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried cow peas 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 concurrent Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage phytosanitary clearance and the 79-designated-port restriction.

Is a standalone GM-free certificate acceptable, or must the attestation appear on the phytosanitary certificate?

Both formats are accepted: either a standalone non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate, or a GM-free attestation endorsed directly on the phytosanitary or health certificate — provided the attestation contains all information specified in the FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified after the consignment arrives at the port?

Yes, but only within the categories permitted under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022; rectification must be carried out at a customs-bonded warehouse before visual inspection by the authorised officer, using a single non-detachable sticker that does not alter the original label.

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