Crushed or ground

Crushed or ground coriander, cumin, fennel and allied spice seeds

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 22 00 (crushed or ground spice seeds) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with clearance mandatory through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 applies, and DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms that all spices fall under Appendix 4J and are ineligible for import under Duty Free Import Authorisation under any circumstances.

What this is

HSN code

0909 22 00

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 and upload the 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) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. All four documents must be present before customs out-of-charge is granted.
FSSAI Import Licence (911001) · Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS) · Food Grade Certificate (6570FS) · Phytosanitary Certificate (851000) · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Any labelling deficiencies permissible under FSSAI rectification dispensation must be corrected at customs bonded warehouses prior to inspection, by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
3
Do not attempt to import this tariff line under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). All spices fall under Appendix 4J of the ITC (HS) and are subject to a pre-import condition; their import under DFIA is not permissible irrespective of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is attempting to use a Duty Free Import Authorisation to reduce landed cost on crushed or ground spices. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 forecloses this route categorically — all spices fall under Appendix 4J and carry a pre-import condition that overrides any DFIA claim regardless of the importer's stated end use. Consignments arriving on a DFIA basis are liable to denial of out-of-charge and recovery of full applicable duties.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 22 00 require BIS certification?

No, crushed or ground spice seeds are not within any 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 ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 and designated-port restrictions applying concurrently.

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

Four documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (851000); the customs proper officer will verify all four before granting out-of-charge.

Can an exporter or importer correct labelling deficiencies after the consignment arrives at the port?

Certain labelling information — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and expiry date alongside best-before date — may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses before inspection, by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.

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