Lok Sabha Question No. 4599 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Food Safety Standard
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4599

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH  MARCH, 2025

## FOOD SAFETY STANDARD

## 4599.   SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the violations of food safety standards in e-commerce platforms and departmental stores, particularly the sale of near-expiry food products and if so, the number of complaints received during the last three years and the current year;
- (b) whether  the  Government  plans  to  regulate  the  sale  of  near-expiry  food  products  at discounted  prices  by  online  and  offline  retailers  and  if  so,  the  measures  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to monitor and prevent the sale of expired or near-expiry food items and if so, the punitive actions taken by the Government; and
- (d) whether the Government intends to issue stricter guidelines for e-commerce platforms and departmental stores to ensure food safety and if so, the manner in which the enforcement would be ensured?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)

(a): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as per provisions contained in the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (i.e. FSS Act 2006 ) and it has been mandated for laying down science based standards for articles of  food  and  to  regulate  their  manufacture,  storage,  distribution,  sale  and  import  to  ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

The details of the complaints received by FSSAI w.r.t e-commerce platforms (including those related to products sold near expiry date), as on 21.03.2025, are given as under:

| FY        |   Grievances Received |   Grievances Resolved |
|-----------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| 2020-2021 |                   102 |                    93 |
| 2021-2022 |                   498 |                   455 |
| 2022-2023 |                   714 |                   621 |
| 2023-2024 |                   919 |                   648 |
| 2024-2025 |                  1379 |                   707 |
| Total     |                  3612 |                  2524 |

(b) to (d): FSSAI has taken the following steps to regulate/monitor and prevent the sale of expired or near-expiry food products:

- i. Issued the guidelines for operations of e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) on various Regulatory Requirements.
- ii. Notified  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Licensing  and  Registration  of  Food  Business) Amendment Regulations, 2020 for the Licensing and Registration of E-Commerce Food Business Operator.
- iii. Issued  advisories  for  e-commerce  FBOs.  Advisory  dated  03.12.2024,  which  inter  alia highlight the following need for e-commerce FBOs to prioritize -
- a. The training of last mile delivery personnel.
- b. product  claims  made  on  e-commerce  platforms  must  be  fully  aligned  with  the information provided on the product's physical label.
- c. ensure that food products being delivered have sufficient remaining shelf life (min 30% or 45 days before expiry), and
- d. display of FSSAI license/registration number of sellers by the FBO.
- iv. FSSAI undertakes regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food products  from manufacturers/sellers  and the food products sold online through ecommerce platforms, throughout the year. In case of non-conformity found, the correction measures are taken as per FSS Act 2006 and the Rules & Regulations made thereunder.

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