The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, known as FSSAI, has initiated punitive legal proceedings against five leading e-commerce and quick commerce grocery networks operating in the country. The enforcement drive targets Amazon Seller Services, Flipkart India, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, and Zepto following findings that these platforms disregarded statutory norms, permitted deceptive promotional claims, and offered restricted or hazardous edible items to consumers.
Specific Product Infractions Identified in Regulatory Scrutiny
According to disclosures shared by the food safety regulator, the enforcement measures address distinct breaches concerning merchandise display, product descriptions, and severe statutory violations across multiple categories
- Misleading Branding for Happilo Date Bites: All five e-commerce entities, namely Amazon, Flipkart India, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, and Zepto, face punitive proceedings due to deceptive and unsubstantiated claims tied to the product named Happilo Premium Date Bites - Zesty Orange.
- Non-Compliance in Milky Mist Dairy Goods: Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket have been cited for presenting non-compliant and misleading details regarding select dairy lines under the Milky Mist label, specifically its low fat cream, farm fresh curd, and Greek yogurt.
- Illegal Listing of Toxic Datura Seeds and Fruit: The most critical breach involves Amazon Seller Services, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket, where the active listing and sale of poisonous datura fruit and seeds were detected. Distributing such hazardous botanical items represents a direct and grave infraction under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Intensified Scrutiny Across Digital Food Business Operators
Over the preceding six months, FSSAI has accelerated inspections and legal enforcement targeted directly at e-commerce channels and registered food business operators, also designated as FBOs. The stated objective behind this sustained oversight is safeguarding consumer health while eradicating misleading promotional representations across modern grocery applications. To keep the shopping public informed, the regulator has begun directly publicising its enforcement measures through social media channels. The affected e-commerce companies have not yet issued any formal comment addressing the punitive proceedings.
