Gelatin, edible grade and not elsewhere specified or included

Edible-grade gelatin and gelatin derivatives of animal origin

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE · +1 OTHER PGAS

HSN 3503 00 20 (Edible-grade gelatin) 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 FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) veterinary health certification and laboratory analysis apply concurrently, and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) clearance is required where the gelatin is derived from CITES-listed or Wildlife Protection Act, 1972-regulated species.

What this is

HSN code

3503 00 20

Chapter

35 · Albuminoidal substances; modified starches; glues; enzymes

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (edible food ingredient regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Veterinary Health Certificate from AQCS
Certificate of Analysis from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime 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
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Any labelling deficiencies permissible under Regulation 6 of the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and the FSSAI orders dated 22-05-2018 and 14-01-2019 — including per-serve RDA percentages and expiry/best-before alignment — may be rectified at the port by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs-bonded warehouse before authorised-officer inspection.
FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020
2
Upload the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) and the Laboratory Report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit. These documents are mandatory for AQCS clearance per the CTI listings in Annexure A of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
3
Confirm the species source of the gelatin against the schedules of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and CITES Appendices before import. Where the source species is listed, obtain WCCB clearance and ensure import entry is through a port permitted under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 for designated food-import entry points.
ITC (HS) Import Policy — free subject to Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and CITES · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating edible gelatin as a straightforward free-import food ingredient and overlooking the WCCB and CITES overlay triggered by the species of origin — bovine-hide gelatin carries no wildlife concern, but gelatin derived from shark, sturgeon, or other scheduled species attracts Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 enforcement and potential confiscation independent of FSSAI clearance. Verify the source-species declaration in the Certificate of Analysis before purchase order placement, not at the port of entry.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3503 00 20 require BIS certification?

No, edible-grade gelatin falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services veterinary clearance and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau oversight where CITES-listed species are involved.

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

Four documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1), and Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1) — with the AQCS documents anchored to the Annexure A CTI listings of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported edible gelatin be corrected at the port?

Yes, but only for the specific deficiencies listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 — namely per-serve RDA percentage declarations and expiry/best-before date alignment — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs-bonded warehouse before authorised-officer inspection; structural labelling non-compliance cannot be rectified at port.

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