Other

Crushed or ground Capsicum and Pimenta fruits, other spices

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0904 22 29 (crushed or ground fruits of the genus Capsicum or Pimenta, other) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and food-safety clearance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and is Restricted under ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Consignments must enter only through the designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and spices under this tariff line are ineligible for import under the Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme.

What this is

HSN code

0904 22 29

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporter

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 the foreign manufacturing facility is covered by FSSAI's food-safety registration requirements. Before filing the bill of entry, upload in e-Sanchit: FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000).
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9
2
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies permissible for port rectification under FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019 — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — must be corrected by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection, without altering the original label.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
3
Do not attempt import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation. Spices, including all crushed or ground Capsicum and Pimenta fruits, fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition; DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms their import under DFIA is not permissible under any circumstances irrespective of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is attempting to import crushed or ground spices under a Duty Free Import Authorisation on the assumption that an export-linked end-use carve-out applies. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 explicitly forecloses this route for all Appendix 4J spices regardless of end use; an FSSAI-cleared consignment arriving on a DFIA will be treated as an unauthorised Restricted-policy import, attracting confiscation and monetary penalty under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0904 22 29 require BIS certification?

No, crushed or ground Capsicum and Pimenta fruits 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 the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by DGFT.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge for this tariff line?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (851000). Customs out-of-charge is not granted until all four are verified in e-Sanchit.

Can labelling defects on imported spice consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only for the specific deficiencies listed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 — such as per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before inspection; missing PGA clearances cannot be rectified by this mechanism.

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