Karnataka suspends Amazon, Instamart, BigBasket licences over 'datura' sale

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has revoked the food licences of major e-commerce platforms Amazon, Instamart, and BigBasket for selling potentially harmful datura fruits and seeds. This regulatory action followed a probe into the sale of these toxic products on various online marketplaces.

Datura, often referred to as dhatura, was being marketed as a fruit at prices ranging from Rs 18 to Rs 20 per piece. The inquiry uncovered datura products listed and sold on multiple e-commerce sites, despite carrying FSSAI license or registration numbers, raising serious health concerns. E-commerce representatives attended the proceedings, with Amazon failing to respond, Instamart requesting more time, and BigBasket stating it had ceased online sales but would update labels to warn about non-consumption.

However, the Food Safety Department deemed these responses insufficient, ruling that the storage, sale, or distribution of datura as food is illegal. The department has given the platforms a chance to reverse the suspension by providing their responses, but the process can be halted if they fail to comply.