Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum (L.))

Kodo millet grain (Paspalum scrobiculatum)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1008 29 70 (Kodo, Paspalum scrobiculatum) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017. Import is permitted only through designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) oversight at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

1008 29 70

Chapter

10 · Cereals

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from importer
Rectifiable-labelling declaration to CBIC

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 valid FSSAI Import Licence before filing the bill of entry and ensure the consignment enters only through a designated food-import port. Compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 is mandatory; consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017
2
Verify that product labels meet the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and dual date-of-expiry/best-before declaration. Permissible labelling deficiencies — listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — may be rectified at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel before authorised-officer inspection, without altering the original label.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020
3
Apply the rectifiable-labelling regime as clarified under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 (in modification of Instruction 10/2022-Cus), read with the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 issued under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI. Any labelling deficiency outside the permitted rectification list requires re-export or destruction; out-of-charge will not be granted until the authorised officer or representative confirms rectification.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 (F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI)

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance deliverable and presenting labels that are deficient beyond the rectifiable list. Deficiencies such as a missing date-of-expiry provided by the manufacturer are rectifiable at port under the CBIC-FSSAI dispensation, but only if the date information originates from the manufacturer — importer-generated stickers covering this field are rejected by the authorised officer, triggering re-inspection and potential re-export rather than a simple sticker fix.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1008 29 70 require BIS certification?

No, kodo grain is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this cereal product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, with entry restricted to designated food-import ports under the ITC (HS) 2022 policy.

Which labelling particulars may be rectified at port for this food consignment?

Per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and the FSSAI order dated 17-06-2022, permissible rectifications include per-serve dietary allowance contributions and date-of-expiry alongside best-before date — provided the date information is supplied by the manufacturer and verified by the authorised officer, applied via a single non-detachable sticker without obscuring the original label.

What happens if a Kodo consignment arrives at a non-designated food-import port?

The consignment is detained at the port of arrival pending either re-routing to a designated entry point or re-export; out-of-charge is not granted because the designated-port condition under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 is a pre-clearance compliance requirement, not a post-arrival rectifiable deficiency.

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