The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is preparing a dedicated regulatory framework for ecommerce platforms, quick commerce operators, and cloud kitchens as part of a wider enforcement drive. The proposed rules would tighten product disclosures and increase accountability across online food retail. The move follows mounting consumer complaints and an increase in regulatory action against major digital platforms.
Proposed Rules for Online Food Sales
Under the planned changes, online food listings would be required to display manufacturing dates, expiry dates, and batch numbers. Platforms would also be held responsible for misleading claims made by manufacturers on their marketplaces. In addition, the regulator is considering mandatory disclosure of photographs and addresses for cloud kitchens.
While platforms often mention a product's shelf life, consumers may not know its actual expiry date or batch number before placing an order. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules 2017 already require best before or use by dates on food packets. In 2024, the Central Consumer Protection Authority sent notices to ecommerce firms directing them to display manufacturing and expiry dates, but no regulation was passed at that time.
FSSAI has already held stakeholder consultations with ecommerce and quick commerce companies and has begun inspecting dark stores and cloud kitchens. The inspections include checks on storage conditions, particularly for frozen products. Chief Executive Officer Rajit Punhani said the regulator wants consumers to know essential product details before placing an order.
Wider Food Safety Enforcement
The regulator has issued notices to more than 150 food and beverage manufacturers, including Nestle, PepsiCo, Dabur, ITC, Ferrero, Danone, Red Bull, and Abbott. These notices cover allegedly incorrect or misleading ingredient claims and labeling violations. Punhani said prosecutions involving ecommerce companies have risen at least five to six times over the past year.
FSSAI is also advancing front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods. A recent affidavit filed with the Supreme Court proposed red, hexagonal labels displaying the amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fat. The regulator has been pushing for this change for more than a decade despite resistance from global and Indian packaged food makers.
The scrutiny extends beyond online platforms to hotels and restaurants for advertising, product claims, infant product marketing, labeling, and food storage practices. State food and drug enforcement agencies have also increased oversight in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and West Bengal. Punhani said his focus is on strengthening state level enforcement machinery.
Legal Challenges and Supplement Scrutiny
PepsiCo, Reliance Consumer Products, and Monster Beverage have challenged FSSAI notices in court. They recently received procedural relief after a court found they had not been given adequate opportunity to respond. Punhani expressed confidence in the regulator's position and said consumer support remains strong.
The regulator is also reviewing supplements and nutraceuticals sold online. It is reassessing approvals granted three to five years ago to determine whether companies are making claims beyond those cleared by FSSAI. Where violations are found, the regulator plans to issue notices and suspend licenses.
The proposed regulations could reshape India's online retail industry, where groceries account for a significant share of an estimated US$80 billion market. Regulatory bodies conducted about 700,000 inspections between April and September, nearly double the number from a year earlier. As legal pushback grows, FSSAI is signaling that tighter compliance and greater transparency will remain priorities for the food sector.