India: FSSAI Extends the Validity of No-objection Certificates for Imported Alcoholic Beverages

On November 9, 2021, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a directive clarifying that all imported consignments of alcoholic beverages bottled in origin and in bulk, containing more than ten percent alcohol with no expiry date will be issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) with a validity of 300 days. The NOC will be issued according to Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Import Regulations 2017 and may be revalidated based on visual inspection if the consignment is at the port beyond 300 days. On November 24, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs issued standing instructions to all customs officials based on the FSSAI directive.