Home›HSN›Chapter 19›HSN 1901 10 90

Other

Infant food and complementary preparations for retail sale

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1901 10 90 (other preparations suitable for infants or young children, put up for retail sale) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with specific Indian Standard compliance requirements for follow-up formula, complementary foods, and infant milk substitutes. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

1901 10 90

Chapter

19 · Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk infant food regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
Health Certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with FSSAI under the high-risk infant-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not receive out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ), and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry. Where applicable, upload the veterinary Health Certificate (document code 853AQ1) and lab report/Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) as listed in the Annexures to CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
3
Verify product-specific Indian Standard compliance before import: follow-up formula and complementary foods must conform to IS 15757 and IS 11536; infant milk substitutes (milk-protein-based) to IS 14433; and milk-cereal-based weaning foods to IS 1656. Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; note that milk-based infant food preparations with milk from China remain prohibited pending lab upgradation per DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019.
Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) Import Policy · GSR 759(E) and GSR 760(E) dated 29-07-2000 · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating FSSAI Import Licence clearance as the sole PGA obligation and overlooking the product-specific Indian Standard conformity requirements under Appendix III of the ITC (HS) policy — IS 15757, IS 11536, IS 14433, and IS 1656 apply to distinct sub-categories of infant preparations, and misclassification of the product type against the wrong standard will result in rejection at the FSSAI inspection stage. The China-origin prohibition on milk and milk-based preparations remains in force under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 and cannot be waived by FSSAI licence alone.

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 1901 10 90 require BIS certification?

No, this tariff line is not covered by a 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 concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services clearance, Indian Standard conformity requirements under Appendix III of the ITC (HS) policy, and the 79-designated-port restriction.

Which Indian Standards apply to infant preparations under this tariff line?

Follow-up formula and complementary foods must comply with IS 15757 and IS 11536; infant milk substitutes (milk-protein-based) must conform to IS 14433; and milk-cereal-based weaning foods must conform to IS 1656, per Appendix III and General Note 2(a) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) Import Policy.

Are infant food preparations containing milk from China permitted under this HSN?

No. Import of milk and milk-based food preparations, including infant food, from China is prohibited until port-entry laboratory capacity for melamine testing is suitably upgraded, per DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019.

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