Flagging structural failures from rotten organic eggs to highly deteriorated infant formula, the FSSAI demands a strict compliance audit and warns of impending legal action under the Food Safety Act.
NEW DELHI — The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has cracked down on quick-commerce platform Swiggy Instamart, issuing nine formal notices following a wave of severe consumer complaints. The regulatory action targets the delivery of expired, spoiled, contaminated, and hazardous food items through the instant-delivery service.
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According to official documents, the complaints point to systemic compliance failures under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Beyond the immediate risk of unsafe food, the apex regulator highlighted deeper issues within the platform’s operations, including improper warehouse storage, invalid distribution licenses, and a broken consumer grievance redressal mechanism.
1. Expired Goods and Hazardous Infant Formula Flagged
The regulatory notices detail several specific product failures that showcase gaps in inventory tracking and stock rotation. Most notably, the FSSAI highlighted a highly sensitive case involving infant food formulation delivered in a severely deteriorated, unsafe state. Alarmingly, the complaint alleges that after the customer returned the defective infant formula, the platform dispatched the exact same defective item back to the household.
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Swiggy Instamart Escalation Grid:
🛒 Consumer Orders Food ➔ 🪰 Expired/Rotten Product Delivered ➔ 🛑 Poor Grievance Resolution (Refund-Only) ➔ ⚖️ 9 FSSAI Notices & Legal Warning
High-Profile Product Violations Under Investigation
| Specific Product Line | Nature of Reported Consumer Complaint | Regulatory Compliance Issue |
| Infant Food Formulation | Highly deteriorated, contaminated, and poorly stored upon arrival. | Severe threat to infant health; immediate repeat delivery of defective inventory. |
| Akshayakalpa Organic Eggs | Delivered expired and completely rotten; emitted foul odors and showed visible decay. | Complete breakdown of cold-chain monitoring and stock rotation. |
| Healthify 100% Whey Protein (1kg) | Items supplied to consumers past their official expiry dates. | Failure of automated digital shelf-life tracking parameters. |
| Kakke da Paratha | Arrived spoiled, moldy, and entirely unfit for human consumption. | Poor supplier onboarding oversight and temperature abuse. |
| NOICE Eggs & Snacks Line | Marketed under a brand category not covered by the current warehouse setup. | Licensing Deficit: Operating without necessary authorization modifications. |
2. Licensing Loopholes and “Refund-Only” Deficiencies
The investigation goes beyond spoiled groceries to address how Swiggy Instamart manages its partner network. The FSSAI noted clear discrepancies regarding invalid or non-existent license numbers, pointing out that several sub-entities were operating under names completely different from their official regulatory registrations.
The regulator also criticized Swiggy’s customer service handling, noting that the platform failed to take corrective action when issues were escalated. In multiple instances, customer support agents allegedly attempted to sweep critical safety hazards aside by offering a simple monetary refund instead of reporting the contaminated batches.
Technical Audits Demanded by the FSSAI
The food regulator has made it clear that basic procedural explanations will not suffice. The platform must now submit a highly technical, documented roadmap detailing its internal safety mechanisms.
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⚠️ The Regulatory Warning: The FSSAI has set a strict timeline for Swiggy Instamart to present its compliance evidence. Failure to produce the required data will trigger immediate legal prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which carries hefty financial penalties and the potential suspension of operating licenses.
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