Amazon is reviewing findings from food-safety inspections at two of its food storage and supply units in Bengaluru after Karnataka officials said they seized mislabelled and expired products, along with medicines stored without a valid licence.
The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that its checks at the two Amazon facilities found products worth a combined $59,000 with “incorrect/inadequate” labelling or past their expiry date. Officials also seized medicines valued at $4,232, saying they had been stored without a valid licence.
Amazon said on Wednesday that it was reviewing the inspection observations and would take necessary steps. The company said it had systems and controls intended to prevent products that do not meet regulatory requirements from being listed on Amazon.in or entering its fulfilment centres.
“We have robust systems and controls designed to prevent products that do not meet applicable regulatory requirements from being listed on amazon.in or entering our fulfilment centers,” Amazon said in response to a request for comment.
The inspection comes as federal and state authorities conduct a wider enforcement drive involving clubs, restaurants and major brands. The campaign has included inspections of food businesses and warehouses as regulators examine product labelling, expiry information and compliance with storage requirements.
An industry source said Amazon was strengthening its internal controls to ensure that similar lapses did not recur. The report did not identify the products involved beyond the regulators’ descriptions of incorrect or inadequate labelling, expired food items and medicines held without a valid licence.
The Bengaluru action follows a separate raid by another state regulator at an unrelated warehouse in Mumbai. In that case, officials alleged that false nutritional information and expiry dates were being added to products from PepsiCo, Nestle, Unilever and Coca-Cola to make them ready for export. Those companies had not commented on the matter at the time of the report.
The Karnataka authority’s findings involve facilities connected with food storage and supply, placing the inspection within the regulatory framework governing products before they reach consumers. Amazon’s response indicates that the company is assessing the observations rather than accepting or disputing each finding publicly.
The value of the products cited by officials was reported in dollar terms at approximately $59,000 for the food items and $4,232 for the medicines. The figures were reported using an exchange rate of $1 to 95.0550 Indian rupees.
The next steps will depend on the review of the inspection findings and any action required by the company or regulators. Amazon said it would take necessary steps after completing its assessment.
