How to complain about unsafe or poor-quality food in India

Preserve evidence first

Before you throw anything away: photograph the product, all sides of the packaging, the batch/lot number, and the manufacturing/expiry dates. Keep your purchase receipt or invoice. If eating out, note the establishment's name, address, and any FSSAI number or hygiene rating displayed.

Keep the physical product and its packaging where possible; an official authority or laboratory may need to examine it.

Choose the right official route

Different problems go to different authorities. Use the routes below as a starting point, and see our dedicated guide pages (Consumer rights, Food testing, Government portals) for more detail.

Escalation

If a food-safety complaint does not get a response through Food Safety Connect/FoSCoS, you can also approach your state food safety department directly.

If a consumer-rights complaint (misleading advertising, unfair trade practice, deficiency in service) is not resolved by the business, you can escalate to the National Consumer Helpline, the CCPA, or file before the appropriate Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission via e-Jagriti, depending on the value of your claim.

Timelines

Where official sources publish specific timelines (for example, response times for a consumer commission case), we show them in the relevant route below. Where no official timeline is published for a step, we do not state one.