Seed

Wheat and meslin seed for sowing

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 1001 91 00 (Wheat and meslin seed) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and a mandatory non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the tariff line Restricted under ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 10 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

1001 91 00

Chapter

10 · Cereals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food, GM-free regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from PPQS
Non-GM origin certificate from FSSAI

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

PPQSPPQS·Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary regime

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) before dispatch and ensure the consignment is accompanied by a non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate for all consignments dispatched on or after 1 March 2021. A non-GM attestation on the phytosanitary or health certificate is accepted provided it contains all declarations in the format issued vide FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021. Upload both documents in e-Sanchit alongside a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) before filing the bill of entry.
FSSAI order File No. 1-1764/FSSAI/Imports/2018(Part1) dated 03-12-2020 · FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021 · ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 10
2
Upload the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of mandatory documents on the bill of entry; the proper officer must verify all three document codes — 0110FS, 851000, and 911001 — are uploaded before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports. Labelling deficiencies that are rectifiable under FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — including per-serve RDA contributions and expiry date — may be corrected at the customs bonded warehouse by a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel, without altering the original label.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is dispatching the consignment before the non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate is in order. A phytosanitary certificate that does not contain all declarations in the FSSAI format issued on 21-08-2021 is not accepted as a substitute, and the consignment is detained at the designated port pending a compliant certificate — a process that generates demurrage, ground rent, and potential re-export. Confirming the exporting-country authority's familiarity with the precise FSSAI-prescribed attestation format before shipment eliminates the most common cause of port detention on this HSN.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1001 91 00 require BIS certification?

No, wheat and meslin seed falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers cereal seeds. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with concurrent PPQS phytosanitary clearance and the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy condition 2 of Chapter 10 administered by DGFT.

Is the non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate required for all consignments?

Yes, for all consignments dispatched from the exporting country on or after 1 March 2021, per FSSAI order File No. 1-1764/FSSAI/Imports/2018(Part1) dated 03-12-2020. A non-GM attestation incorporated directly into the phytosanitary or health certificate is accepted only if it contains every declaration specified in the FSSAI format of 21-08-2021.

Can labelling defects be corrected after arrival at the designated port?

Yes, but only for the specific deficiencies listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 — such as per-serve RDA percentages and expiry-date placement — and rectification must occur at the customs bonded warehouse by a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer. A missing PGA clearance document is not a labelling deficiency and cannot be rectified under this dispensation.

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