FSSAI issues 9 notices to Swiggy Instamart over expired food, rotten eggs, unsafe products

Swiggy Instamart has come under the scanner of India's food regulator after a series of consumer complaints alleged that the quick-commerce platform supplied expired, spoiled and contaminated food products. Acting on these complaints, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued nine notices to the company, seeking detailed explanations over alleged lapses in food safety practices, product quality and consumer grievance handling.

The regulator's action follows complaints involving a range of products, from expired nutritional supplements and packaged snacks to rotten eggs, spoiled ready-to-eat meals, contaminated infant food and damaged grocery items.

Why has FSSAI sent notices to Swiggy Instamart?

According to the FSSAI, the notices were triggered by multiple complaints from consumers who claimed they received food products that were expired, unsafe for consumption or improperly stored before delivery.

The authority has asked Swiggy Instamart to submit documentary evidence explaining how the alleged incidents occurred, what corrective measures have been taken and what safeguards are in place to prevent similar complaints in future.

The regulator has also sought information on inventory management systems, stock rotation practices, quality checks, hygiene standards, storage conditions, corrective and preventive action (CAPA) procedures, internal investigations into the complaints and the company's mechanism for resolving consumer grievances.

Failure to submit the required compliance report within the prescribed timeline could lead to action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Products mentioned in the complaints

The complaints cited by the regulator cover several categories of food products that consumers alleged were delivered in poor or unsafe condition.

Among the products referred to in the notices are:

• Expired Healthify 100% Whey Protein (1 kg).
• Noice Homestyle Madras Mixture with Peanuts, allegedly supplied after the expiry date.
• Akshayakalpa Organic Eggs, which were reportedly rotten, foul-smelling and allegedly unfit for consumption.
• Kakke da Paratha, which a complainant claimed arrived spoiled and emitting an unpleasant odour.
• An infant food formulation that was allegedly found contaminated and in a deteriorated condition, with the complaint stating that the replacement product supplied was also defective.

Additional complaints involving contaminated eggs, damaged packaged food products and milk.

The regulator has not independently established these allegations, but has sought explanations from the company regarding each complaint.

Questions over licences and product listings

Apart from the complaints relating to food quality, the FSSAI has also highlighted alleged regulatory irregularities connected with certain products listed on the platform.

One notice reportedly concerns "NOICE" eggs, which were allegedly marketed under a category not covered by the existing FSSAI licence. The regulator has instructed the food business operator not to continue marketing the product unless it is covered by a valid licence and to apply for licence modification wherever necessary.

The notices also mention alleged discrepancies involving incorrect, invalid or unavailable FSSAI licence numbers, as well as instances where food businesses were reportedly listed under names that did not match their registered licence details.

Consumers also flagged grievance redressal

Beyond product quality, the complaints also questioned how consumer grievances were handled.

According to the regulator, some complainants alleged that although refunds were processed, they did not receive satisfactory explanations or meaningful corrective action regarding the food safety concerns they had raised.

The FSSAI has therefore sought details of Swiggy Instamart's complaint resolution framework and the steps taken to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.