Swiggy Instamart Receives 9 FSSAI Notices Over Alleged Sale Of Expired Products

Swiggy Instamart Receives 9 FSSAI Notices Over Alleged Sale Of Expired Products
Swiggy

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued nine notices to Swiggy Instamart following consumer complaints over alleged delivery of expired, spoiled and contaminated food products.

The complaints also raised concerns over food safety compliance, licensing and grievance redressal on the quick commerce platform, the FSSAI said in a post on X.

The development came a day after Swiggy disclosed that it had received a separate prohibition order from the FSSAI concerning its food delivery platform Toing. 

As per the foodtech company, the Toing matter was related solely to the updation of licence particulars and involved no food safety concerns.

What Are The Complaints Against Swiggy Instamart?

The FSSAI, in the post on X, said consumers alleged that Swiggy Instamart delivered expired and unsafe food products.

In one case, eggs sold under the “NOICE” brand were allegedly marketed under a brand name not covered by the existing FSSAI licence. The regulator directed the food business operator to halt sales until the product was covered by a valid licence.

Healthify 100% whey protein and NOICE homestyle Madras mixture with peanuts were allegedly delivered after their expiry dates.

Separate complaints concerned Akshayakalpa Organic Eggs and Kakke da Paratha. The products were allegedly delivered in rotten or spoiled condition and emitted a foul smell. 

As per the FSSAI, no corrective action was taken despite the complaints being escalated.

In another case, an infant food formulation was allegedly delivered in a deteriorated and unsafe condition. The regulator flagged signs of contamination and improper storage and handling. The same product was reportedly supplied again after the consumer returned the defective item.

Other complaints alleged the delivery of contaminated eggs and milk, as well as damaged packaged food products through Instamart.

Beyond individual complaints, the FSSAI raised concerns over incorrect, invalid or non-existent licence numbers and discrepancies between the names of food businesses listed on the platform and those recorded in their regulatory registrations.

The regulator said several complaints were not adequately addressed despite being escalated. In one case, a consumer was allegedly offered a refund without further action on the underlying food safety concern.

The notices also flagged potential gaps in seller onboarding, compliance verification, traceability, food quality monitoring and consumer grievance redressal, as well as the adequacy of Instamart’s broader food safety controls.

What Has FSSAI Asked Swiggy Instamart To Do?

The FSSAI has sought a detailed explanation, backed by documentary evidence, on the alleged violations and the circumstances that led to the incidents.

The food regulator has also asked Swiggy Instamart to provide details of its quality assurance, food safety monitoring, inventory management, stock rotation, storage and handling practices.

It has further sought details of corrective and preventive measures, root cause analysis and steps taken to prevent similar incidents. Failure to submit a compliance report within the stipulated period could lead to action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Separately, Swiggy told the stock exchanges yesterday that it had received an FSSAI prohibition order dated July 6 concerning Toing. “The matter related to certain observations by FSSAI regarding updation of licence particulars and involved no food safety concerns,” Swiggy said.

The company said it addressed the regulator’s observations and received a modified FSSAI licence on July 9. It added that no monetary penalty had been imposed and the order had no major impact on its operations or financial position.

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