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Food colours other than synthetic

Food colours of vegetable or animal origin (non-synthetic)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 3203 00 20 (Food colours other than synthetic) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy mandates designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus imposes mandatory Chapter 32 additional qualifiers in the import declaration effective 15 October 2023.

What this is
HSN code
3203 00 20
Chapter
32 · Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments, paints and varnishes
Primary regulator
FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (food-colour import regime)
Customs documentation
  • Import Licence from FSSAI
  • Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
  • Chapter 32 qualifiers from 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. 1
    Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until both documents are verified in e-Sanchit on PGA-facilitated bills.
    CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023; FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
  2. 2
    Ensure the import declaration includes mandatory additional qualifiers for Chapter 32 commodities as stipulated in Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus, effective 15 October 2023. Declarations filed without these qualifiers are liable to detention at the bill-of-entry stage.
    CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023
  3. 3
    Route the consignment through a designated food-import entry point per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Where labelling deficiencies exist, rectification — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before FSSAI visual inspection.
    General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) 2022; CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022; FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is overlooking the Chapter 32 mandatory additional qualifiers requirement introduced by CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus: importers who file a bill of entry without those qualifiers face detention and amendment delays even when the FSSAI Import Licence and label copy are already uploaded. Separately, label rectification at port is permitted only for the specified deficiencies and only by affixing a non-detachable sticker without altering the original label; any alteration beyond the permitted list triggers re-inspection rather than clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 3203 00 20 require BIS certification?
No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers food colours of vegetable or animal origin. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 as the operative framework at the bill-of-entry stage.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?
The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) are both mandatory and must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge; the customs proper officer will verify both on PGA-facilitated bills.
What are the Chapter 32 additional qualifiers required by CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus?
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30 September 2023 requires mandatory additional qualifiers in import declarations for commodities under Chapters 28, 29, 32, 39 and CTH 3808 as set out in Paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, effective 15 October 2023; the specific qualifier fields must be populated in the bill of entry at the time of filing.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 32 · Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments, paints and varnishesHSNCOLOURING MATTER OF VEGETABLE OR ANIMAL ORIGIN (INCLUDING DYEING EXTRACTS BUT EXCLUDING ANIMAL BLACK), WHETHER OR NOT CHEMICALLY DEFINED; PREPARA-TIONS AS SPECIFIED IN NOTE 3 TO THIS CHAPTER BASED ON COLOURING MATTER OF VEGETABLE OR ANIMAL ORIGINHSNColouring matter of vegetable or animal origin (including dyeing extracts but excluding animal black), whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in Note 3 to this Chapter based on colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin: