Synthetic vinegar

Synthetic vinegar and acetic acid substitutes for vinegar

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 2209 00 20 (Synthetic vinegar) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Consignments must enter through designated food-import ports in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, as administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and enforced by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

What this is

HSN code

2209 00 20

Chapter

22 · Beverages, spirits and vinegar

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Port-compliance 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 an FSSAI Import Licence before shipment and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 at the bill of entry stage. A Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit; the customs proper officer will verify both documents 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 through a designated food-import entry point as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Consignments arriving at a non-designated port are liable to detention and refusal of out-of-charge until redirected to a compliant entry point.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
3
Any labelling deficiencies identified at port — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date-of-expiry information — may be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, without altering original label information, before visual inspection by the authorised FSSAI officer.
FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating label deficiencies as a post-arrival administrative matter and arriving at port without the Specimen Copy of Label uploaded in e-Sanchit. An FSSAI Import Licence (911001) uploaded without the corresponding label specimen (0110FS) triggers the same out-of-charge refusal as a missing licence entirely; the rectification dispensation under the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 applies only to specific categories of labelling information and does not cure an absent e-Sanchit upload.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2209 00 20 require BIS certification?

No, synthetic vinegar is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with FSSAI Import Licence and labelling compliance as the operative requirements at the bill of entry.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted?

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit; the customs proper officer verifies these before granting out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected at the port for synthetic vinegar consignments?

Yes, but only for the specific categories of labelling information listed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs — such as per-serve dietary allowance percentages and expiry date additions — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before FSSAI authorised-officer inspection, without altering original label content.

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