Maharashtra state's food safety chief has intensified a comprehensive crackdown on the food and grocery industries, suspending the permits of 12 warehouses of major quick commerce companies Eternal's Blinkit, Zepto's, and Swiggy's Instamart after finding cockroach infestations and other unhygienic conditions. According to the state's FDA, inspectors found cockroach infestations and rotten vegetables at one Blinkit facility, while rodent droppings and unhygienic conditions were discovered at other sites. The latest raids targeting the "quick commerce" sector come after the state's new food safety head, Tukaram Mundhe, shut some of Mumbai's most popular eateries for poor hygiene, including four Domino's outlets earlier this week. Food Safety Commissioner Mundhe stated that "We will not tolerate any playing with public health," warning of tougher action against unsafe food preparation and unhygienic storage practices.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of Blink Commerce Private Limited unit in Mumbai following serious food safety violations discovered during a routine inspection. According to reports from the FDA, the suspension prohibits the company from selling or distributing food products or continuing any food business operations during the suspension period. The FDA has also directed the facility to stop its operations immediately with immediate effect. The suspension was issued under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, barring the establishment from carrying out food-related business until further orders. The state's FDA inspected 86 establishments, issued 60 improvement notices, and suspended the permits of five warehouses of Eternal's Blinkit, five of Zepto's, and two of Swiggy's Instamart.
Food Safety Officers conducted an inspection on August 7, 2026, at the Blinkit facility located at Gala No. A-03, Plot Nos. 38, 39 and 40, 1st Floor, Sarvodaya Bhuvan, Ramchandra Lane, Malad (West), Mumbai. As reported by the FDA, the inspection revealed very unsanitary conditions, severe cockroach infestation and improper storage of food products. The facility was found to be in non-compliance with FIFO/FEFO for food storage protocols. During the inspection, FDA officials found cockroach infestation at the facility, raising serious concerns over the hygiene and safety of food stored and handled at the premises. The warehouse was found to be in a severely unhygienic condition with food items stored on rusty racks or directly on the floor, while an infestation of cockroaches was discovered on stocks of fresh fruits and vegetables, creating a risk of cross-contamination. The inspection also revealed inadequate pest and rodent control, poor waste management, lack of medical check-ups and health records for food handlers, and inadequate personal hygiene and protective equipment. At a Zepto warehouse in Nashik, delivery staff were entering storage areas in street footwear, raising cross-contamination risks, as reported by the state FDA.
According to the FDA report, food items were stored on rusty racks and on the floor, and the cold storage area was not cleaned properly. Officials discovered packaged food products that were damaged, tampered with or expired in stock at the establishment. The unsanitary conditions and improper storage practices violated established food safety regulations and hygiene standards. The inspection found that large numbers of cockroaches were allegedly found on vegetable and fruit stocks, raising concerns over possible contamination. Additionally, the warehouse lacked effective pest and rodent control measures across storage and handling areas, poor waste management practices, and the storage of expired, damaged, and tampered packaged food items alongside fresh stock in cold rooms. The FDA also found expired, damaged and tampered packages in cold rooms, demonstrating systematic failures in food safety protocols. A Reuters photographer who visited one of the scrutinised Blinkit stores observed cleaning and pest-control work underway, with trash bins outside filled to capacity.
Further violations included missing fitness records and health check-up records for food handlers, and workers lacked proper protective gear during food handling operations. These compliance failures represent significant gaps in the facility's operational safety protocols and demonstrate inadequate oversight of worker health and safety standards.
The suspension comes amid regulatory scrutiny of food businesses over compliance with food safety, hygiene and storage requirements. The FDA inspected 3,137 hotels, restaurants, eateries and other establishments between May 25 and July 31, suspending the licences of 165 establishments. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the inspections led to the seizure or destruction of 28.66 lakh kg of unsafe food products worth ₹55.72 crore. Of the 165 licence suspensions, establishments have filed appeals in 103 cases, with the FDA giving interim relief in eligible cases allowing them to resume operations. This marks the second time in weeks that a Blinkit warehouse licence has been suspended, indicating persistent compliance issues across the company's operations. The enforcement action, carried out between August 6 and 9, targeted establishments involved in the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of food products, with dairy items, edible oil, packaged drinking water, bakery products, jaggery, paneer, gutkha, pan masala and cheese analogue among the covered products. Swiggy and Eternal declined to comment, while Zepto did not respond to queries from Reuters. According to Datum Intelligence, Swiggy and Zepto have roughly 1,100 delivery outlets each in India, and Blinkit has 2,200 outlets. The USD 13 billion quick commerce industry has attracted billions in foreign investment and handles around 9 million daily orders.
