Filled

Filled chocolate and cocoa food preparations

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1806 31 00 (Filled chocolate and cocoa preparations) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Import through designated food-import entry points is mandated under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Imports of chocolate and milk-based food preparations from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019.

What this is

HSN code

1806 31 00

Chapter

18 · Cocoa and cocoa preparations

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
ITC (HS) entry-point declaration to DGFT

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 an FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure a specimen copy of the label (document code 0110FS) is uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed. The proper officer will verify both documents in e-Sanchit prior to granting out-of-charge.
FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · Label specimen document code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Confirm the country of origin is not China; imports of chocolates and chocolate products containing milk or milk solids originating from China are prohibited until port-laboratory melamine-testing capacity is certified as adequate. A China-origin consignment under this CTI will be detained and is liable to re-export or confiscation.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019
3
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Where labelling deficiencies arise, rectification is permitted at customs bonded warehouses before inspection by affixing a single non-detachable sticker, in compliance with CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022. If importing from Bangladesh, verify port-restriction compliance under DGFT Notification 07/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025.
General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · DGFT Notification 07/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is misidentifying whether a filled chocolate product contains milk or milk solids as an ingredient — a distinction that triggers the blanket China-origin prohibition under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20. A consignment that passes FSSAI food-safety screening can still be detained and ordered for re-export if origin is China and the product formulation includes any milk solid content, regardless of the FSSAI licence being current. Verify the bill of materials against the country-of-origin certificate before placing the purchase order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1806 31 00 require BIS certification?

No, filled chocolate and cocoa preparations 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 an FSSAI Import Licence, label compliance under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, and designated food-import entry-point restrictions under ITC (HS) General Note 4(D).

Are all origin countries permitted, or are there source-country prohibitions on this tariff line?

Imports of chocolates and chocolate products containing milk or milk solids as an ingredient originating from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019, pending upgrade of port-laboratory melamine-testing capacity; all other origins remain subject to standard FSSAI clearance.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified after the consignment reaches India?

Yes, but only within the defined scope: per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022, specified labelling information may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before inspection, without altering the original label — a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable under this dispensation.

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