Published: October 14, 2026
StartupFeed Quick Take
- Quick commerce apps may soon have to show manufacturing dates, expiry dates and batch numbers on every food listing.
- The plan from FSSAI targets Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, BigBasket and Amazon Now across a roughly $80 Bn online market.
- Food inspections topped 700,000 between April and September 2026, and FSSAI’s e-commerce prosecutions rose five- to sixfold.
New FSSAI quick commerce rules will likely force apps to show expiry dates, manufacturing dates and batch numbers on every food listing.
The rules, a Business Standard report said on October 13, are still being drawn up and could be phased in.
Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, Tata-owned BigBasket and Amazon Now all fall under the plan.
These apps move packaged food across a roughly $80 Bn online market.
Beyond listings, FSSAI wants photos and addresses of dark kitchens, plus tighter checks on dark stores that hold frozen food.
Inside the new FSSAI quick commerce plan
The new rules would make every food listing carry its manufacturing date, expiry date and batch number.
Batch numbers help FSSAI trace a faulty product to one factory run during a recall.
Platforms would also answer for a manufacturer’s false or misleading label claims.
To press that, FSSAI has taken the labelling issue to India’s trademark authorities.
Two rules already bind these apps today.
Since September 30, every listing must show the product’s expiry or best-before date.
A 2024 FSSAI advisory demands at least 30% of shelf life, or 45 days, left at delivery.
So the plan adds traceability on top of dates apps were already meant to show.
Enforcement has stepped up sharply in 2026.
NDTV Profit reported more than 700,000 inspections between April and September, and a five- to sixfold rise in prosecutions of online sellers.
Notices have already gone out, including nine to Swiggy Instamart in July for products sold past expiry.
FSSAI has argued that brands use quick commerce to clear unsold stock.
Rajit Punhani, the FSSAI chief, was blunt about the aim.
“Just like we check and take goods from a shop, the same will be visible and purchasable online too.”
Rajit Punhani, chief executive, FSSAI. From his remarks on the expiry-display order, reported by NDTV Profit, September 2026.
What this means for you: If you run catalogue or compliance at a quick commerce platform, batch numbers and expiry dates are coming to every listing. Fix your product data and dark store storage now, before FSSAI turns these draft rules into a published order.
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