The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued nine notices to Swiggy Instamart following multiple consumer complaints alleging violations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The regulator has directed the food business operator (FBO) to submit a detailed explanation and compliance report, warning that failure to do so may result in legal action.
Details of the Notices
Announcing the action in a post on X, FSSAI stated that it had issued nine notices to Swiggy Instamart after receiving complaints about the supply of expired, spoiled, rotten, contaminated, and otherwise unsafe food products. The regulator emphasized that the FBO has been directed to provide a detailed explanation and compliance report, failing which appropriate legal action will be initiated.
Among the key observations cited by FSSAI were allegations that 'Healthify 100% Whey Protein 1 kg' and 'Noice Homestyle Madras Mixture with Peanuts' were supplied after their expiry dates. The regulator also referred to complaints involving 'Akshayakalpa Organic Egg', which was reportedly found expired, rotten, emitting a foul odour, with signs of contamination, rendering it unfit for human consumption. FSSAI noted that no corrective action was taken by the food business operator despite the complaint being escalated.
Additional Complaints
Another complaint alleged that 'Kakke da Paratha' was supplied in a spoiled condition, emitting a foul odour and unfit for human consumption, with no corrective action taken despite escalation. FSSAI also flagged issues relating to infant food, stating that an infant food formulation was reportedly found in a highly deteriorated and unsafe condition, showing signs of contamination and improper storage and handling. The regulator further said the same product was allegedly re-supplied to the consumer after the defective product had been returned.
The notices also cited complaints alleging delivery of contaminated eggs and milk, along with damaged packaged food items through the platform. In addition to product quality concerns, FSSAI said the notices raised issues regarding an 'incorrect, invalid or non-existent FSSAI Licence Number' and alleged that some food business entities were listed under names different from those reflected in their FSSAI registration.
Regulatory Action
The regulator further stated that some complainants alleged that no satisfactory response, grievance redressal, or corrective action was taken despite repeated complaints, while in one case only a refund was offered without addressing the reported food safety concerns. FSSAI has directed the company to submit documentary evidence explaining the alleged non-compliances, details of its quality assurance, food safety monitoring, inventory management, hygiene and storage practices, corrective and preventive actions, and root cause analysis.
The regulator warned that the required explanation and compliance report must be furnished within the stipulated period, failing which appropriate action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 may be initiated.
