Food Manifest 
Key Update
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stepped up food-safety enforcement across the state, bringing several major retail and quick-commerce operations under scrutiny. The latest actions involve Blinkit, Zepto, Reliance Retail and Amazon, with officials flagging issues ranging from pest infestation and expired food to poor storage, temperature control and hygiene. The FDA reportedly inspected 86 establishments, issued 60 improvement notices and suspended 14 food business licences during the wider enforcement drive.
Blinkit: Licence Suspended Over Cockroach Infestation
The FDA suspended the food business licence of Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd, which operates Blinkit, after inspecting its facility in Malad West, Mumbai.
Officials reportedly found extensive cockroach infestation, improper storage and poor hygiene. Food products were stored on rusted racks, while inspectors also found expired and tampered products. The facility had failed to properly follow FIFO and FEFO practices, which help businesses rotate stock based on purchase and expiry dates.
The inspection also revealed inadequate cleanliness in cold-storage areas and expired or spoiled packaged food. The FDA suspended the facility’s licence with immediate effect, barring it from selling, distributing or otherwise conducting food business until further orders.
A separate Blinkit facility in Ghatkopar also came under scrutiny. Inspectors reportedly found unclean storage racks, poor segregation of food and non-food products, rotten vegetables, cockroach infestation and damaged flooring and ceilings. They also flagged gaps in medical examination, drinking-water testing and other food-safety records.
Zepto: Storage and Handling Practices Flagged
Several Zepto facilities also came under scrutiny during the enforcement drive. At its Lokhandwala facility in Andheri West, officials found shortcomings in frozen-food handling, cold-storage monitoring, product segregation and protective equipment for food handlers.
Reliance Retail: Kaju Katli Sample Sent for Testing
The FDA also inspected Reliance Retail Ltd’s outlet at ARD Cinemall in Buldhana following a complaint alleging live larvae in Laxmi Narayan brand packaged kaju katli.
The batch mentioned in the complaint, manufactured on May 29 and due to expire on August 29, was no longer available when officials arrived. They instead collected a sample from another batch manufactured on July 20, with an expiry date of October 20, for laboratory analysis.
Officials also seized 54 boxes weighing 11.340 kg, valued at approximately ₹10,238, from the available stock. The sample has been sent to an authorised food laboratory, and the FDA will determine further action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, based on the test results.
Amazon: Expired and Perished Food Sent for Disposal
The enforcement drive also involved Amazon Retail India’s Bhiwandi warehouse. The Bombay High Court directed Amazon to hand over expired and perished food products from the facility to the Maharashtra FDA for scientific disposal. The court also asked the FDA to respond to Amazon’s challenge against the suspension of the warehouse’s licence.
The FDA had taken action after alleging that expired food products were being sent into the retail market instead of being destroyed. Its inspection reportedly found cockroaches in food-storage areas, expired chicken in refrigerators, rotten vegetables, rodent droppings and food packets placed directly on dirty floors.
Instamart Facilities Also Flagged
The FDA’s inspection drive extended beyond Blinkit and Zepto to Swiggy Instamart facilities. At a Bandra facility, inspectors reportedly found cockroaches, rodent and pest droppings near food packets, food waste, dust and cobwebs. They also flagged inadequate pest-proofing, rusted racks, damaged flooring and poor housekeeping.
An Instamart facility in Andheri West was found storing expired curry-cut chicken, while another facility had chicken stored above the prescribed temperature, leading officials to discard the affected stock.
At an Andheri East outlet, inspectors reportedly found overcrowded storage areas, food packets placed directly on the floor and inadequate pest protection, along with deficiencies in temperature control, lighting and personal hygiene.
What the Inspections Highlight
The latest enforcement actions point to a common concern across food retail and quick-commerce operations: food safety depends on what happens inside the warehouse or store, not just on how quickly an order reaches the consumer.
Proper stock rotation, temperature control, pest management, sanitation, segregation and food-handler hygiene remain essential throughout the supply chain. The Maharashtra FDA’s intensified inspections signal closer scrutiny of these practices as quick-commerce platforms expand their networks and handle increasingly large food inventories.
Source: The Hindustan Times
