Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzaldehyde)

Vanillin, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde aromatic aldehyde

FSSAI CLEARANCE · CIB&RC CLEARANCE · +1 OTHER PGAS

HSN 2912 41 00 (Vanillin) carries a three-track regulatory overlay: the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence governs vanillin imported as a food additive or flavouring under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) registration and import permit applies where vanillin falls under the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968; and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) import-certificate conditions under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985 apply where the substance is scheduled. Mandatory Chapter 29 qualifiers under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus and ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) apply as additional clearance requirements.

What this is

HSN code

2912 41 00

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (food-additive / flavouring use regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Registration and permit from CIB&RC
Chapter 29 qualifiers from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

CIB&RCCIB&RC·Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee

NDPSNDPS·Narcotics Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Where vanillin is imported for food or flavouring use, obtain the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and upload a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 for designated food-import entry points is also mandatory.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022
2
Where the consignment falls under the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968, obtain registration and an import permit from the secretariat of the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee. Import is additionally restricted to notified places under Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971; route the consignment only through those permitted points of entry.
Insecticides Act, 1968 · Rule 45 of the Insecticides Rules, 1971 · ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29
3
Include all mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration as required for Chapter 29 commodities with effect from 15 October 2023. Where the consignment meets NDPS scheduled-substance thresholds, an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 must be obtained before shipment; commercial imports outside the medical and scientific purpose category are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 (para 4.1 and 4.2) · Rule 53 of NDPS Rules, 1985 · ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 · S.O. 227(E) dated 24-03-1992

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating vanillin as a single-track import subject only to the FSSAI regime and overlooking that the identical physical product may simultaneously engage CIB&RC permit requirements if it figures in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968. Use-based classification at the bill of entry does not insulate the importer: if the substance is scheduled, CIB&RC registration is required regardless of declared end-use, and failure to obtain the permit before import exposes the consignment to seizure under the Insecticides Act independently of any FSSAI clearance. The mandatory Chapter 29 qualifiers under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus are a separate customs-declaration obligation that applies to all three regulatory tracks.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2912 41 00 require BIS certification?

No; no BIS Quality Control Order covers vanillin or aromatic aldehydes in Chapter 29. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Import Licence for food-use consignments, with concurrent CIB&RC permit requirements where the substance is scheduled under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and NDPS Rules, 1985 conditions where applicable.

Are mandatory Chapter 29 qualifiers required at the bill-of-entry stage for this HSN?

Yes. CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30 September 2023 requires mandatory additional qualifiers in import declarations for commodities under Chapter 29 with effect from 15 October 2023, as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of that circular.

Does the NDPS import-certificate requirement apply to all vanillin imports?

No; the NDPS import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 applies only where vanillin or a substance co-classified under this CTI is a scheduled NDPS substance — imports for medical and scientific purposes proceed under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, while commercial imports outside that category are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.

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