Clams, cockles and arkshells

Prepared or preserved clams, cockles and arkshells

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1605 56 00 (Clams, cockles and arkshells, prepared or preserved) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

1605 56 00

Chapter

16 · Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
Health Certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry stage.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; labelling deficiencies identified at port must be addressed in accordance with CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which governs the animal-origin overlay and cannot be substituted by the food-safety licence. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC — or with an IRN not quoted on the bill of entry — will be detained pending upload, accruing demurrage and ground rent while the Sanitary Import Permit is regularised.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1605 56 00 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved clams, cockles and arkshells are not 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 concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

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

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); the Sanitary Import Permit IRN must also be quoted on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC.

Does the rectifiable-labelling regime apply to consignments of prepared shellfish?

Yes — certain labelling deficiencies may be rectified at port per FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022, but the rectifiable-labelling concession applies only to labelling defects, not to missing FSSAI or AQCS clearances.

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