Amid rising consumer complaints, food regulator FSSAI on Tuesday directed e-commerce players selling food items on their platforms to ensure minimum 30 per cent shelf life or 45 days of shelf life before delivery to customers.
According to an official statement, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) called a meeting with e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) to reinforce the compliance requirements for e-commerce FBOs.
“(FSSAI) CEO asked e-commerce FBOs to adopt practices to ensure minimum shelf life of 30 per cent or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery to the consumer,” the statement said.
Rao, who chaired the meeting, clarified that claims of any product made on e-commerce platforms should be aligned with the information given on the product label and in compliance with labeling and display regulations of FSSAI.
He also cautioned FBOs against making unsupported claims online.
“This will prevent misleading information and protect consumers’ right to accurate product descriptions,” the regulator said.
Rao highlighted the important role of online platforms in protecting consumer health and promoting transparency. Emphasizing the critical need for regulatory compliance, he reiterated the order that no FBO can operate on any e-commerce platform without a valid FSSAI license or registration.
To ensure safe food handling at every level, he directed FBOs to implement proper training programs for delivery personnel, empowering them with necessary food safety and hygiene protocols.
Additionally, Rao stressed the importance of distributing food and non-food items separately to consumers to avoid potential contamination.
In his concluding remarks, CEO, FSSAI stressed on the need for all e-commerce FBOs to diligently adhere to food safety standards.
He stressed that a transparent, compliant and accountable e-commerce food sector is important to protect consumer health and promote trust in digital food markets.
The session was attended by over 200 participants both physically and virtually from across the country, underscoring the significant commitment to strengthen food safety standards within the e-commerce sector.
Earlier this month, FSSAI asked state authorities to increase surveillance in warehouses of e-commerce operators and issue standard operating procedures (SOPs) for delivery personnel to ensure safe food to consumers.
At its 45th Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on November 7, states and union territories were urged to step up surveillance at popular tourist destinations to ensure safety standards in preparation for the peak tourist season from November to March.
Rao had asked “food commissioners of various states to increase surveillance on warehouses and other facilities used by e-commerce platforms.” He also asked for issuing SOP for such warehouses as well as delivery personnel of these platforms.
“States/UTs were asked to increase surveillance sampling and were also asked to deploy Food Safety on Wheels mobile vans for this purpose,” the regulator said.
