Other

Other cereals (millet, canary seed, buckwheat residuals)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1008 29 99 (other cereals, residual category) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Consignments must enter only through designated food-import ports as required by General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, with Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) policy overlays applying at the bill-of-entry stage.

What this is

HSN code

1008 29 99

Chapter

10 · Cereals

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Label specimen from importer
Food-import entry point 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 an FSSAI Import Licence covering the specific cereal category and ensure the foreign manufacturing facility complies with FSSAI registration requirements. The licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed and verified by the proper officer prior to out-of-charge.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 · FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at a non-designated port results in consignment detention pending FSSAI authorisation.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Ensure labelling conforms to the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 before shipment. Rectifiable deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry alongside best-before date — may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, without altering the original label, subject to verification by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022, Para 2(i) · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this residual cereal tariff line is assuming that the broad catch-all classification permits a relaxed labelling standard. The FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 apply in full to each consignment, and the port-rectification dispensation covers only the two specified labelling elements — per-serve dietary contribution figures and expiry-date presentation — not wholesale label non-compliance. A consignment bearing labels that omit mandatory nutrition declarations beyond those two elements will be rejected for re-export or destruction, not permitted rectification at the bonded warehouse.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 1008 29 99 require BIS certification?

No, residual cereals under this tariff line fall outside 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 port-entry restrictions under General Note 4(D) of the ITC (HS) 2022 administered by DGFT and CBIC.

Which labelling deficiencies may be rectified at the port for this HSN?

Per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022, only two categories qualify for port rectification: per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance, and date of expiry presented alongside the best-before date — the latter only where the information is supplied by the manufacturer and verified by the authorised officer.

Does the designated food-import entry-point restriction under General Note 4(D) apply to all cereal consignments under this code?

Yes. General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 requires all food import consignments, including cereals under Chapter 10, to enter through designated ports; consignments tendered at non-designated ports are detained and may face re-export or destruction.

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