India strengthens global leadership in food standards at Codex Alimentarius Commission session

New DelhiAug 4, 2026 10:52 AM IST The consumer commission directed the courier companies to pay Rs 6,708 (equivalent to 100 Canadian Dollars) towards the value of the damaged parcel. (AI-generated image)A Hyderabad consumer commission has found three international courier companies guilty of deficiency in service and held them jointly liable after an international parcel containing homemade food items and household goods sent to Canada was allegedly damaged during transit and discarded instead of being delivered to the consignee or returned to the sender. Rejecting the courier companies’ defence that the parcel exceeded the permissible weight, the commission directed them to refund proportionate courier charges of Rs 24,000, pay Rs 6,708 (equivalent to 100 Canadian Dollars) towards the value of the damaged parcel, besides Rs 35,000 as compensation.President Ram Gopal Reddy, along with members J Shyamala and D Madhavi Latha, was hearing a complaint filed by a man who booked two parcels containing homemade food items, pickles, spices, dry fruits and other household articles for delivery to his employer’s son in Canada. While one parcel reached its destination, the other was allegedly damaged during transit and discarded by the courier companies. “The complainant, though only a driver acting on behalf of his employer, had personally undertaken the responsibility of booking the consignment and became answerable to his employer when one parcel was lost…apart from the contractual liability, the complainant is entitled to reasonable compensation for the inconvenience, harassment and mental agony suffered on account of the deficiency in service,” the July 6 order read. Parcel damaged during transit The commission was hearing the complaint of a 45-year-old man, who claimed that he booked two parcels on behalf of his employer, who wanted to send homemade food items, pickles, spices, dry fruits and other household articles to his son residing in Canada. He booked two boxes weighing 15 kg and 31 kg, with a total weight of 46 kg, through the international courier company on July 31, 2022. It was claimed that the courier company accepted the consignment for international carriage after collecting courier charges of Rs 36,800 at the rate of Rs 800 per kg. Later, one parcel weighing 15 kg was delivered to his employer’s son in Canada, who paid CAD 70.14 (approximately Rs 4,333) on August 5, 2022. The courier company allegedly informed him that the second parcel weighing 31 kg would be delivered shortly and was expected to reach by August 10, 2022. However, it was never delivered. Instead, the online tracking status showed: “The package has been damaged. All merchandise has been discarded, and the sender will be notified.”Story continues below this ad The man claimed that later the courier company informed him that the food items had been damaged during transit, refused to refund the courier charges or compensate him for the damaged parcel, and thereafter stopped responding. Aggrieved, he moved the commission seeking refund and compensation. The complainant was represented by advocate Praveen Puram. ‘Excess weight no excuse for non-delivery’ The commission found that the companies had accepted the consignment for international carriage and collected the courier charges. It held that the courier companies’ contention that the parcel was not delivered because it weighed more than 30 kg could not be accepted, observing that if excess weight had actually been the reason, the objection ought to have been raised at the time of accepting the consignment itself. Noting that the courier companies’ own records showed that the parcel was damaged during transit, discarded without being delivered to the consignee, and not returned to the sender, the commission held that this amounted to deficiency in service and caused unnecessary hardship to the complainant.Story continues below this ad Accordingly, the commission held the three courier compan