Buyer Wants a Health Certificate for Your Culture Media? India Finally Has an Official Route

By Pratham Agarwal, Rasp International. Reviewed against Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Notification No. 44/2026-27 dated 12 October 2026. Verified as on 13 October 2026.

The short answer, before anything else

Export of prepared culture media under ITC(HS) 38210000 is still free from India. ITC(HS) is the Indian Trade Classification code list based on the Harmonised System. But since DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 dated 12 October 2026, if your buyer’s country asks for a health certificate, there is now an official route. CAPEXIL (Chemicals and Allied Products Export Promotion Council) issues a Shipment Clearance Certificate before each shipment. After shipment, CAPEXIL and the Regional Animal Quarantine Officer jointly issue a Health Certificate.

The rule that decides everything: does the importing country insist on these certificates? If yes, you follow the CAPEXIL procedure for every consignment. If no, you export freely as before.

Why we are writing this

Before 12 October 2026, an Indian culture media exporter whose buyer demanded a health certificate had no notified Indian authority to issue one. The “Effect of this Notification” paragraph of DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 says the amendment was made to enable issuance of these two certificates. In plain words: until now, the door did not exist. Orders could be lost at the buyer’s border, not because of quality, but because of paperwork.

Fact checked against DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 dated 12 October 2026, File No. EC NC/13/2026-Export Cell-E47446. Last regulatory review: October 2026.

Rasp International is a DGFT and EXIM (export and import) advisory firm. We read every DGFT notification the day it comes out, and we have handled export documentation for 500 plus exporters. This one is small in size but big for a niche industry, so we wrote the full guide.

What is Notification 44/2026-27 on culture media exports

DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 is an amendment to India’s export policy that creates a certificate route for prepared culture media exports under ITC(HS) 38210000. It was issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Foreign Trade Policy 2023, signed by Director General of Foreign Trade Lav Agarwal, and it amends Chapter 38 of Schedule II (Export Policy) of ITC(HS) 2022.

Prepared culture media is a ready made nutrient mix in which scientists grow bacteria, viruses, fungi or cells. Labs, hospitals, food testing units, pharma quality control teams and vaccine makers use it every day. Many culture media products contain animal origin ingredients, such as meat extracts, peptones (broken down proteins), blood or serum. That is why many importing countries treat them like animal by products and ask for veterinary style health papers.

Two bodies run this procedure:

• CAPEXIL is the Chemicals and Allied Products Export Promotion Council, set up by the Ministry of Commerce. It already issues similar certificates for animal by products such as feathers and gelatin capsules.
• The Regional Animal Quarantine Officer is the government officer who certifies animal health related exports. The notification names the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

What the two culture media export certificates contain

Culture media exporters now deal with two documents: one before shipment and one after shipment. The Shipment Clearance Certificate is issued by CAPEXIL for each consignment. The Health Certificate is issued after shipment, jointly by CAPEXIL and the Regional Animal Quarantine Officer, wherever the importing country requires it.

The table below lists every field the notification asks for, where that data comes from in your own file and the mismatch we expect to cause delays. Most certificate rejections in export work come from one field not matching another document, so fill this table before you apply.

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What changed for culture media exports, old versus new

The export policy of culture media did not change. It is still Free. What changed is that India now has a named authority and a written process for two certificates that some importing countries demand.

This is the fourth product in the same family. DGFT has used the same CAPEXIL model before. Notification No. 90 (RE-2010)/2009-2014 dated 15 December 2011 used it for empty gelatin capsules to the European Union (EU). Notification No. 34/2015-20 dated 13 January 2017 used it for buffalo hides and dog chews to the EU. Notification No. 08/2026-27 dated 10 April 2026 used it for feathers and skins in line with EU and UK norms. Notification No. 44/2026-27 is different in one way: it is not tied to one region. It applies to any importing country that insists.

What most people will get wrong about Notification 44/2026-27

Mistake 1: “Culture media exports are now restricted.” Wrong. The export policy column in Notification No. 44/2026-27 still says Free. The certificate procedure applies only “if importing country insists”. Do not stop shipments to countries that never asked for these papers.

Mistake 2: “The procedure is optional, so I can skip it.” Also wrong, in practice. The notification says the procedure “may be followed”. But the Health Certificate “shall be issued” jointly wherever the importing country requires it. If your buyer’s country requires it, skipping it means your goods may not clear at destination.

One wording point to check. The notification names the “Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare”. Today, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying sits under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. DGFT’s own Notification No. 08/2026-27 uses “Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying”. When you write to the quarantine office, use the current name and quote the notification number.

