COCOA BEANS, WHOLE OR BROKEN, RAW OR ROASTED

Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1801 00 00 (Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted) 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. Consignments must enter only through 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) customs-clearance oversight at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

1801 00 00

Chapter

18 · Cocoa and cocoa preparations

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 a current FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Also upload the Specimen Copy of Label under document code 0110FS; customs out-of-charge will not be granted until both documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) · Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the designated food-import entry points notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Ensure all labelling complies with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Permissible labelling rectifications — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date-of-expiry additions — may be carried out at customs bonded warehouses before inspection, by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label.
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 most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the labelling-rectification dispensation as a routine fallback rather than a limited exception. The rectification window applies only to the specific parameters listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — and must be carried out in a customs bonded warehouse before FSSAI authorised-officer inspection; any rectification attempted after visual inspection, or covering parameters outside the listed scope, will be treated as non-compliant labelling and may result in consignment detention, re-inspection costs, or confiscation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1801 00 00 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers cocoa beans. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, requiring an FSSAI Import Licence, compliant labelling per FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, and entry only through designated food-import ports.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for cocoa bean imports?

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) are both mandatory uploads in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge, as confirmed by CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported cocoa bean consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only within the narrow scope prescribed — per-serve RDA percentage contribution and date-of-expiry additions — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before FSSAI authorised-officer inspection, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.

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