Maharashtra FDA suspends 14 food licences after statewide quick-commerce safety drive (Lead)
Mumbai, Aug 14 (IANS) The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended 14 food business licences after conducting a statewide inspection drive targeting food establishments operating through quick-commerce and online food delivery platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart.
The special inspection drive was conducted on Thursday, during which FDA officials inspected 86 establishments across Maharashtra. Besides suspending 14 licences, the regulator ordered one establishment to temporarily stop operations and issued 60 improvement notices. No food business licence was cancelled as part of the drive.
Of the 14 suspended licences, five each were linked to Blinkit and Zepto facilities, while two were associated with Instamart. The licences of Bhagwati Store and Swinsta ENT Pvt. Ltd. were also suspended.
The action comes amid growing regulatory focus on food storage, hygiene, and handling practices at quick-commerce facilities, including warehouses and dark stores where food products are stored before being delivered to consumers.
Inspections conducted in Mumbai uncovered several deficiencies at facilities operated by online food delivery companies. A Blink Commerce Private Limited facility in Ghatkopar scored 34 out of 74, or 46 per cent, and was classified as non-compliant. Inspectors found dirty storage racks, poor segregation of food and non-food items, rotten vegetables, and cockroach infestation. The facility also had damaged flooring and ceilings, while records related to medical examinations and drinking-water testing were not available.
A RAJIDI Retail facility in Bandra West scored 60 out of 136, or 45 per cent. The FDA found dust, cobwebs, food waste, and significant rodent droppings at the premises. Rusted racks, damaged flooring, and inadequate segregation were also observed, while medical records of food handlers were unavailable.
A Zepto facility in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, scored 65 out of 140, or 47 per cent. The inspection found inadequate temperature control, the absence of an ante-room for frozen products, an improper warehouse layout and gaps in temperature monitoring and food-safety documentation.
At another RAJIDI Retail facility in Andheri West, inspectors found inadequate temperature control and non-compliance with FIFO/FEFO practices. An expired pack of Zorabian Chicken Curry Cut, bearing an expiry date of August 12, 2026, was found stored at around 8 degrees Celsius, against the required 0–4 degrees Celsius range. The product was discarded during the inspection.
A Blink Commerce facility in Malad West scored 40 out of 74, or 55 per cent. The FDA found the chiller operating at 6 degrees Celsius, while medical examination records for around 40 food handlers were unavailable. Inspectors also flagged inadequate protective equipment, poor storage and segregation, and shortcomings in training and audits.
The FDA suspended the facility’s FSSAI licence, preventing it from procuring, selling, or distributing food during the suspension period.
In Pune, a Zepto facility in Lohegaon also faced licence suspension after inspectors detected temperature abuse in refrigerated and frozen storage areas. The inspection further found products stored beyond their “Use By” dates, poor adherence to FIFO/FEFO practices, unhygienic conditions and inadequate pest-control measures.
The licence of Swinsta ENT Private Limited in Pune was also suspended after inspectors found cockroach infestation, inadequate cold-chain maintenance and serious deficiencies in hygiene and pest control.
–IANS
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