Customs clearance procedure for clearance of import consignments of non-perishable food items through Land Customs Stations in the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), NER, Shillong - Customs - FACILITY No. 09/2010

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS (PREVENTIVE) NORTH EASTERN REGION CUSTOM HOUSE, 110 M. G. ROAD, SHILLONG - 793001 C. No. VIII(29)01/CUS/2001/2418-23(A) Dated: 06.12.2010 FACILITY No. 09/2010 Subject: Customs clearance procedure for clearance of import consignments of non-perishable food items through Land Customs Stations in the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), NER, Shillong Attention of all concerned is drawn to this Commissionerate Facility No. 04/2010 dated 1205.2010 on the above subject. In addition to the procedures as laid down by aforementioned Facility, the following procedures may also be followed. (1) In respect of consignments of high risk food items and perishable items like fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, etc., samples would be drawn and tested as per the instructions contained in Circular No. 58/2001-Cus dated 25.10.01. High risk food items requiring 100% sampling are Edible Oils and Fats in any form, Pulses and Pulses products, Cereals and Cereal Products, Milk powders, Condensed Milks, Infant Milk Food, Milk Cereal Base Weaning Foods, Infant Formulae, Food Colours, Food Additives, Natural Mineral Water, Packaged Drinking Water, Tea Coffee and Cocoa butter equivalent or Substitutes. (2) In respect of food items not covered under (1) above, the following procedures would be adopted. (i) Samples would be drawn from the first five consecutive consignments of each food item, manufactured/exported by individual manufacturer/exporter and referred to Port Health Officer (PHOs) or the designated Public Health Laboratory for testing to ascertain the quality and the health safety standards of the consignments; (ii) In the event of the samples conforming to the prescribed standards, the Customs would switch to a system of checking 5%-20% of the consignments of these food items on a random basis, for checking conformity to the prescribed standards; (iii) The selection of food items for random checking and testing would be done by the Assistant Commissioners / Deputy Commissioners of Customs taking into consideration factors like the nature of the food products, its source of origin as well as the track record of the manufacturers and the importers; (iv) In case a sample drawn from a food item from a particular manufacturer/exporter fails to meet the prescribed standards, the Customs would place the said food item from the concerned manufacturer/exporter on alert, discontinue random checking for import of such food items from the concerned manufacturer/exporter and revert to the procedure of compulsory checking. The system of random checking for impon of such food items would be restored only if the test results of the samples drawn from the five consecutive consignments re-establish that the food items are in conformity with the prescribed standards; (v) The Customs shall also develop and maintain a database regarding the food items imported, its manufacturers/exporters and the test results, which would be periodically shared with the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Health Family Welfare; and (vi) Customs Officers in the Land Customs Stations must invariably ensure that the import consignments are brought into the designated examination area of the concerned LCSs before a food sample is drawn under the physical supervision of officers, as per the prescribed procedure, for laboratory testing, etc. A close watch should be maintained on such consignments before their release. Accordingly, Facility No. 04/2010 dated 12.05.2010 should be read as amended to above extent. [S.R. BARUAH] Commissioner