Instant tea

Instant tea, tea extracts and concentrates

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 2101 20 10 (Instant tea) 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 through designated food-import entry points 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) oversight at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

2101 20 10

Chapter

21 · Miscellaneous edible preparations

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Food-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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload it in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The customs proper officer will verify that document code 911001 is present and the licence is current before granting out-of-charge; a missing or expired licence will result in detention of the consignment.
FSSAI Import Licence · document code 911001 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit. Labels must comply with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020; permitted port-of-entry rectifications are limited to per-serve RDA percentage contributions and date-of-expiry additions, applied via a single non-detachable sticker on the principal display panel, verified by the authorised officer.
FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Non-designated-port arrival constitutes an ITC (HS) policy violation; customs will not grant out-of-charge pending resolution.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the rectifiable-labelling dispensation as a general licence to supply non-compliant labels for correction at port. The dispensation is narrow — only per-serve RDA percentages and date-of-expiry information qualify — and the rectification must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse before visual inspection, by the manufacturer's own declaration for date-of-expiry entries. Labels missing mandatory FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 information beyond these items cannot be rectified at port and attract re-export or confiscation.

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 2101 20 10 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers instant tea or tea extracts and concentrates. 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 and label compliance under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for instant tea at the bill of entry?

Document code 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence) and document code 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label) are both mandatory uploads in e-Sanchit; out-of-charge will not be granted until the proper officer confirms both are present and current.

Can label deficiencies for instant tea be rectified at the port of import?

Only to the limited extent permitted under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 — specifically, per-serve RDA percentage contributions and date-of-expiry information added via a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before inspection. All other labelling shortfalls render the consignment liable to detention, re-export, or confiscation.

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