Centre delaying suspension of e-comm sites' food licences, says Khader

Bengaluru: The union government has yet to suspend the food licences of e-commerce websites for selling Datura fruit and seeds, as recommended by Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Department on August 26, said Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader.Khader had written to the Centre to immediately suspend the licences of Swiggy Instamart, Amazon and BigBasket, and seek control over e-commerce sites functional in the state.“We have recommended the suspension and provided all documents to the officer deputed by the Centre in the state, but he has not taken any action despite follow-ups,” the minister told DH.The Centre can be the licensing authority but the state needs some control, especially when these sites violate rules, he added.Quick commerce to clock $70 billion in market size by 2030Datura fruit, plant and seeds have toxic properties, and their consumption may cause serious adverse effects on human health. Datura seeds and flowers can cause respiratory problems, depression, hallucinations and even death. It’s known in English as devil’s trumpet or mad apple.Nagendranath C, the Designated Officer in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said: “We have received the initial reports but not the inspection report. The suspension is in process.”However, sources in the Food Safety Division of the Food and Drug Safety Department, which comes under the Health Department, insisted that all reports had been submitted and the suspension was recommended only after clarifications from e-commerce sites were found unsatisfactory. The sources further argued that the suspension should be immediate as it is a public health concern.In the recommendation to suspend the license, the FDA Commissioner stated that the deputed official would have to submit the suspension report, and further recommendations on revoking or continuing the suspension would be considered once clarifications from e-commerce sites were provided.

Source: Deccan Herald