Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus)

Fresh sour cherries (Prunus cerasus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0809 21 00 (Sour cherries, Prunus cerasus) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with consignments permitted only through designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Restricted-import policy and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) documentary-verification overlays apply as additional clearance requirements at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

0809 21 00

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporter
Specimen label copy from importer

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 a current FSSAI Import Licence and ensure it is uploaded in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before the bill of entry is filed. The proper officer will verify this upload on PGA-facilitated bills before granting out-of-charge.
FSSAI Import Licence · document code 911001 · CCR customs verification instruction
2
Upload the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry. Labelling deficiencies permissible for rectification at port are limited to the items enumerated in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022; rectification must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Route the consignment exclusively through a designated food-import entry point. Non-designated ports do not have the authorised-officer infrastructure to conduct FSSAI visual inspection or re-inspection; consignments arriving at an undesignated port are detained pending re-routing.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on fresh fruit tariff lines such as this is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the only pre-shipment requirement and overlooking the Phytosanitary Certificate, which is an independent export-country-authority document and cannot be obtained after the vessel has departed. A consignment arriving without a valid Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) uploaded in e-Sanchit is detained at port — for a perishable such as fresh cherries, detention triggers rapid deterioration, demurrage, and ground rent that typically exceed the value of the cargo before any rectification is possible.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0809 21 00 require BIS certification?

No. Fresh sour cherries 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 DGFT policy controls and designated-port restrictions under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this HSN?

Three documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (code 911001), Phytosanitary Certificate (code 851000), and Specimen Copy of Label (code 0110FS); all must be uploaded before customs out-of-charge is granted.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported fresh cherry consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only for the specific labelling items enumerated in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022; rectification must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel without altering the original label.

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