How to verify: download Notification No. 44/2026-27 from the DGFT website. Ask CAPEXIL in writing which documents it needs for a culture media Shipment Clearance Certificate and how to get a Plant Approval Number. Keep that reply in your export file.

Who should use the CAPEXIL culture media procedure

Who qualifies

• Any exporter with a valid Importer Exporter Code (IEC), the 10 digit code every exporter in India needs.
• Exporting goods correctly classified under ITC(HS) 38210000: prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro organisms (including viruses and the like) or of plant, human or animal cells.
• Shipping to a country that insists on a Shipment Clearance Certificate and a Health Certificate.
• With a registered plant that has a Plant Approval Number to print on the certificate (Notification 44/2026-27, condition (i)).

Who does NOT need this procedure

• Exporters shipping to countries that do not ask for these certificates. Export stays free with no extra step.
• Exporters of products under a different HS code. Diagnostic reagents, culture media kits classified elsewhere and lab chemicals under other headings are not covered by this notification. Classification decides.
• Exporters who only need a Certificate of Origin. A Certificate of Origin proves where goods are made. It is not a health certificate and does not replace one.

Edge cases culture media exporters will hit

Edge case 1: the merchant exporter. A trading company buys culture media from a manufacturer and exports it under its own IEC. The Shipment Clearance Certificate asks for the exporter’s IEC and the address of the registered plant with its Plant Approval Number. The trader’s IEC and the manufacturer’s plant details must both be correct on one certificate. Get the manufacturer’s approval number and plant address in writing before you apply.

Edge case 2: animal free media. A maker exports animal component free media. Notification No. 44/2026-27 does not separate animal free media from other culture media. It applies to the HS code whenever the importing country insists. If your buyer’s country waives the health certificate for animal free products, get that waiver in writing from the buyer.

Edge case 3: the rolled over shipment. The Health Certificate must show the vessel name and date of departure (Notification 44/2026-27, condition (ii)). If the cargo rolls over to the next vessel, the details you planned are now wrong. Apply for the Health Certificate only after you have the final bill of lading or airway bill.

Edge case 4: a split consignment. One order ships in two parts. Both certificates are issued consignment wise. Two shipments mean two Shipment Clearance Certificates and two Health Certificates, each matching its own invoice.

How to get CAPEXIL certificates for culture media, stage by stage

Stage 1: Before you apply

• Get the importing country’s requirement in writing from your buyer: the exact certificate format, wording and any veterinary conditions.
• Check that your IEC details on the DGFT portal match your current legal name and address.
• Confirm your product is correctly classified under ITC(HS) 38210000.
• Get a Plant Approval Number for your manufacturing unit. Ask CAPEXIL how to get one for culture media. The notification requires the number but does not set out the approval process.
• Prepare a product file: specification sheet, list of ingredients with animal origin inputs marked, certificate of analysis and packaging details.

Stage 2: Shipment Clearance Certificate, before shipment

• Apply to CAPEXIL for each consignment.
• Give the 11 details named in condition (i): exporter name, exporter address, registered plant address, IEC, Plant Approval Number, nature of product, quantity, invoice number, invoice date, port of loading and destination.
• Use the final commercial invoice, not a proforma.
• Do not let the cargo leave until you hold this certificate.

Stage 3: Health Certificate, after shipment

• Once the shipment is made, apply for the Health Certificate. It is issued jointly by CAPEXIL and the Regional Animal Quarantine Officer.
• Give product details, HS code, packaging, origin, destination, vessel name, date of departure and the health requirements of the importing country.
• Send the certificate to your buyer, consignment wise, as condition (ii) requires.

The lapse penalty and the irreversible mistake

Notification No. 44/2026-27 sets no fixed deadline for the Health Certificate. The real deadline is your buyer’s customs: goods may be held, refused or sent back at destination if the certificate is missing.

The one mistake you cannot undo: shipping without the Shipment Clearance Certificate. The notification describes it as a certificate issued consignment wise, and the Health Certificate is issued only “after the shipment is made”. A clearance certificate is meant to come before the cargo leaves. Plan the Shipment Clearance Certificate into your dispatch date.

The fast track

There is no notified fast track as on 13 October 2026. The fastest route is a clean file: buyer’s requirement in writing, Plant Approval Number in hand and every field in the table above matching across all your documents.

Who exports culture media: six real world cases

Microbiology media makers. They sell dehydrated media and ready poured plates to labs abroad. Document involved: Shipment Clearance Certificate and Health Certificate where the buyer’s country asks. Pitfall: listing peptone or meat extract inputs only as a brand name, so the quarantine officer cannot see the animal origin.

