Fonio (Digitaria spp.)

Fonio grain, other cereals (Digitaria spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1008 40 00 (Fonio, Digitaria spp.) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Consignments must enter only through designated food-import ports 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 40 00

Chapter

10 · Cereals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food grade certificate from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label 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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) are all uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until all three documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
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. Import through a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention and refusal of out-of-charge by the proper officer.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Ensure labels comply with FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including those items listed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus Para 2(i) — 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.
FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is uploading the FSSAI Import Licence alone and treating the Food Grade Certificate (6570FS) and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS) as supplementary rather than mandatory e-Sanchit documents. A PGA-facilitated bill of entry missing any one of the three document codes will be held by the proper officer pending upload, accruing demurrage and ground rent. The rectifiable-labelling dispensation applies only to listed deficiencies — a missing Food Grade Certificate is not a labelling defect and cannot be rectified at port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1008 40 00 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers fonio or other cereals under Chapter 10. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a mandatory FSSAI Import Licence and designated food-import port restriction.

Are all three e-Sanchit document codes — 911001, 0110FS, and 6570FS — required at every bill of entry?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022, the proper officer must verify all three documents — FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), and Food Grade Certificate (6570FS) — are uploaded in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected after the consignment arrives at port?

Certain specified labelling deficiencies under FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — such as per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — may be rectified at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a non-detachable sticker, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus Para 2(i), provided the correction is made before visual inspection by the authorised officer.

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