FSSAI Issues Notices to Swiggy Instamart Over Alleged Delivery of Expired Food

The convenience of 10-minute grocery apps has hit a serious regulatory speed bump in India. The country's top food regulator, the FSSAI, has slapped Swiggy Instamart with nine separate official notices following a wave of alarming customer complaints.

The issues raised go far beyond a bruised apple or a dented box; customers are reporting that the platform has been delivering outright expired, rotten, and heavily contaminated food right to their doorsteps.

Flagged Violations and Faulty Fixes

The specific incidents detailed by the regulator highlight a massive breakdown in the platform's inventory management and basic hygiene control:

The Infant Formula Nightmare: In one highly concerning case, an infant food formula was delivered in a severely deteriorated, contaminated state due to improper storage. To make matters worse, when the furious parent returned the unsafe item, Instamart allegedly re-shipped the exact same defective product right back to them

Rotten and Expired Essentials: Shoppers reported receiving *Akshayakalpa Organic Eggs* that were completely rotten and emitting a foul odour. Other everyday staples—like packaged milk, *Healthify 100% Whey Protein*, and *Kakke da Paratha* meals—were also delivered well past their expiration dates or visibly spoilt.

Licensing and Paperwork Mess: The FSSAI also caught internal compliance failures. A brand called *NOICE Eggs* was being marketed on the app without approval under the company's current licence categories. Additionally, several dark stores were found operating under invalid or non-existent FSSAI numbers or names completely different from their official registrations.

The regulator noted that when customers escalated these serious quality issues, Instamart's support teams failed to take real corrective action, often just throwing a quick cash refund at the user to close the ticket without addressing the underlying safety hazard.

A Warning to the Dark-Store Boom

The quick-commerce race across India has exploded, with apps competing fiercely to slash delivery times down to single digits. However, this crackdown shows that the rapid fulfilment model is stretching storage and tracking protocols to a breaking point.

The FSSAI has demanded that Swiggy Instamart submit a comprehensive, evidence-backed explanation detailing its stock-rotation systems, warehouse hygiene, and customer grievance framework. The company stated it is currently reviewing the flagged listings and cooperating with authorities. If their formal compliance report fails to satisfy the regulator, the platform faces severe legal action under the Food Safety Act.