Karnataka Suspends Food Licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket Over Toxic Datura Sales
Karnataka's Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has suspended the food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket after toxic datura fruits and seeds were found listed and sold on their platforms as food products. The department found some packets bearing FSSAI licence numbers despite datura's poisonous nature and health risks. The platforms were ordered to remove all listings and stop sales, with suppliers also facing licence suspensions. The companies' responses were deemed unsatisfactory, and the suspension will be reviewed after compliance and hearings.
First-hand measurement across 13 sources
We measured how 13 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is neutral (43/100). Lens Score 62/100.
Outlets measured: wion, mint, hindustantimes, english, economictimes, indiatoday, indiatvnews, news18, and 5 more. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (28–48/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
moneycontrol broke this story on 24 Aug, 04:51 pm. Other outlets followed.