FSSAI May Scrutinise Quick Commerce, E-Commerce Platforms for Food Safety Violations

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is likely to examine quick commerce and e-commerce platforms over violations of the Food Safety and Standards Amendment Regulations 2020, a source told Outlook Business. 

Among other things, the act mandates that sellers and platforms can only list and deliver food items with at least 30 percent of their shelf life remaining, or a minimum of 45 days before expiration. The provision of the act says, “Any food article delivered to a consumer by e-commerce FBO shall have a shelf life of 30 percent or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery to the consumer.”. 

FSSAI violations on quick commerce and e-commerce platforms would mean increased scrutiny of the dark stores in the form of unscheduled audits. FSSAI expressing caution about pre-packaged food items being sold on these platforms isn’t a new thing.

Read: Retailers Battle E-commerce Platforms as Quick Commerce Threatens Kirana Store

In July this year, the Economic Times reported that the government has increased spot checks and unscheduled audits on quick commerce platforms. “These audits are being done to ensure quality control at all dark stores,” a FSSAI official reportedly said. This was done after instances of several hygiene lapses by quick commerce platforms, including the one in June at a Blinkit warehouse. 

As per the Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana, the Blinkit warehouse at Medchal Malkajgiri District was found to be “very disorganized, unhygienic, and dusty at storage racks.” 

Additionally, Outlook Business reported earlier that the government also sent notices recently to quick commerce and e-commerce platforms for violation of the Legal Metrology Act. The act deals with the production and sale of packaged goods. It makes it compulsory for e-commerce platforms to display MRP and Best Before Dates (human consumption products). 

Additionally, a recent survey by community platform LocalCircles highlights that several online platforms have delivered products with low shelf life remaining to them. Just to give an example, a bread packet with a shell life of around 5-7 days is being delivered by these platforms with just 1 day remaining. The survey highlights that the platforms are violative of the Packaged Commodity Rules Amendment 2017 and the Food Safety and Standards Amendment Regulations 2020. As per the survey, some of the platforms that have been non-compliant include Meesho, Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, Lenskart, Snapdeal, Jio, Decathlon and Myglamm. 

The quick commerce industry has been booming in India. As per Redseer Strategy Consultants, it has a market size of $2.8 billion and is poised to reshape the retail industry. Additionally, the e-commerce platform is set to hit $325 billion by 2030, as per Invest India. The growth has also made authorities more cautious about these platforms as they check if these platforms are in compliance with the legal structure in India.