Karnataka suspends food licences of Amazon, Instamart, BigBasket over sale of 'illegal' fruit
The department had earlier ordered an investigation into sale and online listing of datura products following complaints against the quick commerce platforms.
The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has suspended the food licenses of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket until further notice. This decision came after datura (thornapple) fruits and seeds were discovered for sale on their e-commerce platforms, posing a serious health risk if consumed. The investigation found products with FSSAI licence or registration numbers, despite being toxic.
Amazon did not respond, while Instamart requested more time to provide documents detailing the actions taken. BigBasket stated it would stop selling the fruits online and amend future labeling to clearly state "Not for human consumption." The regulator found the company's responses unsatisfactory and directed the suspension of the food licences issued to the three platforms.
Suppliers and sellers providing products to these platforms also had their licences and registrations suspended immediately. The order requires food business operators to remove online listings and advertisements offering datura fruits or seeds for consumption.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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