Now Reading: Karnataka suspends Amazon, Swiggy, BigBasket licences over Datura sales
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Karnataka suspends Amazon, Swiggy, BigBasket licences over Datura sales
Karnataka suspends Amazon, Swiggy, BigBasket licences over Datura sales
Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has suspended the food licences of Amazon, BigBasket and Swiggy Instamart after finding poisonous Datura fruits and seeds being sold on the platforms as food. The order, dated August 24, 2026, also suspends the licences of the sellers supplying the products. Datura, or dhatura, contains tropane alkaloids that can cause hallucinations, coma and death, with no safe dose for consumption as food.
The department found the platforms' responses unsatisfactory: Amazon did not respond, Swiggy Instamart sought more time, and BigBasket said it had stopped selling Datura and would label products as 'Not for Human Consumption'. The suspensions will remain until the businesses submit compliance reports and receive a hearing. The order makes platforms directly liable as Food Business Operators, rather than just their sellers, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The coverage from both outlets is neutral in tone but differs in depth. Hindustan Times focuses on public health warnings and netizen reactions, while Medianama emphasises the legal and regulatory implications, noting that Karnataka is the first state to suspend platform licences outright over Datura, going beyond earlier notices. The key legal question is whether platforms can claim safe harbour as intermediaries under the IT Act when the FSS Act holds them liable as food businesses. The platforms' next hearing will test this conflict.
The order also raises a practical issue: Datura listings carried FSSAI registration numbers, which usually signal safety, making it hard for buyers to distinguish genuine food items from those not meant for consumption.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), medianama.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
