Karnataka suspends food licences for Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket over Datura sales
Food safety authorities act after poisonous 'Thorn Apple' seeds found listed for human consumption
Quick Look
Karnataka's Food Safety and Drugs Administration suspended food licences for Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket after the platforms were found selling poisonous datura seeds and fruits as food products, posing severe public health risks.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Datura is a poisonous plant from the nightshade family often used in puja or traditional medicine. Unpurified consumption can lead to coma or death.
BENGALURU: The Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has ordered the suspension of food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket until further orders after toxic datura fruits and seeds were found being sold on the platforms as food products.
The dept has also ordered the platforms to immediately remove all listings and advertisements offering datura, or dhatura, for human consumption and stop its sale and distribution as a food product. Known as 'Thorn Apple', it is a poisonous medicinal plant belonging to the night shade family.
Officials stated that consumption of datura, without being purified, could pose a serious public health risk leading to coma and death in extreme cases. The dept held that storing, selling or distributing the fruit and seeds as food was impermissible.
The action followed complaints and inspections by food safety officials, who found packets containing datura fruits and seeds carrying FSSAI food licence or registration numbers. The products were also found stored in warehouses and offered for sale or distribution through the e-commerce platforms.
According to sources, datura is used for puja purposes in households and in preparation of traditional medicine. Datura was being sold as a fruit at around Rs 18-20 per piece on these platforms. The decision to suspend food licences was taken after a meeting with the executives from the three companies on Monday.
While two companies sought time to furnish additional information related to datura, one stated it had made it clear that the product was not for human consumption. The suspension will remain in force until further orders. The department has also ordered suspension of the food licences and registrations of suppliers and sellers who supplied Datura products to the platform.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Platforms will remove all Datura listings to comply with safety orders.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- When will the suspension be lifted?
- What specific corrective actions will the platforms take?
