Other

Fresh melons other than watermelons (non-GM certified)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0807 19 90 (other fresh melons, excluding watermelons) 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 Certificate clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and consignments must enter through the designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0807 19 90

Chapter

08 · Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (food import and GM-free regime)

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 a current FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure the exporting-country authority attests a non-GM origin cum GM-free declaration on the Phytosanitary or Health Certificate for each consignment dispatched on or after 1 March 2021. The attestation must contain all information specified in the FSSAI order dated 21 August 2021.
FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021 · FSSAI order file F.N. 1-1764/FSSAI/Imports/2018(Part1) dated 03-12-2020
2
Upload all mandatory documents in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is presented for out-of-charge: Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001). The proper officer must verify these uploads before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Route the consignment through a designated food-import port compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies that are rectifiable under FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019 must be corrected at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating a general GM-free statement in commercial documentation as equivalent to the FSSAI-specified non-GM origin cum GM-free attestation on the Phytosanitary or Health Certificate itself. The attestation must appear on the official phytosanitary or health certificate and contain every element mandated by the FSSAI order dated 21 August 2021; a separate commercial declaration does not satisfy the requirement and will result in consignment detention pending corrective certification from the exporting-country competent authority.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0807 19 90 require BIS certification?

No, fresh melons are 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 a concurrent Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage Phytosanitary Certificate requirement and a non-GM origin cum GM-free attestation mandatory for consignments dispatched on or after 1 March 2021.

Can the GM-free attestation appear on a separate commercial certificate rather than on the Phytosanitary or Health Certificate?

No. Per the FSSAI order dated 21 August 2021, the non-GM origin cum GM-free attestation must appear on the Phytosanitary or Health Certificate itself and contain all information in the prescribed format; a standalone commercial declaration is not accepted.

What happens if the label on an imported melon consignment is deficient on arrival?

Rectifiable labelling deficiencies listed under FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019 may be corrected at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a non-detachable sticker before inspection, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus; non-rectifiable deficiencies attract detention or re-export.

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