According to Inc42, the new guidelines note that the food products offered for sale are liable to sampling at any point in the supply chain. Companies will also need to provide an indicative image of the food on their platforms so that consumers can recognise the product.
The food regulator emphasised that all mandatory information mentioned in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act will also have to be provided to consumers before purchase and only fresh food should be delivered to consumers.
The guidelines came in as a part of directives issued by the regulator to re-operationalise licensing and registration of ecommerce food companies. Food should have a remaining shelf life of 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery, the guidelines said.
The revised guidelines are expected to impact online food and grocery operators such as Amazon Pantry, Grofers and BigBasket as well as food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato.
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