Yellow 4 (tartrazine)

Tartrazine (Yellow 4) synthetic organic food colouring

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 3204 19 82 (Yellow 4 / tartrazine) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as tartrazine is a regulated food colour. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) administers the ITC (HS) import policy for this tariff line, and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Circular 23/2023-Cus mandates additional chemical-qualifier declarations in the import entry effective 15 October 2023.

What this is

HSN code

3204 19 82

Chapter

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

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Chapter 32 qualifiers declaration 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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and ensure a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) is prepared in conformity with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Both documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed and out-of-charge is granted.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus 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
Include the mandatory additional chemical qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 32 commodities, as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus. This requirement is operative with effect from 15 October 2023 and applies to all import entries for HSN 3204 19 82.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paras 4.1 and 4.2
3
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 identified at the port may be rectified at a customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker, without altering the original label, before the authorised officer's inspection.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022, para 2(i)

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating tartrazine as a generic industrial dye and neglecting the FSSAI food-colour registration pathway. Because this 8-digit CTI is specifically denominated as a food-permitted colour, customs officers verify the FSSAI Import Licence against the food-colour category — an industrial-dye-category licence does not satisfy the requirement. Separately, the Chapter 32 qualifier mandate under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus is a bill-of-entry-level obligation independent of the FSSAI clearance; omission triggers hold at the assessment stage before the FSSAI NOC routing even begins.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3204 19 82 require BIS certification?

No, tartrazine (Yellow 4) is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with an FSSAI Import Licence and labelling compliance as the operative requirements at the bill of entry.

What are the mandatory e-Sanchit document codes for this tariff line?

The Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit; the customs proper officer verifies these uploads before granting out-of-charge on PGA-facilitated bills.

Can labelling deficiencies for tartrazine consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only within the scope defined in CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022: rectification is limited to specified particulars, must be carried out at a customs bonded warehouse before inspection, and requires a single non-detachable sticker affixed without altering the original label.

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