Online Grocery Sites Often Hide Best‑Before Dates, Survey Finds

Picture this: you’re scrolling through your favorite brand’s online store, adding a pack of biscuits, a ready‑to‑eat curry, or a staple like rice to the cart. You check the price, the net weight, even the ingredient list, and then—something feels off. The crucial detail about how long the product will stay fresh is nowhere to be seen.

That uneasy feeling is, unfortunately, the reality for a sizable chunk of India’s digital shoppers. A nationwide survey conducted by LocalCircles, which polled nearly 20,000 consumers over the past year, discovered that 39% of respondents could not find the best‑before or use‑by date on most FMCG brand websites or mobile apps they visited.

Even more striking, a third of those surveyed (33%) said the date was missing on every platform they used. Only a modest 27% reported that the information was consistently displayed across all the brand‑owned Direct‑to‑Consumer (D2C) sites they shopped on.

It’s not just the big marketplace players that are at fault. The study singled out several household names—Amul, Patanjali, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Nestlé and others—for not showcasing best‑before dates on their own digital storefronts. These are platforms that already have the manufacturing and expiry data locked in their internal systems, yet that information often never makes it to the product page.

Why does this matter? Because saying a product lasts “six months from manufacture” is not the same as telling you how many of those months are left in the specific pack you’re about to buy. Without the actual manufacturing date, shoppers are left guessing, and the label’s vague shelf‑life claim becomes almost meaningless.

The survey broke down responses in a revealing way: 27% saw the date on all sites they used, 14% on most, another 6% on some, and yet another 6% on only a few. The remaining 33% could not locate it anywhere, while 14% simply didn’t know. Put together, that’s almost four out of ten consumers navigating a blind spot when they click “place order.”

Examples from the research paint a clear picture. On Amul’s website, listings for products such as T‑Special Rusk and Velvett Chocolate Drink omitted any reference to the best‑before or manufacturing date. Patanjali’s besan (gram flour) page mentioned a “use within four months of manufacture” but failed to reveal when the batch was actually produced. Similar omissions appeared on Unilever’s digital shelves, Nature’s Basket, and even snack‑brand Haldiram.

Legal context adds another layer. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011—amended in 2017—mandate that e‑commerce platforms display mandatory declarations, including best‑before dates, before a consumer completes a purchase. The rules make no distinction between marketplace portals and brand‑owned D2C sites, meaning the same obligations apply to both.

Nevertheless, a regulatory gap persists. While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requires that food sold online retain at least 30% of its shelf life—or a minimum of 45 days—before delivery, the existing guidelines do not explicitly force sellers to reveal the exact date at checkout. Recent statements from FSSAI, however, signal a shift: the authority is now gearing up to enforce the online display of best‑before dates.

LocalCircles welcomed the move, urging the FSSAI and the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Legal Metrology Division to join forces and plug the loophole. The firm also said it will forward its findings to the Central Consumer Protection Authority and the Legal Metrology Division for further action.

So, what does this mean for you, the everyday online shopper? In plain terms, a generic shelf‑life claim isn’t enough. If a product page simply says “best before six months from manufacture” without the actual manufacture date, you still have no clue how long the product will stay fresh in your pantry.

The takeaway is simple: demand transparency. When you can’t see the exact date before you click “buy,” you’re essentially buying a mystery. As regulators tighten the net, hopefully the next time you shop online you’ll have the confidence of knowing exactly how long that new pack of biscuits will stay crisp.