The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that expiry date declarations on e-commerce platforms fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). According to an email response to citizen engagement platform LocalCircles, as reported by Business Standard, the apex food regulator stated that declarations required on online platforms are governed by the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, administered by DCA, Government of India. This clarification comes as consumer complaints mount over the absence of shelf-life information for packaged food products sold online.
A comprehensive survey by LocalCircles revealed significant non-compliance with expiry date display requirements. The study, which gathered more than 17,000 responses from consumers across 164 districts, found that 48% of online grocery platforms are non-compliant with displaying best before dates for packaged products. According to the survey, one in two consumers said they still cannot find expiry date information listed online as mandated in the Legal Metrology Rules, 2017. The survey identified that only Amazon Now, BigBasket and Flipkart Minutes consistently displayed such information, while platforms including Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, JioMart and Milkbasket were found to be largely non-compliant.
In 2024, FSSAI had issued formal warnings to quick commerce and e-commerce platforms to stop selling consumables with missing or near-expiry dates. As reported by Business Standard, these platforms were asked to only list products that had either 30% shelf life or 45 days remaining. However, no directions were issued to platforms to display best before dates online on applications or websites, leaving the enforcement to the DCA's jurisdiction.
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2017, require platforms to display 'Best Before' or 'Use By' dates for packaged products at the point of digital sale. According to the FSSAI's clarification, these rules are administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. This regulatory framework establishes clear standards for online food product labeling and shelf-life information display across e-commerce platforms.
