Karnataka suspends food licences of Amazon, Instamart, BigBasket over sale of 'illegal' fruit

The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has suspended the food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket till further orders after datura (thornapple) fruits and seeds were found listed for sale on their platforms for human consumption.

During the inquiry, officials found datura fruits and seeds displayed for sale on various e-commerce platforms. In some cases, the products carried FSSAI licence or registration numbers despite being toxic and posing a serious health risk if consumed, NDTV reported.

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The investigation also found packets containing datura fruits and seeds bearing food licence or registration numbers. The products had been stored in warehouses and made available for sale or distribution through online platforms.

The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department had earlier ordered an investigation into the sale and online listing of datura products following complaints against the quick commerce platforms.

Representatives of the companies appeared before the authority as part of the proceedings. According to the order, Amazon did not submit a response, while Instamart sought additional time to provide documents detailing the action it had taken.

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BigBasket said it had stopped selling the fruits online. It also said it would amend the labelling in future to clearly state, "Not for human consumption".

The regulator, however, found the responses and explanations unsatisfactory. It said storing, selling or distributing the products as food was impermissible.

The department has directed the concerned authorities to suspend the food licences issued to Amazon, Instamart and BigBasket until further orders.

The suspension can be reversed after a hearing, provided the platforms submit their responses.

The licences and registrations of suppliers and sellers providing products to the three online platforms have also been ordered to be suspended with immediate effect.

The order also requires food business operators to take down or suspend any online listings and advertisements offering datura fruits or seeds for consumption.

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