Karnataka Minister Khader Targets Central Official Over Datura Licence Delay
· India · Hindustan Times, Investing.com South Africa
Karnataka Health Minister U T Khader on Wednesday sought action against a Central food safety official in Bengaluru for failing to act within 24 hours on the state's request to suspend e-commerce platforms' licences over the sale of poisonous Datura fruits and seeds. The Karnataka government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket after state officials found Datura being supplied as a "complimentary item" with food through online platforms; the companies had not responded at the time of reporting. The state Food Safety Department acted on an online complaint and found poisonous Datura being supplied along with food, prompting the directions. The minister said around 2,100 pieces of Datura-related material had been seized but the sellers had refused to disclose their source despite repeated questioning, and warned that the establishment's food licence would remain suspended until the Central authority formally approved the action. Kha
Why it matters
The standoff exposes a gap in India's food safety architecture: state-level action against major quick-commerce platforms stalls when Central officials do not sign off, leaving consumers potentially exposed to a toxic plant being bundled with food. With Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket directly affected, the episode could force a review of how Centre-state coordination works on food safety enforcement against large e-commerce players.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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