Over 21,000 Consumer Grievances Filed Against Online Food Delivery Apps in Five Years: FSSAI

7,482 Complaints Registered in FY 2024-25 Alone​

New Delhi, April 1 — More than 21,000 consumer complaints have been filed with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) against online food delivery apps over the past five fiscal years, according to a written response by Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs, BL Verma, in the Rajya Sabha.

The grievances, ranging from food adulteration to misleading claims, highlight growing concerns over food safety in India’s expanding online food delivery ecosystem.

Complaint Numbers See Sharp Rise in Recent Years​

FSSAI data reveals a steep increase in consumer grievances in the current fiscal year. A total of 7,482 complaints were registered in FY 2024-25, compared to:

• 4,708 in 2023-24
• 4,321 in 2022-23
• 3,726 in 2021-22
• 805 in 2020-21

This brings the five-year total to 21,042 complaints.

Action Taken: Licenses Cancelled, Penalties Imposed​

During the 2023-24 fiscal year alone, FSSAI took strict enforcement actions:

• 502 licenses were cancelled
• 316 licenses were suspended
• Penalties worth ₹74.12 lakh were imposed

FSSAI’s Monitoring and Complaint Redressal System​

Minister Verma affirmed that FSSAI carries out continuous surveillance, inspections, and random sampling of food products available through e-commerce platforms, hotels, restaurants, and other outlets.

FSSAI operates a robust consumer grievance redressal mechanism. Most complaints pertain to:

• Adulterated and unsafe food
• Substandard food quality
• Labelling defects
• Misleading advertisements and claims

These grievances are received via multiple channels—including the FSSAI website and mobile app, helpline, Twitter, and Facebook—and are streamlined through the Food Safety Connect Portal, a part of the online Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS).