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Of soya beans

Soya bean flour and meal for food use

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1208 10 00 (Soya bean flour and meal) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017. Import entry is restricted to 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 stage.

What this is
HSN code
1208 10 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; FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017
Customs documentation
  • Import Licence from FSSAI
  • Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
  • Designated-port compliance 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. 1
    Obtain the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded; both documents must be present before the customs proper officer issues out-of-charge.
    CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
  2. 2
    Route the consignment only through a designated food-import port under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Non-designated port arrivals are treated as a policy breach and attract consignment 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. 3
    Ensure labelling on the imported consignment complies with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and expiry date requirements. Rectification of permissible labelling deficiencies 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.
    CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus 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 most frequent error on this tariff line is treating a rectifiable labelling deficiency as equivalent to full label compliance before arrival. Rectification under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 is a port-stage remedy, not a pre-clearance right: the authorised officer must verify the sticker affixation before visual inspection, and any attempt to alter the original label information — rather than supplement it — converts a rectifiable deficiency into a non-compliant consignment liable to detention or re-export.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 1208 10 00 require BIS certification?
No, soya bean flour and meal falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the designated-port restriction under General Note 4(D) of the ITC (HS) 2022 as the operative framework.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?
The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) are mandatory uploads in e-Sanchit before the customs proper officer can issue out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
Can labelling deficiencies in imported soya bean flour be rectified at the port?
Yes, but only for deficiencies specifically permitted under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018, 14-01-2019 and 18-11-2022; rectification must be done at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker and verified by the authorised officer before visual inspection.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 12 · Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plantsHSNFLOURS AND MEALS OF OIL SEEDS OR OLEAGINOUS FRUITS, OTHER THAN THOSE OF MUSTARDHSN1208 90 00 · Flours and meals of oil seeds or oleaginous fruits (non-mustard)