Spreads containing cocoa

Cocoa spreads and chocolate-based food preparations

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1806 90 30 (Spreads containing cocoa) 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 FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Import of milk-containing variants from China is prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 pending laboratory upgradation at ports of entry. General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 restricts food imports to designated entry points, with a Bangladesh-origin port restriction introduced under DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025.

What this is

HSN code

1806 90 30

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
ITC (HS) port-compliance declaration from 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 the FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. The Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit; a proper officer will verify both documents prior to out-of-charge where the consignment has not been routed through the PGA for NOC.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/tfm/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Verify that the consignment does not originate from China if it contains milk or milk solids as an ingredient. Import of milk-containing chocolates, chocolate products, and food preparations with milk solids from China is prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019; such consignments are liable to refusal of clearance.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019
3
Ensure the consignment enters only through a designated food-import entry point per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022. For Bangladesh-origin consignments, confirm applicability of the port restrictions introduced at Para 19 of the General Notes under DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025, and verify whether the goods fall within the exempted categories listed in Paras 2 and 3 of that notification.
General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Notification 7/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is inadequate pre-shipment label review. Labelling deficiencies — particularly missing per-serve percentage RDA contributions and the absence of a co-printed expiry date alongside the best-before date — may be rectified at the port by affixing a single non-detachable sticker on the principal display panel, but only where the corrected information is provided by the manufacturer itself and verified by the authorised officer; corrections by the importer acting alone do not satisfy the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and will result in consignment detention pending re-inspection.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1806 90 30 require BIS certification?

No, cocoa-based spreads and food preparations are not subject to 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, with FSSAI Import Licence and label-compliance requirements applying at the bill-of-entry stage.

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

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) are mandatory e-Sanchit uploads; both must be present before the proper officer grants out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Does the China-origin prohibition apply to all cocoa spreads under this HSN?

No — the prohibition under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 applies only to products that contain milk or milk solids as an ingredient; cocoa spreads without any milk or milk-solid content imported from China are not covered by this prohibition.

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