Swiggy Instamart and Zepto Among E-Commerce Platforms Penalised in FSSAI Crackdown on Misleading Listings
FSSAI initiated penal actions against e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, Flipkart, and Zepto for misleading claims and selling prohibited items. Separately, it proposed a single-phase FoPL warning label for high-sugar, high-salt, or high-fat foods. The regulator outlined plans for a streamlined, single-phase implementation rather than a phased rollout.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced Wednesday, September 23, that it has launched penal actions against major e-commerce platforms, including Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, Amazon, Flipkart India, and Zepto, citing regulatory violations.
Enforcement Actions and Violations
In a public disclosure shared on Instagram, the food safety regulator confirmed a major enforcement crackdown targeting online retail platforms. FSSAI Initiates Legal Action Against Nestle India Over Baby Food Promotional Claims and Biotin Quality.
FSSAI Cracks Down on Key E-Commerce Platforms Over Non-Compliances
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According to the FSSAI, the penalised operations stem from widespread non-compliance issues across vendor listings, specifically highlighting:
- Misbranding and Misleading Claims: Platforms displaying unverified nutritional or health assertions on food items.
- Prohibited Goods: The sale, listing, and display of prohibited or restricted food articles.
The action highlights an increasingly stringent regulatory stance by food safety authorities toward digital marketplace aggregators and quick-commerce operators throughout the year.
Single-Phase Front-of-Pack Labelling Proposed
Concurrently, the FSSAI submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court detailing its proposed timeline and framework for implementing Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FoPL). Responding to court directives seeking a definitive rollout schedule, the regulator outlined plans for a streamlined, single-phase implementation rather than a phased rollout. Under the proposed rules:
- Warning Label Design: Packaged food items exceeding established nutritional limits for fat, sugar, or salt must feature a prominent red hexagon on a white square background.
- International Framework: The design aligns closely with models utilised in countries like Canada, intended to instantly signal high concentrations of health-risk nutrients at the point of purchase. FSSAI Suspends Licence of Paradise Distilleries for 15 Days; Here's Why.
As the FSSAI steps up digital marketplace surveillance and advances its Supreme Court-backed labelling mandate, both e-commerce giants and food manufacturers face a stricter compliance landscape aimed at safeguarding consumer transparency and public health.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2026 07:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
