Coffee substitutes containing coffee

Coffee substitutes containing coffee in any proportion

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0901 90 20 (Coffee substitutes containing coffee) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Import is also conditioned by ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and consignments must comply with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 on food import entry points.

What this is

HSN code

0901 90 20

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

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 and upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit; customs out-of-charge will not be granted until all three documents are verified.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Ensure the consignment label complies with FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 before arrival. Limited rectification of specified labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry alongside best-before date — is permitted at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, provided the correction is made by the manufacturer and verified by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020
3
For re-import of coffee-containing substitutes originally exported from India, obtain a Coffee Board permit before filing the bill of entry. This is an independent clearance from the FSSAI import licence and is required under Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942.
Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is uploading the FSSAI Import Licence alone and treating the Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) as optional. All three documents are mandatory for out-of-charge, and a PGA-facilitated bill that bypasses the NOC routing is individually verified by the proper officer — any missing document triggers detention and demurrage at the port of import until the deficiency is remedied. Importers intending to correct labelling at the bonded warehouse must ensure the rectification is manufacturer-sourced; importer-generated stickers are not accepted.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0901 90 20 require BIS certification?

No, coffee substitutes containing coffee 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 an ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by DGFT.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

Three documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS) — all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Is a Coffee Board permit required for every import of this HSN?

No — a Coffee Board permit under Section 21 of the Coffee Act, 1942 is required only for re-import of coffee or coffee-containing products that were originally exported from India; standard first-time imports do not attract this requirement.

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