Maharashtra FDA Suspends Licences of Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Warehouses Over Hygiene Violations

As per a statement from the state’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, Munde’s team has inspected 86 places and issued 60 improvement notices while suspending the permits of five warehouses of Eternal's Blinkit, five of Zepto's, and two of Swiggy's Instamart.

According to media reports, Swiggy and Zepto each have approximately 1,100 delivery outlets in India, and Blinkit has 2,200. Photos shared by the state FDA of the action taken against the companies showed rusted and dirty storage racks, and cockroaches swarming around food items.

These raids have drawn attention to the $13 billion quick commerce sector, which has attracted billions of dollars in foreign capital over the past few years and has companies fulfilling 9 million orders daily.

According to a statement from Munde's office, inspectors found cockroaches and rotten vegetables at a food storage center of Blinkit, India's largest quick commerce company, and found insect-infested filth and poor sanitation at other locations.

At a Zepto warehouse in Nashik, northwest Maharashtra, delivery staff were entering storage areas wearing outdoor shoes, increasing the risk of cross-contamination.

A visit to a Blinkit store that was under FDA scrutiny found cleaning and pest control work underway, while the outside trash bins were full. "We will not tolerate any compromise with public health," Munde said in an FDA statement. He warned of strict action against unsafe food preparation and unsanitary food storage.