Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration conducted extensive inspections targeting major food delivery platforms, seizing expired and mislabelled grocery items worth ₹1.38 crore across multiple facilities. The enforcement operation, initiated following intelligence gathered from a private party, targeted Amazon distribution hubs in Devanahalli and Anekal where authorities seized stock valued at ₹56 lakh for inadequate labelling and lapsed expiry dates, as well as unlicensed medicines worth ₹4.02 lakh. Additionally, Swiggy Instamart facility in Hoskote was closed after officials confiscated expired food worth ₹42 lakh and found broader findings estimated near ₹1 crore. The total seizure brought the enforcement action to ₹1.43 crore in total value. According to The Times of India, the latest action was triggered by a proposed peptide party promoted on social media, where organisers allegedly told investigators that products linked to the event had been sourced from Amazon's facilities, leading to the cancellation of the party scheduled for August 29.
The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration's latest inspection at Amazon's Bengaluru facilities uncovered food products worth approximately ₹56.08 lakh with incorrect or inadequate labelling or past their expiry dates. As reported by Reuters, officials also seized medicines worth ₹4.23 lakh that were allegedly stored without a valid licence. At Amazon's unit in Hitech Defence and Aerospace Park, Devanahalli, officials found food products worth around ₹24 lakh carrying incorrect and inadequate labels that did not conform to prescribed food-safety standards, while drugs worth ₹2.5 lakh were found stored without the required licence. The inspection findings have prompted Amazon to review and strengthen its quality control measures across all distribution facilities, with the company stating it has robust systems and controls designed to prevent products that do not meet applicable regulatory requirements from being listed on amazon.in or entering their fulfilment centers.
Amazon told Reuters it is reviewing the observations from the inspection and will take necessary steps as required. The company stated it has robust systems and controls designed to prevent products that do not meet applicable regulatory requirements from being listed on amazon.in or entering their fulfilment centers. As reported by Reuters, an industry source indicated that the company is strengthening internal controls to ensure lapses do not recur following the inspection findings. The latest enforcement action has prompted the company to review and strengthen its quality control measures across all distribution facilities, with officials cautioning that further punitive action under food safety regulations will follow.
The Karnataka inspection follows a separate state regulator raid on an unrelated Mumbai warehouse where fake nutritional details and expiry dates were allegedly being added to products from major companies including PepsiCo, Nestle, Unilever, and Coca-Cola to make them export ready. According to Reuters, PepsiCo, Nestle, Unilever, and Coca-Cola have not commented on the matter regarding the alleged labeling practices at their products. Federal and state officials have been conducting raids on clubs, restaurants and big brands as part of the nationwide enforcement crackdown in recent months, with the latest action targeting local neighbourhood suppliers who were implicated during the raids, including Saptha Bazaar in HBR Layout and another outlet in Lingarajapuram where expired nutritional supplements, confectionery, ghee and nuts worth approximately ₹56 lakh were discovered. Companies and brands such as Domino's and McDonald's have also come under scrutiny as authorities step up enforcement against food safety violations.
