In India, consumption of food - from groceries to cooked dishes - is increasingly being driven by e-commerce platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, BigBasket, Amazon Fresh, etc. It is important to strengthen food safety and hygiene practices in this rapidly expanding e-commerce marketplace. In a meeting on Tuesday, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO told representatives of leading e-commerce platforms to emphasise food safety and strictly follow "food safety and hygiene protocols or face action". Any non-compliance will be viewed with utmost seriousness, potentially leading to severe action, FSSAI shared in the latest release.
The meeting was held at FSSAI headquarters in New Delhi and was attended by over 70 representatives from leading e-commerce platforms.
Here Are Some Crucial Directives Issued To The E-Commerce Platforms:
1. Displaying Crucial Information On Receipts
All e-commerce entities are directed to prominently display their FSSAI License/Registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash memo provided to consumers. They were also asked to display information regarding the Food Safety Connect App on all consumer-facing documents.
The possibility of displaying the "Date of Expiry/Use By" for food products at the consumer interface was also discussed.
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2. Disclosing Details Of Warehouses And Storage Facilities
E-commerce entities must disclose comprehensive details of all warehouses and storage facilities linked to their operations on the FOSCOS portal.
3. Strict Adherence To Hygiene And Food Safety Protocols
The FSSAI CEO instructed all e-commerce platforms to adhere strictly to hygiene and food safety protocols across all their warehouses and storage facilities, ensuring that photographs of these facilities are regularly uploaded to the FOSCOS portal.
4. Compulsory Training Of All Food Handlers
All food handlers involved in the process, including e-commerce personnel, must undergo compulsory FSSAI FOSTaC (Food Safety Training & Certification) training in hygiene protocols. Platforms are required to share their training plans and timelines with FSSAI.
5. Transparency And Compliance With The Food Safety Authority
Platforms are expected to meticulously follow all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and rules stipulated under the FSS Act. The necessity for all warehouses associated with e-commerce operations to be duly registered or licensed by FSSAI was strongly reiterated.
E-commerce platforms were also directed to share data pertaining to their warehouses, food handlers, and other relevant information with the FSSAI, thereby ensuring enhanced transparency and compliance.
The FSSAI emphasised that food safety is a collective responsibility, and every entity involved in the supply chain, from manufacturing to home delivery, is liable for compliance. A collaborative approach is essential to ensure the entire process is extremely safe for consumers.