Karnataka’s food safety department has taken strict action against Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket after finding that the platforms listed and sold datura fruits and seeds as food products.
The department has ordered the suspension of the food licences held by the three platforms until further orders.
Officials have also ordered action against the sellers and establishments that supplied datura to these platforms.
The decision came after inspections found packets of datura carrying food licence and registration numbers. Officials also found that the products were being stored in warehouses before being sold through online platforms.
Why Did Karnataka Take Action?
The investigation reportedly began after a complaint on social media about datura fruit being sent by Instamart as a free item with an order.
Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said the fruit was poisonous and had been supplied with an incorrect label claiming FSSAI approval.
According to the minister, a child consumed the fruit, which led the department to investigate the matter and take action against platforms selling such products.
Datura is not a normal food item. Its fruits and seeds contain highly poisonous compounds that can cause serious poisoning and may even be fatal in small quantities.
Platforms Asked to Remove All Datura Listings
The food safety department has directed Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket to immediately remove all listings, advertisements and promotional posts offering datura fruits or seeds for food or human consumption.
The platforms have also been prohibited from displaying, selling or distributing such products for human consumption in the future.
Officials have warned that failure to follow the order could lead to separate proceedings under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The department has also ordered sellers and establishments supplying datura to suspend their licences and registrations.
What Did the Companies Tell Officials?
Representatives of all three platforms appeared before the adjudicating authority.
Amazon did not submit a reply, while Swiggy Instamart reportedly sought additional time and did not provide documents showing action taken against the notice.
BigBasket told the authority that it had stopped selling the product.
The company also said it would correct its listing and add “NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION” to the product labels.
However, the authority found the written and oral submissions from the companies unsatisfactory.
Consumers Warned Against Buying Datura
Along with the licence suspension, Karnataka’s food safety commissioner issued a public advisory asking people not to buy, sell or consume datura fruits or seeds.
Online platforms and sellers have also been asked to check their listings and immediately remove any such products meant for human consumption.
Marketers, wholesalers and distributors have been directed to provide details about their stock, the source of the products and previous sales.
Consumers have also been asked to report suspicious sales or distribution of datura to food safety officials.
Karnataka Steps Up Action Against Online Food Sellers
The latest action is part of a wider food safety enforcement drive across Karnataka.
The department recently sealed a Zepto warehouse in Hoskote and inspected Zomato’s Hyperpure facility at Sakalawara.
According to the department, the statewide drive has covered 236 e-commerce warehouses, with proceedings initiated against 44 of them.
The action shows that food safety authorities are increasingly checking online grocery platforms and their warehouses, not just traditional food stores, to prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers.
