Key Update

The Telangana Food Safety Department conducted a two-day special enforcement drive across warehouses operated by leading e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms, including Zepto, Reliance JioMart, Blinkit, BigBasket, Zomato, Swiggy, Flipkart, Amazon and several local operators. The inspection, held on November 25 and 26, aimed to assess how these rapidly growing supply chains are storing and handling packaged food.

75 Warehouses Inspected; GHMC Records Highest Activity

According to data from the Commissionerate of Food Safety, officials inspected 75 warehouses across 33 districts, including the GHMC region. Enforcement teams collected 98 enforcement samples and 124 surveillance samples for further testing. Within GHMC limits alone, officials inspected 25 warehouses and collected 83 samples—39 enforcement and 44 surveillance—making it the most scrutinised region in the State.

Expired, Misbranded and Unsafe Food Seized

The teams uncovered widespread violations during the checks. Officials seized 1,903 units of expired, misbranded or misleadingly labelled food products. They also discarded 76 kg of unsafe goods, including stale and rotten vegetables and expired packaged foods stored in poor conditions. Following the violations, the department issued 32 improvement notices to warehouse operators, with GHMC accounting for 19 of them. Authorities warned that continued non-compliance could attract penalties and more stringent legal action.

Regular Checks Essential as Online Food Demand Grows’

Commissioner of Food Safety Sangeetha Satyanarayana said the drive was necessary to evaluate compliance in the fast-expanding online grocery and rapid-delivery ecosystem. She noted that with more households relying on e-commerce platforms for daily food essentials, regular inspections are critical to ensure warehouses maintain proper hygiene, safe temperatures and accurate labelling.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

The Hindu