Nearly 1 in 5 food samples, including popular chocolates, fail quality tests

If you thought chocolates were always a safe indulgence, think again. Nearly 20% of food samples tested in India during 2024–25 — including popular chocolate brands — failed to meet required safety standards, the government told the Lok Sabha, reported TOI.

The findings came from nationwide surveys conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which flagged chocolates among the most concerning categories in its inspections.

Junior Health Minister Prataprao Jadhav revealed that FSSAI, through its four regional offices and state/UT authorities, regularly conducts targeted drives such as the National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP), along with inspections and random sampling.


When food products are found to violate safety norms, the regulator takes punitive action against the responsible businesses.

In 2024–25, over 1.7 lakh samples were analysed, of which 34,388 were deemed non-conforming and legal cases were filed in 31,407 instances, according to the report.

A similar pattern emerged in 2023–24, when roughly the same number of samples were tested and 33,808 failed to meet standards.

E-comm food chains face strict warnings

Beyond chocolates and packaged goods, FSSAI has set its sights on India’s booming e-commerce food sector.

In July, the regulator warned leading platforms of “severe action” if they failed to comply with safety protocols.

At a meeting attended by more than 70 representatives from major e-commerce players, FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao ordered all platforms to prominently display their FSSAI license or registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash memo.

He also called for details about the Food Safety Connect App to be printed on consumer-facing documents, and for full disclosure of warehouse and storage facility information on the FoSCoS portal.

The regulator is pushing platforms to explore displaying expiry dates directly on consumer interfaces and has made hygiene training mandatory for all food handlers, including delivery personnel, under the FoSTaC programme. All warehouses linked to e-commerce food operations must also be licensed or registered with the FSSAI.