Other

Other chocolate and cocoa-based food preparations

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1806 90 90 (Other chocolate and cocoa-based food 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 and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017. Import of milk-containing chocolate and confectionery products from China is prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019, and consignments must enter only through the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

1806 90 90

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
Designated-port 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 and upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The customs proper officer will verify both documents are present before granting out-of-charge.
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
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure, as required by General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. If the consignment originates from or transits Bangladesh, check compliance with DGFT Notification 07/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025 for port restrictions introduced under General Notes para 19.
General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Notification 07/2025-26 dated 17-05-2025
3
Confirm the consignment does not originate from China if it contains milk or milk solids as an ingredient — such imports (chocolates, chocolate products, candies, confectioneries, food preparations with milk or milk solids) are prohibited from China until laboratory testing capacity for melamine is certified at ports of entry.
DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019

A word of counsel

The China-origin prohibition is ingredient-triggered, not product-triggered: a cocoa preparation that contains even trace milk solids as an ingredient falls within the prohibited category, not merely dairy-forward products labelled as milk chocolate. Importers sourcing from China should verify the full ingredient declaration before shipment; a consignment detained for melamine-testing-capacity reasons cannot be cleared by voluntary testing and faces re-export or confiscation. The rectifiable-labelling dispensation under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus applies to specified label deficiencies only and does not substitute for a missing FSSAI Import Licence.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1806 90 90 require BIS certification?

No, other chocolate and cocoa-based food preparations are not covered by 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 and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, with DGFT policy controls as the additional overlay.

Are all chocolate and cocoa products from China prohibited, or only those containing milk?

Only products containing milk or milk solids as an ingredient — including chocolates, chocolate products, candies, confectioneries, and food preparations with milk solids — are prohibited from China under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019; the prohibition remains in force until port-laboratory melamine-testing capacity is certified.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified at the port after the consignment arrives?

Yes, but only for the specific labelling items listed under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 — such as per-serve RDA percentage and expiry date — and only by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before the authorised officer's inspection, without altering the original label.

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