E-commerce websites like Amazon India, Flipkart and online grocery stores like Grofers and Big Basket will now have to declare the maximum retail price (MRP) and expiry date of all the consumer products. According to a notification dated June 23, 2017, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Law, 2011 bringing e-commerce websites and online marketplaces under its purview.
As a part of the new rule, which will come into effect on January 1, 2018, the e-retail websites will also have to display the country of origin on all the products listed on their pages online. The new rule aims to ensure that the companies don’t sell old goods to their consumers.
“An e-commerce entity shall ensure that the mandatory declarations as specified, except the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured or packed, shall be displayed on the digital and electronic network used for e-commerce transactions,” states the amended law.
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According to a report by the Economic Times, the e-commerce websites, like Flipkart, that do not own an inventory, new rules state that the responsibility for the correctness of the product lies with the manufacturer or the seller or the importer of the product. This means that the e-retail websites will have to ensure that the dispatched products are in good state.
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The move by the Consumer Affairs Ministry comes after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in its research found out that the e-retailers often sell products close to their expiry dates. As a part of the new guidelines, the food products sold by these online marketplaces have been put under the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
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