Other

Sunflower seeds, other than for sowing

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1206 00 90 (sunflower seeds, other) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Specimen Copy of Label uploaded in e-Sanchit as a concurrent mandatory requirement. Import is restricted to 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) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

What this is

HSN code

1206 00 90

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Also upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS); both documents must be present before customs out-of-charge is granted.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Consignments arriving at a non-designated port are liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Ensure labelling complies with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 before shipment. Specific deficiencies — per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry alongside best-before date — may be rectified at the customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, provided the manufacturer supplies the corrected information.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The labelling-rectification dispensation is frequently misread as permission to remedy all labelling deficiencies at port; it is not. Only the specific items listed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs Para 2(i) — per-serve RDA contribution and dual date display — qualify for port-level rectification, and the corrected information must originate from the manufacturer, not the importer. Presenting an importer-generated sticker covering other label deficiencies as a rectified label constitutes a separate violation under the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and will result in consignment detention pending re-inspection.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1206 00 90 require BIS certification?

No, sunflower seeds fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with FSSAI Import Licence and Specimen Copy of Label as mandatory e-Sanchit uploads.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Two document codes are mandatory: 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label) and 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence); both must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected at the port of import for sunflower seed consignments?

Only the specific deficiencies permitted under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — per-serve RDA percentage contribution and expiry date alongside best-before date — may be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse using a manufacturer-supplied non-detachable sticker; all other labelling non-compliance is subject to detention or re-export.

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