Protein concentrates and textured protein substances

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 2106 10 00 (Protein concentrates and textured protein substances) 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. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) veterinary health certificate and laboratory analysis overlays apply concurrently, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

2106 10 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
Veterinary Health Certificate from AQCS
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food registration scheme. 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.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Upload the veterinary health certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) and the laboratory report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit. Both documents are mandatory for CTIs listed in Annexure A of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and must be present before out-of-charge.
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 exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Note that imports of milk-based food preparations from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 until port-laboratory capacity for melamine testing is upgraded.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019

A word of counsel

Protein concentrates and textured protein substances frequently contain milk solids, whey fractions, or animal-derived ingredients, triggering the AQCS veterinary overlay in addition to the FSSAI food-safety clearance — importers who treat the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole pre-clearance document find consignments detained for a missing veterinary health certificate (853AQ1) or Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1). Where the product formulation includes any milk or milk-solid component and the exporting country is China, the DGFT prohibition under Notification 01/2015-20 applies and the consignment is liable to re-export or confiscation, not merely inspection.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2106 10 00 require BIS certification?

No, protein concentrates and textured protein substances fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with concurrent AQCS and designated-port requirements.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory for this tariff line at the bill of entry?

The mandatory document codes are 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence), 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label), 6360AQ (Health Certificate), 853AQ1 (Veterinary Health Certificate), and 001AQ1 (Laboratory Report or Certificate of Analysis), per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Does the prohibition on milk-based food preparations from China apply to protein concentrates that contain milk solids?

Yes. DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 prohibits import of food preparations containing milk or milk solids as an ingredient from China until port-laboratory melamine-testing capacity is upgraded; such consignments are not permitted clearance regardless of FSSAI or AQCS document status.

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