Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)

Quinoa grain (Chenopodium quinoa), other cereals

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1008 50 00 (Quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 restricts import to designated food-import entry points, with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) instruction overlays governing rectifiable labelling and out-of-charge procedures.

What this is

HSN code

1008 50 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 valid FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Additionally, upload the Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570fs) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110fs); the customs proper officer will verify all three are present in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention and do not qualify for out-of-charge under any FSSAI facilitation.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022
3
Where label deficiencies exist on arrival, rectification is permitted only for the specific items listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs (per-serve RDA percentages and expiry/best-before date provided by the manufacturer) and must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, without altering the original label, prior to re-inspection by the authorised officer.
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

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating an FSSAI Import Licence alone as sufficient for out-of-charge, without uploading the Food Grade Certificate (6570fs) and the Specimen Copy of Label (0110fs) in e-Sanchit. All three documents must be present before the proper officer can grant out-of-charge — a missing Food Grade Certificate is not a rectifiable labelling deficiency and will result in consignment detention, demurrage, and potential re-export if the document cannot be subsequently furnished.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1008 50 00 require BIS certification?

No, quinoa is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers cereals of this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with designated-port and labelling-compliance overlays administered by DGFT and CBIC.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for quinoa imports?

Three documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Food Grade Certificate (6570fs), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110fs); all must be uploaded before the bill of entry is assessed and out-of-charge is granted, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported quinoa consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only for the specific items permitted under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — namely per-serve RDA percentage information and expiry or best-before dates supplied by the manufacturer — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before authorised-officer inspection; structural or safety-parameter label deficiencies are not rectifiable and may attract re-export or confiscation.

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