Fennel seeds specification for export: limits, HS codes and a sheet format

Key takeaways

• FSSAI sets 8 limits for whole fennel and 4 for powder [1].
• Other edible seeds must be absent. That is stricter than for some other seed spices [1].
• Volume swings hard. China took 45,075 tonnes in 2024-25 and 7,368 the year after [6].
• EU lots need an official certificate for ethylene oxide [4].

What are the limits for fennel seeds?

FSSAI clause 2.9.9 covers whole fennel, the dried ripe fruit of Foeniculum vulgare P. Miller var. vulgare [1]:

The clause also sets what must be absent: foreign odour, mustiness, rancidity, mould, insects, rodent contamination, added colouring matter and any harmful substance [1]. For dried and ground spices, Appendix B adds microbiological limits, including Salmonella absent in 25 g [2].

What should you state beyond the limits?

The legal limits only show a lot is legal. Buyers choose between legal lots, so add:

• Volatile oil, as your tested figure with the method. It carries the aroma a buyer pays for.
• Colour, described plainly, with a lot-numbered sample.
• Purity and grain size, if you sell by size or grade.
• Crop year, because colour and aroma change in storage.

Trade names don't replace numbers. If you sell by a grade name your buyer knows, put measurable figures beside it, as our coriander seeds guide shows for Eagle and Scooter.

What are the HS codes for fennel?

Spices Board's ITC (HS) list splits fennel by form and use [3]:

Most food-grade whole fennel would sit under 0909 61 39, but confirm your line with your CHA.

What do export markets add?

The EU keeps fennel on its certificate list. After the June 2026 update, seeds of anise, badian, caraway or fennel from India stay in Annex II for ethylene oxide. Each consignment needs laboratory analysis and an official certificate, and 20% are checked at the border [4]. The limit for fennel seed is 0.10 mg/kg [5]. See our guide to ethylene oxide in Indian spices.

Know where the volume goes. India exported 33,038 tonnes of fennel in 2025-26, down from 76,586 tonnes the year before [6]. Most of that fall came from China:

A swing like that changes prices at home. If you sold heavily into one market, it is worth building buyers in a second one before the next season.

What should a fennel spec sheet include?

Product: Fennel seeds, whole, [grade or size]
Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare P. Miller var. vulgare
Origin: [State, India], crop year [__]
HS code: 0909 61 39 (confirm with your CHA)
Purity: min [__]%
Extraneous matter: max [__]%
Defective seeds: max [__]%
Moisture: max [__]%
Volatile oil: [__]% v/w, dry basis, [method]
Colour: [describe, reference sample lot]
Salmonella: absent in 25 g, [lab, report number]
Ethylene oxide: [result], [lab, report number]
Packing: [bag type, net weight]
Version: [date], Lot: [number]

Don't copy the legal limit onto your sheet. Use a figure your lots actually meet, because a buyer's lab will test your sample against it.

Next step. Before a buyer reads your sheet, they usually check your company. Our free Buyer Check is a 1-page report on your Google listing, website and spec gaps, with the 3 fixes that matter most, within 24 hours.