Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 24: FSSAI has initiated action against five ecommerce platforms over alleged food-claim violations. Listings of prohibited products were also flagged. The move signals stronger regulatory scrutiny of online grocery.
India’s online grocery shelves are now under a sharper regulatory lens. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has initiated penal action against five platforms. They include Amazon, Flipkart India, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket and Zepto.
FSSAI announced the move in a social media post on Wednesday. It called the action part of a drive against non-compliance by online platforms. The regulator flagged alleged misbranding and allegedly misleading food claims. It also cited the sale or display of prohibited or poisonous food articles. The allegations differ by platform and product.
Misleading Food Claims Draw FSSAI Action
The widest action concerns one packaged snack. FSSAI cited allegedly misleading claims about Happilo Premium Date Bites – Zesty Orange. This is the only issue linked to all five platforms. Amazon, Flipkart India, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and BigBasket all face action over it.
The regulator’s concern, as described, relates to claims rather than product safety.
Milky Mist Listings Face Separate Scrutiny
A second case involves only Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket. It concerns three Milky Mist dairy products. These are Fresh Low Fat Cream, Farm Fresh Curd and Greek Yoghurt.
FSSAI alleged misleading claims and non-compliant product information in these listings. The allegations concern claims and information, not contamination. Nor does platform-level action establish any finding against the manufacturer.
Datura Listings Raise a Different Food Safety Issue
The third issue is of a different nature. FSSAI found Amazon Seller Services, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket allegedly non-compliant. The case relates to Datura, also spelt Dhatura, fruits and seeds. It covers their online sale, display or offer for sale.
The regulator linked this to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Displaying a listing is distinct from proving a completed sale.
FSSAI Enforcement Extends Across Online Food Retail
The action is not an isolated move. FSSAI has intensified enforcement over the past six months. That drive has covered food business operators as well as ecommerce companies. Online platforms now sit alongside traditional food businesses in the regulator’s sights.
What Platform Compliance Now Demands
For ecommerce operators, the commercial message is clear. Listings carry product descriptions, claims and compliance details directly to shoppers. Each of those elements now faces closer regulatory attention.
Accurate food labelling and product information become more important as scrutiny grows. So does careful screening of what appears on digital shelves. Quick commerce and online grocery firms may need tighter internal checks.
Allegations, Not Final Findings
Initiating penal action is not the same as imposing penalties. No fines, convictions or licence changes have been reported. The allegations remain allegations until the process concludes.
Queries sent to the platforms had not received responses by press time. That silence should not be read as an admission. For now, the case shows how food safety rules are reaching online retail.
