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India – Export requirements for Infant food

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  1. Eligible/ineligible product
  2. Pre-export approvals by the competent authority of the importing country
  3. Production controls and inspection requirements
  4. Labelling, packaging and marking requirements
  5. Required documents
  6. Other information

1. Eligible/ineligible product

Eligible

Infant food is defined in The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 1992 as any food (by whatever name called) being marketed or otherwise represented as a complement to mother’s milk to meet the growing nutritional needs of the infant [after the age of six months and up to the age of two years].

It is recommended that you work with your importer to confirm that the products being exported are eligible for entry into India.

Ineligible

2. Pre-export approvals by the competent authority of the importing country

Establishments

In order to export food supplements to India, establishments must appear on India's registration list of food manufacturers approved to export to India. This list is administered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

To add, update or remove a processing establishment on the list of Canadian establishments approved for export food supplements to India, please contact your local Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) office to initiate the request in writing and include the following information:

The inspector will submit the request following the Operational procedure: Procedure for maintaining food export eligibility lists.

Note: by submitting a written request to the CFIA for addition of an establishment to an export eligibility list, the licence holder acknowledges that the products intended for export meet the requirements of the importing country. The licence holder consents to the publication of establishment information on the CFIA's and/or the foreign competent authority's public website.

Products

Manufacturers wishing to export to India must also register their products by providing the name  and HS Code of products. See above the section related to the registration of establishments. Furthermore, India Food Safety and Standards (Health supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for special dietary use, Food for special medical purpose, Functional food and Novel food) Regulation 2016 provides information on the type of products.

3. Production controls and inspection requirements

The manufacturer of food supplements must be licensed under the Safe Food for Canadian Regulations (SFCR).

The establishment must be aware of the standards and requirements of the importing country and has a specific export procedure in place. Please consult the link to Food Safety and Standards Regulations.

4. Labelling, packaging and marking requirements

It is the exporter's responsibility to meet all the requirements for labelling, packaging and marking requirements as per the importing country.

5. Required documents

Certificate

For the moment, India has not provided any information regarding the need to have a certificate that accompanies a shipment of food supplements.

An import permit issued by the competent authority in India could be required and may contain specific import conditions. If this is the case, please provide the import permit to your local CFIA office who will forward it to the Food Import and Export Division (FIED) for review and action if necessary.

Note: export certificates cannot be issued for products that have left Canada. It is the responsibility of the exporter to ensure whether the exported products must be accompanied by a health certificate.

6. Other information

Samples (personal or commercial) may be subject to the same requirements as a regular shipment. It is strongly recommended that the exporter verify these requirements with their importer. Furthermore, ports of entry into the Indian territory have been identified by the competent authority according to the risk associated with the imported products.

Relevant links

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