Cell culture media makers. They supply media for growing human or animal cells to biotech and vaccine units. Document involved: Health Certificate with clear ingredient origin. Pitfall: serum based products face the strictest questions from importing countries. Collect the buyer’s veterinary conditions early.

Diagnostic kit makers. Some kits include culture media. Document involved: correct HS classification first. Pitfall: if the full kit is classified under another heading, this notification may not apply. Check classification before you assume.

Food and water testing suppliers. They ship media used to test food safety. Document involved: Shipment Clearance Certificate. Pitfall: different buyers in the same country may ask for different papers. Base the plan on the country’s rule, not one buyer’s memory.

Merchant exporters and distributors. They export under their own IEC. Document involved: Shipment Clearance Certificate with the manufacturer’s Plant Approval Number. Pitfall: a supplier who will not share plant details. Settle this in the supply agreement.

A cautionary tale (illustrative composite, not a real client). A small media maker got a first order from a new buyer abroad. The buyer’s email mentioned a “health certificate”. The exporter shipped first, planning to arrange papers later. After loading, the exporter found that the Shipment Clearance Certificate needed a Plant Approval Number the unit did not have. With no clearance certificate issued before dispatch, there was no clean base for the Health Certificate. The goods sat at the buyer’s port. The point of no return was the day the cargo left without the first certificate.

How Rasp International handles culture media export certification: our 7 step method

1. Buyer requirement check. We get the importing country’s exact rule in writing. This tells us if you need the procedure at all.
2. Classification check. We confirm the product sits under ITC(HS) 38210000. Wrong code, wrong rules.
3. Plant approval support. We work with you and CAPEXIL on the Plant Approval Number. Without it, the first certificate cannot be issued.
4. Document match. We line up IEC, invoice, packing list and shipping bill field by field, using the 19 row table above.
5. Shipment Clearance Certificate filing. We file with CAPEXIL before dispatch and track it to issue.
6. Health Certificate coordination. We coordinate CAPEXIL and the Regional Animal Quarantine Officer after shipment, with final vessel and departure details.
7. Record and repeat. We keep a certified template for each buyer country, so every repeat shipment moves faster. This is where the real time saving comes from.

First certified culture media shipment coming up?
Send us your product, buyer country and dispatch date on WhatsApp. We will map the paperwork in one reply.
Or see our EXIM licences and registrations service.

What Notification 44/2026-27 will not do for you

1. It will not make every country accept your goods. The notification gives you an Indian certificate. Whether the importing country accepts it depends on that country’s own rules and format.

2. It will not give you a Plant Approval Number. The notification requires the number on the certificate. It does not set out how a culture media plant gets one. You must take that up with CAPEXIL.

3. It will not change your export incentives. Notification No. 44/2026-27 changes only the certificate route. RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products), duty drawback and GST (Goods and Services Tax) refund rules for culture media stay as they are.

Culture media export FAQs

Is export of culture media free from India?

Yes. Export of prepared culture media under ITC(HS) 38210000 is “Free” under Schedule II of ITC(HS) 2022. DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 dated 12 October 2026 kept the policy Free. It only added a certificate procedure for shipments where the importing country insists on a Shipment Clearance Certificate and a Health Certificate.

What is HS code 38210000?

ITC(HS) 38210000 is the Indian trade code for prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro organisms, including viruses and the like, or of plant, human or animal cells. It sits in Chapter 38 of ITC(HS) 2022. DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 amended its export policy condition.

What is Notification 44/2026-27 about?

DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 dated 12 October 2026 amends the export policy of prepared culture media under ITC(HS) 38210000. Export stays free. If the importing country insists, CAPEXIL issues a Shipment Clearance Certificate before shipment, and CAPEXIL with the Regional Animal Quarantine Officer issues a Health Certificate after shipment.

Do I need a CAPEXIL certificate to export culture media?

Only if the importing country insists on it. Under DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27, export of culture media is free. The CAPEXIL Shipment Clearance Certificate and the joint Health Certificate are needed when the buyer’s country requires or mandates them. Get the buyer’s country requirement in writing before each new market.

What is a Shipment Clearance Certificate from CAPEXIL?

A Shipment Clearance Certificate is a consignment wise certificate issued by CAPEXIL before export. For culture media, DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 says it must show the exporter’s name and address, registered plant address, IEC, Plant Approval Number, product, quantity, invoice number and date, port of loading and destination.

Who issues the health certificate for culture media export?

The Health Certificate for culture media exports is issued jointly by CAPEXIL and the Regional Animal Quarantine Officer, as per DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27, condition (iii). It is issued only where the importing country requires or mandates it. The exporter gives it to the buyer, consignment wise.

When does the importing country need a health certificate for culture media?

