Refined sugar containing added flavouring or colouring matter

Refined sugar with added flavouring or colouring matter

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1701 91 00 (Refined sugar containing added flavouring or colouring matter) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with consignments restricted to designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. All import contracts under ITC (HS) code 1701 must additionally be registered with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) before shipment. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) policy overlays apply at the bill-of-entry stage.

What this is

HSN code

1701 91 00

Chapter

17 · Sugars and sugar confectionery

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
APEDA contract registration from APEDA

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
Register the import contract with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority under APEDA Trade Notice Sugar/Import/01/2019 dated 03-07-2019 before shipment. Every sugar import contract under ITC (HS) code 1701, including this tariff line, is subject to compulsory APEDA registration.
APEDA Trade Notice Sugar/Import/01/2019 dated 03-07-2019
2
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit along with a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) before filing the bill of entry. The customs proper officer will verify these uploads before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · Label document code 0110FS
3
Route the consignment through one of the designated food-import entry points compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Where labelling deficiencies arise, rectification may be carried out at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised FSSAI officer, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The error most frequently encountered on this tariff line is overlooking the APEDA contract-registration requirement — importers focus on the FSSAI licence and assume that is the only pre-shipment obligation. Shipments arriving without a valid APEDA registration are detained at the port of entry pending regularisation, attracting demurrage and ground rent that accumulate independently of the FSSAI clearance timeline. APEDA registration must be completed before the contract is executed, not at the bill-of-entry stage.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 1701 91 00 require BIS certification?

No, flavoured or coloured refined sugar falls outside 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 compulsory APEDA contract registration and the designated food-import port restriction applying as additional requirements.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this HSN?

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the customs proper officer can grant out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022.

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

Yes, but only within the scope permitted under the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 — rectification must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel before the authorised officer's visual inspection.

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