Kappa carrageenan

Kappa carrageenan, vegetable-derived thickener and gelling agent

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1302 39 20 (Kappa carrageenan) 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 is additionally gated by General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, which restricts food consignments to designated entry points. Phytosanitary documentation and e-Sanchit upload of mandatory documents are required at the bill-of-entry stage before out-of-charge.

What this is

HSN code

1302 39 20

Chapter

13 · Lac; gums, resins and other vegetable saps and extracts

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporting country
Specimen label copy from importer

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) covering kappa carrageenan and upload it in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer will verify this document under the PGA-facilitated-bill protocol and will not grant out-of-charge without confirmed upload.
FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Upload the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry. The label must comply with FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020; rectifiable deficiencies — including per-serve RDA percentages and best-before date — may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before officer inspection.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI dated 18-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
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. Consignments arriving at non-designated ports are subject to detention and may not receive out-of-charge regardless of the validity of the FSSAI licence.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is presenting a current FSSAI Import Licence while arriving at a non-designated port — the designated-port restriction under General Note 4(D) is an independent gate, and its breach results in consignment detention regardless of FSSAI clearance status. Separately, importers frequently confuse rectifiable labelling deficiencies (per-serve RDA contribution, best-before date) with non-rectifiable ones: sticker corrections must be applied at a customs-bonded warehouse before visual inspection by the authorised officer, not after.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1302 39 20 require BIS certification?

No, kappa carrageenan is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, with designated-port and labelling-compliance requirements as concurrent conditions.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this HSN?

Three documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), as specified in the PGA-facilitated-bill protocol under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected after the consignment arrives in India?

Yes, but only for the categories of rectifiable deficiencies listed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 — corrections must be made at a customs-bonded warehouse before the authorised officer's inspection, using a single non-detachable sticker that does not alter the original label.

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