FSSAI Tests AI Tool to Flag Online Food Violations
The regulator is testing automated checks as quick commerce, dark stores and cloud kitchens expand across India.
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[Image source: Chetan Jha/MITSMR India]
India’s food safety regulator is testing an AI system to automatically flag violations on e-commerce platforms as scrutiny of online food sales, dark stores and cloud kitchens increases.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is developing the tool with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, FSSAI Chief Executive Rajit Punhani told Moneycontrol.
“We have a collaboration with Meity where the AI tool will automatically inform us of any violation,” Punhani said.
The system is being tested and is expected to be used first on e-commerce platforms, where violations can more easily be identified from information displayed online. Some states have also begun using AI to issue notices to food businesses, Punhani said.
The move comes as food delivery and quick-commerce platforms add sellers, dark stores and cloud kitchens, expanding the number of businesses regulators must monitor.
FSSAI has said online marketplaces also have responsibilities for products sold through their platforms. Its rules require mandatory food information to be available to consumers before purchase, while platforms must remove products that do not comply with food-safety regulations.
“They cannot make this excuse that they are getting it from the manufacturer and they are not responsible,” Punhani told Moneycontrol.
Information available on a product’s physical label should also be visible to consumers shopping online, he said.
Dark stores and cloud kitchens are already being covered under licensing and inspection rules. Authorities are checking areas including refrigeration and cold-chain practices at dark stores and hygiene standards at cloud kitchens.
FSSAI is also relying on risk-based inspections rather than checking every business at the same frequency. Dairy, meat, eggs, poultry, spices and honey are among the categories treated as relatively higher risk.
A company’s previous compliance record also affects how often it is inspected. Businesses that have faced notices, licence suspensions or earlier violations can be placed in higher-risk categories.
“We have a software and the software tells us which dark store or which product will be inspected more,” Punhani said.
Manufacturers are separately required to test their products every six months and upload the results to the regulator’s portal, he added.
The AI pilot adds another layer to FSSAI’s enforcement system as regulators try to keep pace with the rapid expansion of online food retail and delivery.
