Checks on e-commerce platforms from October: FSSAI

New Delhi: Having secured nearly 2,000 convictions in food safety cases across the country, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is now stepping up enforcement, including holding e-commerce platforms responsible for products sold through them and proposing stricter action against high-fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods near schools, its CEO Rajit Punhani said Thursday.FSSAI will begin checks on e-commerce platforms from next month. Platforms will have to carry out due diligence and ensure that products listed on them comply with food safety regulations."We are holding e-commerce platforms responsible. They cannot take this plea that they are just aggregators, they are just platforms. It is your responsibility, your due diligence," Punhani said.FSSAI has already held consultations with e-commerce companies. Punhani identified e-commerce and labelling as two major consumer-focused reforms expected over the next year.The regulator has also proposed restricting the sale of HFSS food within 50 metres of schools to protect children from unhealthy food. Punhani said the earlier challenge was the absence of a clear definition of HFSS food. The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition, a govt nutrition research institute, has now provided criteria that FSSAI plans to use. On enforcement, Punhani said FSSAI had suspended licences, closed establishments and launched prosecutions. Around 600 people had been arrested in criminal cases involving unsafe food in the previous six months, he said. He cited around 1,900 convictions and 33,000 notices issued across India for food safety violations, including adulteration, mislabelling and substandard food. FSSAI is also tightening rules on food claims and marketing. It does not allow "100%" claims except in cases under litigation, while "pure" and "natural" can be used only for single-ingredient products, provided nothing has been added. The regulator has also written to Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks over the use of "healthy" as a trademark.Punhani said the term "energy drink" would not be allowed on labels as it could mislead consumers, with such products classified as caffeinated beverages, while the proposed red warning system would also cover aerated, carbonated and caffeinated beverages. The regulator has issued notices to six celebrities over misleading food-related endorsements, with three having responded. Anuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.