Yellow 3 (sunset yellow)

Sunset yellow synthetic organic food colouring matter

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 3204 19 81 (Yellow 3 / Sunset Yellow) 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. Import is restricted to designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Mandatory Chapter 32 additional qualifiers in the import declaration are required under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus with effect from 15 October 2023.

What this is

HSN code

3204 19 81

Chapter

32 · Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments, paints and varnishes

Primary regulator

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

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
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence and ensure it is uploaded in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. Separately upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS); both documents must be present in e-Sanchit before the customs proper officer grants 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
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point and 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. These chemical-identity qualifiers are mandatory with effect from 15 October 2023 and a declaration lacking them is liable to detention.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023; General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
3
Confirm label compliance with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 before shipment. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and date of expiry alongside best-before date — may be corrected at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, provided the correction is made by the manufacturer and verified by the authorised officer before visual inspection.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022; FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022; CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The overlooked trap on this tariff line is the mandatory Chapter 32 additional qualifiers requirement: importers familiar with the FSSAI licence and label-upload workflow routinely omit the chemical-identity qualifiers in the import declaration that CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus mandates for all Chapter 32 commodities from 15 October 2023. A declaration filed without compliant qualifiers under paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 triggers reassessment and potential detention — a deficiency that cannot be remedied by the rectifiable-labelling dispensation, which applies only to label stickering, not to declaration data.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3204 19 81 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers synthetic organic food colouring matter. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with CBIC policy overlays on designated entry points and mandatory Chapter 32 declaration qualifiers.

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) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit; the customs proper officer is required to verify their presence before granting out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected at the port of import for this product?

Yes, but only for the specific rectifiable items listed under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus — including per-serve dietary allowance data and expiry date placement — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs bonded warehouse before authorised-officer inspection; missing FSSAI clearance documents cannot be remedied through the rectifiable-labelling route.

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