Indian online grocery shoppers struggle to find product expiry dates: Survey
Despite government norms, nearly 50 pc of consumers buying groceries online can't access 'best before' information, leaving them vulnerable to near-expiry items
As quick-commerce and e-commerce platforms continue to reshape how Indians buy groceries, a persistent issue remains at the digital checkout: the inability to verify the freshness of packaged food.
A recent survey by community social media platform LocalCircles reveals that nearly 1 in 2 consumers—48%—are still unable to find "best before" or expiry date information while shopping online.
While the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has mandated that delivered products must retain at least 30% of their shelf life, or a minimum of 45 days, consumers have no way to verify this information before completing a purchase. This leaves shoppers, particularly those buying items like bread or dairy, vulnerable to receiving products that are days away from expiring.
High degree of opacity
"Consumers cite hundreds of cases of near-expiry date products being received," LocalCircles notes in its report. The survey, which gathered over 17,000 responses from across 164 districts, highlights a modest improvement from 2024, when non-compliance stood at 57%. However, the current figures suggest that regulatory pressure has yet to force widespread transparency.
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Under the Legal Metrology Packaged Commodity Rules 2018, packaged goods should display clear "best before" or "use by" dates at the point of digital sale. Currently, enforcement remains fragmented because food safety is governed by the FSSAI, which has focused on delivery-time shelf life rather than digital display requirements.
The survey findings identify a clear divide in industry compliance. Platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and BigBasket were found to be compliant with displaying expiry information. Conversely, the study flagged several major quick-commerce and grocery services—including Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Jiomart, and Milk Basket—as non-compliant.
Call for regulation
LocalCircles has urged regulators to bridge this gap. It advocates a two-fold approach: either amending FSSAI regulations to mandate the display of "best before" dates online or revoking exemptions in the Legal Metrology rules so that digital shoppers enjoy the same transparency as those in physical retail stores.
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The organisation plans to present these findings to the FSSAI, Legal Metrology, and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA). By formalising these requirements, advocates argue that the government can ensure that digital grocery shopping is as transparent and safe as walking into a local corner store.
Until these changes are enforced, many consumers remain in the dark, forced to rely on the hope that their delivered groceries will last until they reach the kitchen table, according to the report.