# Karnataka suspends food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket 2026-08-25T00:11:40+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has suspended the food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket until further orders after toxic Datura fruits and seeds were found listed online as food products. The platforms have been ordered to remove all related listings and advertisements and stop selling or distributing them for human consumption. Officials found Datura products stored in warehouses and packets carrying FSSAI registration or licence numbers. The department also ordered action against suppliers and sellers, subject to due legal process. Amazon did not respond to the notice, Swiggy Instamart sought more time, and BigBasket said it had stopped the sale and would label the products “not for human consumption”. The department found the responses unsatisfactory, citing Datura’s poisonous nature. Its fruits and seeds contain toxic compounds that can cause rapid heart rate, confusion, delirium and other severe symptoms. Separate orders will follow after compliance reports and an opportunity for the affected parties to present their arguments. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both The Hindu and Mathrubhumi present the regulator’s action as a response to a food safety breach, without taking a position for or against the companies. The Hindu gives more space to the licensing process, company responses and the possibility of cancellation, while Mathrubhumi adds medical context on Datura’s toxic compounds and symptoms. Together, the reports show that the issue concerns both platform oversight and the legal classification of what may be sold as food. The immediate measure is suspension, not a final cancellation, and further orders depend on compliance reports and hearings by the department. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - thehindu.com (neutral report) Reports the regulatoru2019s action, company responses and pending legal process - english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report) Combines regulatory reporting with a factual explanation of Datura poisoning This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-25T03:42:50+00:00. Tags: Amazon, BigBasket, Datura, FSSAI, Karnataka, Swiggy Instamart Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-suspends-amazon-swiggy-bigbasket-food-licences-over-datura-sale/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/karnataka-suspends-amazon-swiggy-bigbasket-food-licences-over-datura-sale/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/