Dhatura Sale Row: Amazon, Swiggy Instamart Face Action in Karnataka

Dhatura Sale Row: Amazon, Swiggy Instamart Face Action

Dhatura Sale: The Government of Karnataka has issued an instruction on taking steps against the e-commerce websites Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket in connection with the sale of Dhatura fruits and seeds as food products or by humans. The government mentioned serious food safety issues regarding the sale of the products. According to the government, the Dhatura fruit and seeds have poisonous properties and their consumption can lead to serious consequences. The Food Safety and Drug Administration have instructed competent authorities to suspend the food licences of the three e-commerce websites till further instructions.

What Is the Reason behind Karnataka’s Action?

The issue was brought to the notice of the concerned authorities due to the fact that Dhatura fruits and seeds had been available on certain online platforms through food safety licenses and registrations. According to the Karnataka State Food Safety and Drugs Administration, the selling, distributing, displaying, or promoting of Dhatura for consumption by human beings is a matter of grave concern regarding food safety. It is therefore mandatory for food business operators to remove all Dhatura fruit and seed listings, ads, and promotions for any kind of consumption by human beings.

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What Is Dhatura?

Dhatura is a poisonous plant that can also be known as “thorn apple” in English and “Umathai” in Tamil. According to the Karnataka Government, it has specifically taken note of the fruits and seeds of the Dhatura plant being sold via the internet for consumption. The motive behind the government’s move is to stop any product made from the Dhatura plant from entering the food category.

Licences for Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and Bigbasket

It has been ordered by the state that concerned authorities should initiate actions in relation to the suspension of licences for food supplied by Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and Bigbasket. The suspension will continue to operate until further orders. The government has also ordered the authorities to find establishments or sellers which supply Dhatura items to the three aforementioned online marketplaces. Licences of such establishments or sellers have also been ordered to be suspended immediately. Thus, the suspension is not just limited to online marketplaces but extends even to sellers of the products.

Platforms Asked to Remove Ads

Food business operators and platforms have been asked to immediately stop the listings and promotion of Dhatura fruits and seeds that are meant for consumption by humans. It has been made clear that the directions need to be strictly followed in the interest of health. The concerned authorities are supposed to follow up on this matter and will take strict action if these products are still being sold for consumption.

Suspension May Be Reviewed in the Future

The government has made it clear that the suspension of the licences pertaining to the food does not have to be permanent in nature. As per the Food Safety and Drug Administration, it is possible for the concerned agencies to review the decision on the suspension once the compliance reports come in.

Monitoring by the Government of the Safety of Foods

The move by the Karnataka government underscores the rising levels of vigilance around food products sold via online platforms. As various e-commerce and quick commerce platforms provide numerous food items to their users, the food safety authority has become more cautious about the regulation of the foods that are listed. In this particular case of Dhatura, the Karnataka government is taking such an aggressive stand because of the poisonous nature of the food. They have instructed the State and Central Designated Officers along with Food Safety Officers to take immediate actions against the establishments and the sellers. For the time being, the food licence suspensions that apply to the sellers on Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and Bigbasket will continue till further notice.