ICE CREAM AND OTHER EDIBLE ICE, WHETHER OR NOT CONTAINING COCOA

Ice cream and other edible ice, with or without cocoa

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 2105 00 00 (Ice cream and other edible ice) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as a high-risk dairy-containing food product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023. Imports of milk-based food preparations originating from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23 April 2019 pending laboratory-capacity upgrades at ports of entry.

What this is

HSN code

2105 00 00

Chapter

21 · Miscellaneous edible preparations

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk 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 the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory foreign-manufacturing-facility registration scheme for high-risk food categories. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is given out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
2
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and upload the Veterinary Health Certificate (document code 853AQ1) and laboratory reports or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and verify the country of origin: imports of milk-based food preparations from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 until laboratory capacity at ports of entry is certified as adequate.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating ice cream as a dairy-light processed food and underestimating the AQCS overlay. Because ice cream invariably contains milk solids, it falls squarely within the mandatory foreign-manufacturer-registration requirement and the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit regime; consignments arriving at a non-designated port or without a valid IRN-linked 911DF1 in e-Sanchit will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent, irrespective of whether the FSSAI Import Licence is current. The China-origin prohibition is a hard bar, not a labelling or documentation deficiency that can be rectified post-arrival.

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 2105 00 00 require BIS certification?

No, ice cream and edible ice 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 a concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and a restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.

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

The mandatory uploads are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1), and laboratory reports or Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1), as required under CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Are imports of ice cream from China permitted?

No. Imports of milk-based food preparations, which include ice cream, from China remain prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23 April 2019 until laboratory capacity at all ports of entry has been upgraded for melamine testing; this is not a documentation deficiency that can be waived or rectified post-shipment.

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