Other

Soya beans, other (non-seed, non-food-grade variants)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 1201 90 00 (soya beans, other) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and a non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate requirement under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and FSSAI order dated 03-12-2020. Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

1201 90 00

Chapter

12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label 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) and ensure a non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate is attached to every consignment dispatched from the exporting country on or after 01-03-2021. The certificate must contain all information specified in the FSSAI format; a GM-free attestation on the phytosanitary or health certificate is accepted as an equivalent provided it is complete.
FSSAI order F.No. 1-1764/FSSAI/Imports/2018(Part1) dated 03-12-2020 · FSSAI order dated 21-08-2021
2
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. The proper officer will verify these mandatory document codes before granting out-of-charge; consignments with missing uploads are detained at the port.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA percentage and expiry date — may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection, per the conditions in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The error most frequently encountered on this tariff line is presenting a GM-free attestation that is incomplete — one that lacks the specific declarations required by the FSSAI format issued on 21-08-2021. An attestation embedded in the phytosanitary certificate is accepted as equivalent, but only if it is verbatim-complete; a partial declaration triggers detention and FSSAI re-routing even when the Import Licence itself is current and all other documents are in order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1201 90 00 require BIS certification?

No, soya beans do not fall within 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 a mandatory non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate and concurrent PPQS phytosanitary clearance.

From which date is the non-GM origin cum GM-free certificate mandatory, and which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit?

The non-GM certificate requirement applies to all consignments dispatched from the exporting country on or after 01-03-2021, per FSSAI order dated 03-12-2020. At the bill of entry, document codes 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence) and 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected at the port, and what is the permitted method?

Yes, specified labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA percentage and expiry date alongside best-before date — may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, provided the correction does not alter the original label and is verified by the authorised officer, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.

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