Centre notes that FSSAI has conducted five meetings with ecommerce food business operators in the last two years
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has conducted 8,143 inspections of storage facilities, including those operated by ecommerce food businesses in the financial year 2025 (FY25), the Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada told the Rajya Sabha.
In a written reply, the MoS added that 526 storage facilities were found non-compliant and improvement notices were issued accordingly. In the last two years, FSSAl has conducted five meetings with ecommerce food business operators wherein regulatory expectations such as training of delivery personnel, product labelling, traceability of warehouses and complaint handling were discussed.
“To regulate online marketing companies engaged in selling food items, FSSAI, in 2018, specified procedures for the licensing and registration of ecommerce business operators along with their responsibilities. Accordingly, ecommerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) are required to ensure that all listed sellers are licensed/registered, provide mandatory food information (including principal display panel), and de-list non-compliant products,” the MoS highlighted.
Prasada’s reply was in response to a set of queries by Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi, who sought to know if the government was aware that several dark stores operated by quick commerce platforms have been flagged by state authorities for violating hygiene, licensing and FSSAI norms. He also enquired about the action against outlets in cities like Pune, Gurugram and Bengaluru, operating without proper food business licenses.
The MoS emphasised that FSSAI regularly takes up the compliance and enforcement issues with the Commissioners of Food Safety of all States, Union Territories (UTs), regularly through its Central Advisory Committee meetings, which generally meet once in three months.
