- Karnataka suspends quick commerce licenses over Datura sales.
- Bigbasket, Swiggy Instamart, Amazon affected by the order.
- Platforms must remove all poisonous Datura listings immediately.
Datura Sales: In a major update, the Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration has ordered the suspension of food licenses of quick commerce platforms: Bigbasket, and Swiggy Instamart and Amazon for selling datura (dhatura) fruits and seeds for consumption. The authorities, earlier had ordered a probe into the selling of these products and their online listing on these platforms. The action came after several complaints about the sale of the poisonous flower in the online platforms.
During the inquiry, some packets were also found carrying the FSSAI licenses and registration numbers. The directive ordered the three quick commerce platforms to immediately remove all online listings and advertisements offering it for human consumption. They have also been ordered to stop the sale, distribution and display of the products as food.Additionally, the food safety authorities ordered the suspension of licenses and registration of vendors and suppliers who provided Datura plants to the online platforms.
How Did The Platforms Respond?
All the platforms and other establishments have been ordered to submit a compliance report, following which the FSSAI would consider removing the suspended licenses.Reports say that Amaxon has not yet submitted its response, while InstaMart has sought additional time for the submission. BigBasket said that it has stopped the online sale of Datura plants and that the labelling would carry a caution, “ not for human consumption” in the future.
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According to the FSSAI, the responses were unsatisfactory, asserting that the storage, supply and selling of the Datura plants were not permitted under the guidelines. The licenses would remain suspended until further hearing in the case.
The order further directs the concerned food business operators to immediately remove or suspend all online listings and advertisements offering datura fruits or seeds for food or human consumption.