Crushed or ground

Crushed or ground mace (nutmeg, mace, cardamoms)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0908 22 00 (Crushed or ground mace) 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. The tariff line is also subject to ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and consignments must enter through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Spices under this heading are explicitly ineligible for import under Duty Free Import Authorisation as all spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition.

What this is

HSN code

0908 22 00

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporter
Food Grade Certificate 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 a current FSSAI Import Licence and ensure that all four mandatory documents — Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) — are uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. Out-of-charge will not be granted until the proper officer verifies all four uploads.
FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the designated food-import entry points listed under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm that labelling meets FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020; rectifiable labelling deficiencies may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection, but the correction must be verified by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Do not attempt import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation for any spice under this heading. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms that all spices fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, rendering DFIA-based import impermissible regardless of intended end use. Comply with ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09

A word of counsel

The single 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 downstream manufacturing use qualifies the consignment for the DFIA scheme. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 closes that route categorically — Appendix 4J classification and the pre-import condition apply to all spices, and a DFIA-backed bill of entry for this HSN invites outright refusal of out-of-charge, detention, and DGFT-policy enforcement independent of whether the FSSAI and phytosanitary documents are otherwise in order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0908 22 00 require BIS certification?

No; no BIS Quality Control Order covers crushed or ground mace or other spices under Chapter 09. 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 overlay administered by DGFT and a mandatory designated-port restriction.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Four document codes are mandatory: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001); all must be uploaded before the proper officer grants out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can crushed or ground spices under this heading be imported under a Duty Free Import Authorisation?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 explicitly confirms that all spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making import under DFIA impermissible under any circumstances regardless of intended end use.

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