FSSAI Inspects 526 E-commerce Food Storage Units

Fast Summary

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued notices to 526 ecommerce food storage facilities following 8,143 inspections during the fiscal year 2024-25.
• Violations were reported in areas such as hygiene,licensing norms,training delivery personnel,product labeling,warehouse traceability,and complaint handling mechanisms.
• FSSAI held five meetings with ecommerce food business operators over the last two years to communicate regulatory expectations.
• Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi raised concerns about dark stores run by quick commerce platforms in Pune, Gurugram, and Bengaluru operating without proper food business licenses.
• FSSAI outlined procedures for licensing and registration for ecommerce platforms as 2018. Ecommerce FBOs must ensure listed sellers are licensed/registered and provide mandatory food data on products while delisting non-compliant items.
• Compliance enforcement is managed thru quarterly Central Advisory Committee meetings involving Food Safety Commissioners of states and union territories.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The recent measures taken by the FSSAI highlight a growing focus on enforcing safety standards within India’s burgeoning ecommerce food industry. Inspections across thousands of warehouses indicate a push towards greater accountability among quick commerce platforms.Regulatory emphasis on aspects like labeling transparency and robust complaint mechanisms are vital steps in protecting consumers amid rapid digital disruption.

While addressing hygiene violations at smaller “dark stores” is necessary for public health assurance, enforcing compliance without negatively impacting operational efficiency will be crucial-especially given the sector’s reliance on speedy delivery models. The scheduled collaboration between state authorities through advisory committees underscores India’s systemic approach toward balancing scalability with safety measures in its evolving retail ecosystem.

These developments reaffirm India’s commitment to strengthening consumer protection while fostering innovation within its marketplace-focused economy. For stakeholders in this industry-operators may need to sharpen their own compliance frameworks as scrutiny from regulators intensifies.

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