It depends on that country’s import rules, often because many culture media contain animal origin ingredients such as peptones, meat extracts or serum. Notification No. 44/2026-27 does not list countries. Ask your buyer for the exact certificate format and conditions in writing before your first shipment.

What details go into the culture media health certificate?

Under DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27, condition (ii), the Health Certificate gives product details with HS code, packaging, origin, destination, vessel name, date of departure and the health requirements of the importing country. Because it needs the vessel name and departure date, it is issued after the shipment is made.

What is a plant approval number for CAPEXIL?

A Plant Approval Number is the approval reference of the registered plant where the goods are made. DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 requires it on the Shipment Clearance Certificate. The notification does not explain how culture media plants get one, so ask CAPEXIL in writing before your first certified shipment.

Is the health certificate issued before or after shipment?

After shipment. DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27, condition (ii), says the exporter provides the Health Certificate to the buyer after the shipment is made. The Shipment Clearance Certificate comes first, consignment wise, before the cargo leaves. Plan both into your dispatch timeline.

Does this rule apply to animal free culture media?

Notification No. 44/2026-27 does not separate animal free media from other culture media. It applies to ITC(HS) 38210000 whenever the importing country insists on the certificates. If the buyer’s country exempts animal free products, get that exemption in writing from the buyer and keep it in your export file.

Do I need RCMC from CAPEXIL to get these certificates?

Notification No. 44/2026-27 does not say. A Registration cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) is the membership certificate an Export Promotion Council issues. Many council services are linked to membership. Not verified as on 13 October 2026: ask CAPEXIL directly whether RCMC is needed before you apply.

Can I still claim RoDTEP or drawback on culture media exports?

Yes, if your product is otherwise eligible. Notification No. 44/2026-27 changes only the certificate route. It does not change RoDTEP, duty drawback or GST refund rules. Check the current RoDTEP rate for 38210000 in Appendix 4R on the DGFT portal before you price your next order.

What happens if I ship culture media without the certificate the buyer needs?

Export from India is still allowed, because the policy is Free. The risk sits at destination. The importing country’s customs may hold, refuse or return goods without the Health Certificate it requires. In our reading, a clearance certificate that should have come before dispatch is hard to fix after the cargo has left.

Do I need a consultant for CAPEXIL certification of culture media?

No, the law does not require one. Any IEC holder can apply to CAPEXIL directly. A consultant helps on the first shipment to a new country: getting the buyer’s rule in writing, sorting the Plant Approval Number and matching every field. Rasp International offers a free first consultation on WhatsApp.

Your culture media export checklist for this week

1. Ask every active overseas buyer whether their country needs a Shipment Clearance Certificate or a Health Certificate for culture media.
2. Write to CAPEXIL asking how your plant gets a Plant Approval Number for culture media.
3. Check that your IEC name and address on the DGFT portal match your invoices.
4. List every animal origin ingredient in your top selling products, with supplier and origin country.

About Rasp International

Rasp International is an ISO 9001:2015 certified EXIM and DGFT advisory firm. The team has served 500 plus exporters. We handle DGFT licensing, export certificates, export incentives, customs compliance and buyer development.

Need help with CAPEXIL certificates or your first export to a regulated market? Message us on WhatsApp for a free first consultation, or see our DGFT consultant services.

Sources

Tier 1: Government documents

• DGFT Notification No. 44/2026-27 dated 12 October 2026, “Amendment in Export Policy of Prepared Culture Media”. File No. EC NC/13/2026-Export Cell-E47446. (Verified from the signed DGFT copy. Check the DGFT notifications page for the public link.)
• DGFT Notification No. 08/2026-27 dated 10 April 2026, export policy of feathers and skins. (DGFT notifications page)
• DGFT Notification No. 34/2015-20 dated 13 January 2017, export of certain animal by products to the EU. (DGFT notifications page)
• DGFT Notification No. 90 (RE-2010)/2009-2014 dated 15 December 2011, export of empty gelatin capsules to the EU. (DGFT PDF)
• Foreign Trade Policy 2023, Paras 1.02 and 2.01. Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, Sections 3 and 5. (DGFT website)

Tier 2: Export Promotion Council

• CAPEXIL, Chemicals and Allied Products Export Promotion Council. (capexil.org)

Related reading

This article is general guidance. Rules change often. Verify every point against the current DGFT notification and your buyer’s country rules before you act.

Not sure what papers your buyer’s country needs? Send us your product and destination on WhatsApp and we will tell you in one reply.

• What is RCMC and why Indian exporters need it
• RoDTEP rates 2026 and how to check yours
• Certificate of Origin for Indian exporters
• Export documentation checklist