Potassium metabisulphite

Potassium metabisulphite, inorganic sulphite food preservative

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 2832 20 10 (Potassium metabisulphite) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including compliance with the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) classifies this tariff line under the ITC (HS) policy with food-import entry-point restrictions under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Circular 23/2023-Cus mandates additional Chapter 28 qualifiers in the import declaration with effect from 15 October 2023.

What this is

HSN code

2832 20 10

Chapter

28 · Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Import Regulations, 2017)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Certificate of Analysis from supplier
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

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 a current FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) before filing the bill of entry and upload it in e-Sanchit. Also upload the Certificate of Analysis (document code 0010dc), the label of the consignment (document code 0110dc), and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) before customs out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
2
Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Any labelling deficiency permitted to be rectified under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 must be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse using a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I, 2022
3
Include the mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 28 commodities in the import declaration as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. This requirement has been operative from 15 October 2023 and applies to all import declarations for HSNs under Chapter 28; non-compliance renders the declaration deficient at the bill-of-entry stage.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is overlooking the Chapter 28 mandatory additional qualifiers introduced by CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus from 15 October 2023. Importers who file the FSSAI documents correctly but omit the prescribed chemical-identity qualifiers in the import declaration face a deficient bill of entry, triggering examination and potential detention. The qualifier obligation is separate from and cumulative with the FSSAI food-safety clearance and labelling-rectification regime.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2832 20 10 require BIS certification?

No, potassium metabisulphite falls outside 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 CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus Chapter 28 qualifier obligations applying additionally.

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

The mandatory document codes are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Certificate of Analysis (0010dc), label of consignment (0110dc), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS); all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the customs officer grants out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified after the consignment arrives at port?

Yes, but only for the specific labelling elements permitted under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus rectification dispensation; rectification must be completed at a customs bonded warehouse using a non-detachable sticker before re-inspection by the authorised officer.

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